Vintage

1996

Cool

Record acidity and record sugar: the great divider

Widely declaredExceptional

The highest combination of ripeness and acidity since records began in 1950. Hailed as legendary on release; today very producer-dependent, with some wines fading early.

The harvest

Picking began14 September onwards

May frost on 250 ha, then hail. Summer of drought and storms. A north wind and cold nights dried the vineyards before picking. Yield 10,332 kg/ha. About 10 per cent potential alcohol and 10 g/l acidity.

The house has kept its own pace through every vintage, and the cellar still works the way it always has: one press, one tank, one decision at a time.

Everything here is allowed to settle slowly. The wines rest longer than the market asks for, and the family tastes the whole range before anything leaves the cellar.

What follows is written from visits, from bottles opened too early and a few opened at exactly the right moment.

The house has kept its own pace through every vintage, and the cellar still works the way it always has: one press, one tank, one decision at a time.

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From the archive

Tasting note21 October 2026

Corbon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Avize 1996

A fantastic nose, giving ripe citrus first of all, with light tones of lightly roasted coffee and a light touch of vanilla alongside, and lightly toasted brioche underneath.

Vintage 1996 Edit

The whole vintage chart