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Measured against the French national average, Champagne is probably one of the biggest success stories of the 2012 vintage. It was an excellent year for Champagne vineyards and some people have no reservations about comparing this vintage to historic years such as 1990 and 1996! The only downside for producers was an average drop in yields of at least 30%.
However, this year verged on the miraculous as weather conditions hardly seemed conducive to producing a great vintage. Fine but not excessive sunshine from late July onwards helped the grapes to reach peak ripeness, and the lower number of grape clusters per vine undoubtedly also facilitated this ripening.
Chardonnays fared slightly less well and are more uneven. Some are very fine, rich and pure, but others are less accomplished. The big winners are Pinot Noir and la Montagne de Reims, including the often trickier north-facing slope comprising Verzy, Verzenay and Mailly, for example.
