August 16, 2021 - Brought from my cellar to a special edition of Tasting Group in celebration of one of the member’s turning 40. On this night, the theme was sparkling wines, served blind. Poured a deep, golden color; bubbles still going strong. On the nose, oxidative notes of almonds accompanied by bruised apple and a touch of Greek yogurt. On the palate, this is rich and opulent, again with the apples with lemon. Crazy acidity with a finish lasting for well over a minute; it seems to build the longer it sits! A mature Champagne with many years of life left. Gorgeous.
July 1, 2020 - One of the precious few 1996s that has stood the test of time and lived up to the promise of the vintage.
October 14, 2016 - Beautiful champ. 1996 is a great year and the cuvée Nicole shows the perfect harmony between age and complexity. Drink now
January 1, 2013 - This champagne remains impressive consistent with my earlier notes. Really impressive length above all - easily up to a Taittinger Comptes and the ilk in that regard, but with less complexity I suspect. Way up there in terms of an RM champagne.
December 20, 2011 - Nos 10 ans: Champagne 1996 (groupe du mercredi, Bruxelles, Belgium, chez PhDP): Riche, mais moins équilibré que son petit frère. Paradoxalement, moins mon 'truc' que la cuvée dite 'de base'. Pas de conversation avec l'huître.
May 31, 2011 - This score is partly out of raw respect. I think this is the most, maybe easily, extracted champagne I've ever had. More wine now than champagne, the bubbles subside really quickly. I think a dog has a better chance of fully grasping the nose of this wine than a human. Very much white flower almost chalky on the nose, which carries through on the palate with a bit of toast.Very distinctive flavor which I assume is the terroir. Really really winey and rich. I bought every 96 champagne pretty much that I could find. Given a choice between drinking this or the Dom, or the Pol Roger, or the Comptes de Champagne, and others, I would opt for them - preference at work, but this really is an astounding champagne.
March 24, 2010 - Yeasty, very long, highly extracted especially for champagne, citrusy, still quite light in color. Bubbles subside quite quickly however and the essential flavor, terroir I assume, is a one off. Sort of earthy, but not in an organic earthy sense. That said, a blanc de blancs champagne that can stand up to food like few others I would guess. It's a push, but take out the bubbles and it sort of reminds me of a high quality Chablis. A long future ahead structurally, but whether you will like it plenty when it gets there is another matter.
August 26, 2008 - Too sublime. Yeast forward but flavor gone