Champagne vintage list

In a century, Salon Champagne has only been produced for thirty-seven years.

1905 1909 1911 1914 1921 1925 1928 1934 1937 1942 1943 1946 1947 1948 1949 1951 1953 1955 1956 1959 1961 1964 1966 1 969 1971 1973 1976 1979 1982 1983 1985 1988 1990 1995 1996 1997

Still aging quietly in the Salon cellars are: the 1997 and 1999 vintages, followed by the 2002 and 2004 vintages in the new millennium. 1905

There were several frosts in May. Hailstorms raged again in June and July. The flowering of the grapevines is finally encouraging. The last 10 days of September ushered in the harvest.

1909

Severe frosts in the cold winter appeared again in early spring and continued intermittently until mid-May. The grapevines flower very early and are growing vigorously. The harvest started on September 26; there were many rainy days during the harvest period.

1911

The flowering period is very early and the grape growing season is long (the quality really lives up to expectations). Summer drought. The harvest period is from September 10th to 12th, and the weather is excellent during this period. Perfect maturity, exceptional quality.

1914

The flowering period is delayed. Mold was prevalent in early July, but fortunately it did not cause much damage. The harvest started on September 28th and the weather was perfect during the harvest. Excellent quality. 1921

On April 15th and 16th, a catastrophic severe frost came: on the night of the 15th, the temperature dropped to -7°C, and on the 16th it was as low as -9°C, while the previous few days ( April 11 to 14) the temperature is still between 24°C and 28°C! The damage caused by severe frosts was comparable to the disastrous 1873, with an estimated 80% of the harvest destroyed. Fortunately, the weather improved after the disaster and the surviving vines grew well. Flowering progressed perfectly and harvest was completed quickly. Outstanding quality.

1925

Vineyards in the Côte Blanche and Hanse Mountains were hit by hail and suffered serious damage. The vines are constantly affected by cold weather at night during flowering.

The harvest lasted more than a month. It is generally recognized that the quality of the grapes this year is quite good.

1928

A widespread frost fell in May, and the vineyards of the Côte Blanche were particularly affected. Hail struck many vineyards, causing some damage. Although the flowering period is a little delayed, the situation is basically normal. When the harvest started on September 28, the sun was shining brightly, and when the harvest ended, it was a rainy day. The grapes are in excellent condition and of outstanding quality.

1934

There was a frost in May. Fortunately, the loss was not large, only about 6% of the expected harvest. Flowers quickly and grows well. The grapes were minimally affected by mold and insect damage.

1937

On September 21, the weather was warm and dry, and the harvest was completed quickly on this day, but the grape selection work was very arduous. Overall, the grapes are of good quality.

1942

On May 4th and 5th, frost struck, and the damage was mainly concentrated in the vineyards of the Marne Valley. The weather during the flowering period was perfect. Excellent quality.

1943

During the flowering period of the grape vines, the temperature was low and there were occasional showers. The harvest started on September 15th and the grapes were in very healthy condition and of excellent quality. 1946

The buds germinate very early, the branch buds grow quickly, but the flowering is extremely slow. Harvest started at the end of September, and the weather had just improved a few days before.

The harvest is satisfactory and the quality is medium.

1947

The flowers bloomed rapidly and were in full bloom on June 10th. The harvest began on September 5, the earliest harvest since 1893. The harvest was perfect. Excellent quality.

1948

Hail occurred in May, July and August. Grapevines suffer from adverse weather conditions during flowering. In late August and early September, gray mold struck, but as the weather improved, gray mold ended. Harvest began on September 20. The grapes appeared healthy, but were still affected by mold.

1949

Due to the cold weather, the flowering period lasted for more than three weeks. Harvest started on September 19th and was completed quickly. A mildew attack occurred during the picking process, but luckily the damage was minor.

1951

A catastrophic frost severely affected three-quarters of the vineyards, with an estimated loss of at least 70% of total production. Grapevines germinate very early, and after frost, various grape varieties in most areas show a relatively consistent recovery and flowering trend. There is always cold wave interference during the flowering period. The harvest was late (it just started on October 1st) and the weather was good, cold but dry. The grapes are generally healthy and of average quality.

1953

Although the frost in May affected a large area of ​​vineyards, it was not serious. Despite a good start to the flowering period, progress has been slower than expected. The harvest started on September 15th, with mild weather and very healthy grapes. Due to heavy rains in the days before harvest, the grapes became plump quickly. Excellent quality.

1955

In May, frost spread throughout the Champagne region, affecting an area of ​​1,500 hectares in the Marne Valley, of which about 400 to 500 hectares of vineyards were devastated. Flowering starts slowly, then accelerates and is completed over several days. Fruit setting is in perfect condition. In early October, most production areas started harvesting, and the grapes were very healthy and of good quality.

1956

Winter frosts severely damaged vines in some areas. The harvest started on October 8th and progressed quickly and efficiently, but the grape selection work was relatively arduous. Average quality.

1959

Although the flowering period starts slowly, the pace speeds up in the later stage, and the fruit set is also very fast. The harvest started on September 10th, and thanks to ideal weather conditions throughout the summer, the grapes were at excellent ripeness. Excellent quality. Although the flowering period of 1961 starts slowly, it progresses quickly from blooming to flower fade. The harvest started on September 20. During the period, the weather was suitable and the grapes were in good health. Excellent quality.

The 1964 flowering period progressed rapidly from the beginning to full bloom, but the process was delayed due to cold weather. Fortunately, it ended smoothly. The harvest started on September 16. It rained continuously for the first two days. Fortunately, the weather improved: the sun was shining brightly and the temperature was relatively high. During the harvest, the temperature continued to rise, but the acidity of the grapes did not drop significantly. Excellent quality.

The flowering period of 1966 is progressing smoothly. Storms between May and August wiped out the harvest of about 200 hectares of vineyards in the Champagne region. The harvest started on September 26. The weather was good and the white grapes were in perfect health and of excellent quality.

The storms in the summer of 1969 were violent and frequent, and hail caused extensive damage to some vineyards - nearly 900 hectares of vineyards lost their harvest. On October 1, the sun was shining brightly and the weather was dry. Harvesting began and lasted for 15 days. The grape harvest was healthier than in the past two years. Excellent quality.

In the spring of 1971, the grapevines grew rapidly, but the frost from April 27 to 29 affected 1,000 hectares of vineyards. And the destructive weather is far from over: hail on May 27 alone destroyed 650 hectares of vineyards. June continued to be cold and cold, and the flowering period lasted from June to early July due to bad weather. The weather in July was generally good, but hail and strong winds from July 27 to August 18 completely destroyed 2,650 hectares of vineyards. Soil erosion in vineyards is serious. On September 18, harvest started. The grapes are of excellent quality.

A hailstorm on May 3, 1973 caused damage to the higher vineyards in the village of Le Mesnil. During the flowering period, the weather was excellent. Although there are occasional storms in the summer, it is generally very dry. On September 28, harvest started. This year, it is of excellent quality.

The budding period in 1976 is from April 6th to 21st, which varies depending on the vineyard terroir and grape varieties. The vines grow rapidly and are leafy. The flowering period is roughly between June 10 and 15, which is earlier than in previous years. The summer was hot and rainless, the soil was extremely dry, and a large number of vineyards were affected by drought. As early as early August, the grapes began to ripen; the grape ripening period was advanced, which surprised most grape growers who were still on vacation and had to return in a hurry to prepare for harvest. This year's grapes ripened particularly early: from flowering to harvest, it only took 84 days. The grapes are of good quality and have low acidity. The ripeness of the grapes is excellent, and the alcohol produced by the fermentation of the juice is high and the acidity is low. These characteristics give the base wine of the 1976 vintage a distinctive personality and a unique structure: rich, mellow and soft.

1979 sprouted late. Chardonnay grows well overall and blooms quickly. Vineyards with different terroir conditions have slightly different harvest dates: the earliest starts on October 3, and the latest starts on October 8. The overall quality of the grape varieties is excellent: the natural fructose can be converted into alcohol content of more than 9 degrees, and the acidity is close to 9 degrees. The base wine of the 1979 vintage is known for its purity, and the aroma of the Chardonnay base wine is particularly moving. 1982

Although the grapevine growth started late, it progressed smoothly due to excellent weather. All grape varieties are growing well. Although many vines had not produced fruit for two consecutive years, this year's fruit finally showed perfect quality. There was plenty of sunshine in September, which resulted in excellent grape ripeness. For vineyards with different varieties and different locations, the dates for starting harvest are slightly sequential: some start as early as September 17th, while others only start on September 20th. The Chardonnay base wine is very harmonious and extremely refined and elegant.

1983

The weather was very bad in the spring of that year, but the grapevines were not affected by the delay in the growing season. The harvesting period is from September 26th to October 3rd. The harvesting periods of different varieties of grapes are slightly sequential. The average yield per hectare is 15,012 kilograms. Natural fructose can be converted into alcohol content up to 9 degrees and total acidity up to 8.5 degrees. The Chardonnay base wine is subtle and surprising, with a rounder character.

1985

The frost in January was extremely severe, with the freezing temperature of minus 25°C lasting for several days. Many vines were frostbitten and difficult to revive, and hundreds of hectares of vineyards had to be uprooted. The frost at the end of April made some vineyards even more frosty. Fortunately, we finally got some good weather in July. Although the number of grapes per bunch is not large, the fruit size is relatively large, and the weight of a single bunch is generally not low. The harvest lasted from September 30 to October 11, and the fruit condition was very good.

The grape juice composition of the 1985 vintage is similar to that of the 1975 vintage, making it a classic vintage.

1988

The previous year was mild and rainy, but the weather in 1988 was sometimes dry and sometimes wet until the grapes matured. The precipitation is normal and the air pressure is high, which is suitable for grape growth. During the harvest period, although there were occasional showers, the weather conditions were generally good. Although the grape growing period in 1988 was uneventful and was often described as "mediocre" or "average", the base wine produced was surprisingly rich in flavor and distinctive in character. The 1988 vintage proved to be extraordinary, a perfect blend of elegance and power.

1990

After the mild and humid winter, spring frost and spring drought followed one after another, and the light was particularly abundant. Due to the mild winter, grape vines sprouted early, and Champagne people were deeply worried about the damage of spring frost. Sure enough, on April 5th and April 19th, frosts raged: about 12,000 hectares of vineyards (accounting for 45% of the total planting area) ) were severely affected. But the frozen grapevines once again showed amazing tenacity, and the buds miraculously survived, which is really impressive. There were still destructive weather conditions in early July. Later, the weather turned hotter and the temperature and precipitation returned to normal levels, but the air pressure was abnormal. Chardonnay is harvested from September 11th to 15th. Grape ripeness is extremely balanced and the overall sugar/acidity ratio is near perfect. Excellent quality!

1995

After a mild, rainy winter, temperatures were higher during the first two weeks of April. There is a strong temperature difference in April, as well as in May and June. The climate is favorable in summer and the grapevines bloom quickly. Harvesting started on September 18th and lasted until October 3rd. The Chardonnay base wine is powerful and full-bodied, with aromas of citrus, white fruits and tropical fruits being particularly prominent.

1996

The winter was dry and cold, but fortunately there was very little frost; in mid-April, the temperature rose sharply and the grapevines began to sprout. The weather turned cold again in May. Although there was no rain, the temperature was extremely low. In early June, the sun was shining brightly and the temperature was high. The weather in summer is erratic: at the end of August, it can sometimes be scorching hot and sometimes rainy. Harvest started on September 16th and lasted until October 1st. The grape juice composition of the 1996 vintage is extremely outstanding - it is difficult to find an indicator level comparable to that of the 1996 vintage in past years! Its high glucose content and strong total acidity are unparalleled - this makes the 1996 vintage Champagne have long-term cellaring value.

1997

In winter and spring, the weather is sometimes cold and sometimes mild. On June 11, the vines in Le Mesnil began to bloom.

The summer is hot and dry, which is very conducive to grape ripening. On September 22, the harvest began: during the daytime harvest, the weather was still as hot as summer; but at night it was extremely cool, allowing the grapes to retain excellent acidity.