Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 1996

Was 1996 a good year in Champagne?

Published vintage charts rate Champagne 1996 96 out of 100, 5 out of 5 stars and 5 out of 5. The highest levels of sugar and acidity in living memory, acidity reaching 10.0 g/l. One of the most structured vintages of the twentieth century. Some bottles now show premature oxidation or razor-sharp unbalanced acidity.

Alternating warm and cool spells, then north winds that dehydrated the fruit into extraordinary concentration while cool nights held the acidity. A bumper 10,332 kg/ha.

What the critics scored the 1996

3 critic scores from 3 reviewers, on the 100-point scale from 91/100 to 95/100. Score: 93.7 out of 100.

The dated reviews run from 2004 to 2005, young and mature bottles alike.

By score the 1996 ranks 10th of 16 scored Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame vintages, 0.2 points below their review-weighted 93.9.

The 1990s by score: 1990 94.6, 1993 92.0, 1995 92.0, 1996 93.7 and 1998 92.0.

Tightly-packed with notes of citrus oil, orange rind, white peach, honeysuckle, and brioche, the medium to full-bodied 1996 La Grande Dame Brut should age well for 15-20 years. Crisp, fresh, and backward, it is another brilliant example from the exquisite 1996 vintage.

In five years, this rating may look conservative, as this wine seems to have the building blocks upon which to age well. Right now, it's tight and citrusy, with some riper pear notes and a creamy midpalate. Expect this to develop richer toast and nut nuances, and for the grapefruity finish to soften and become more harmonious.

Deep, highly complex aromas of citrus skin, nutmeg, porcini mushroom, toasted almond and clove. Rich, dry and impressively deep; superconcentrated and oily. A chewy, spicy Champagne that seemed to grow fresher as it opened in the glass. Really explosive on the aftertaste, finishing with a clinging quality and powerful spicy, nutty flavors. A major mouthful of Champagne, at its best at the dinner table. Displays the combination of high ripeness and high acidity of this vintage at its best. This thick, rich, very powerful wine is still a bit youthfully disorganized and will be even better for a few years of additional aging. One of the standouts of my recent tastings.

What drinkers rate it

92.8 out of 100 from 270 drinker ratings, the most recent in July 2026.

That is 0.9 points below the critics' score.

Drinker rank: 5th of 22 (tied with 1985). No vintage has more ratings.

5 written notes, October 2025 to July 2026, rating it 93 to 97.

Deep golden color. very comp,ex nose lingering and long lasting. Very fine bubbles nut, almond butter brioche. Full bodied perfectly balance and excellent length

Voluptuous and still vigorous. Perfect now. Rich, some oxidative notes, incredibly outshone a 2000 Cristal. By far the best Grande Dame I've ever had. The vintage quality really comes through here. I don't see that this will improve any more so I would drink it up to capture it at peak.

Perfection now. Light and floral in a way that the grande dame reach with the right amount of age. Sweetness but not sweet. Still lots of fruit backed by an elegant acidity. Very, very long aftertaste.Drink now. Will not improve IMHO but will probably hold for several years more.

Un nez encore puissant et extraordinaire pour un champagne de pres de 30 ans avec une bulle fine, mais bien presente, des notes de miel et d'abricot une couleur un peu jaune fonce mais encore tellement plein d' aromes et tres long en bouche

When to drink the 1996

2005 to 2025: 20 years, opening 9 years after the harvest.

Closed 1 year before our 2026 snapshot, so provenance counts for more than price.

Yet 1 drinker note came after 2025, the latest July 2026 at 95.

Window length rank, longest first: 5th of 11.

The 1996 against its neighbours

The 1996 beside its 4 nearest recorded years.

Here, by score, it places 1st of 5.