Late Frost and Small Harvest
Severe late frost in spring decimated the harvest dramatically. Summer could not compensate for the damage, it was cool and changeable. The small quantity of healthy grapes reached only moderate ripeness.
Character and Development
After the triumvirate of 1988-1990, 1991 was a painful setback. Most producers refrained from declaring a vintage. The base wines were thin and acid-driven, usable for non-vintage blends, but hardly for more.
Some Blanc de Blancs from 1991 surprise, however: Chardonnay coped better with the cool conditions than Pinot Noir, and individual parcels on the Côte des Blancs delivered surprisingly elegant base wines. Salon, the most famous Blanc de Blancs house, did not produce a 1991 (which confirms the quality assessment), but some smaller growers took the risk.
The 1991 vintage reminds us that Champagne is no climate paradise. Even after three perfect years, a single frost can destroy everything. It is this unpredictability that makes Champagne so expensive, and at the same time so fascinating.
No Personal Tastings Yet
From the 1991 vintage, I have not yet tasted any Champagne. This is partly due to availability, partly because not every vintage comes to market as a Millésimé. Many producers use the base wines from 1991 primarily for their non-vintage assemblages, which does not mean the quality was poor. A vintage does not need to be declared as a Millésimé to be good.
Should the opportunity arise to open a 1991, this post will be supplemented with personal impressions.
| Vintage | 1991 |
| Character | Late frost and small harvest |
| Champagnes Tasted | 0 |