1979 Champagne Vintage

The 1979 growing season began with a piercingly cold winter that delayed the start of vegetation, followed by a decidedly cool spring with some frosts in May. Despite these early challenges, vine development recovered well and initial flowering was good, with almost no coulure recorded. Summer brought improving warmth and sunshine, and the season benefited from what the Union des Maisons de Champagne described as an Indian summer marked by alternating sun and rain. Grape health was excellent, aided by the widespread adoption of effective vineyard treatments that greatly reduced the risk of rot. The harvest was ultimately delayed until early October due to overcast skies and rain in late September.

• Cold winter and cool spring with May frosts delayed development, but flowering was ultimately good with minimal coulure
• The growing season saw no extreme weather events, with an Indian summer of alternating sun and rain aiding final ripening
• Excellent grape health across the region, thanks to effective treatment against rot and disease
• Harvest ran from October 3rd to 31st, one of the later picks of the decade, allowing for extended hang time and full development

The Côte des Blancs was the unambiguous star of 1979, with Chardonnay achieving exceptional ripeness, concentration, and mineral precision. According to the Union des Maisons de Champagne, Chardonnay plantings benefited from particularly exceptional bud break that set the stage for an outstanding growing cycle. The Montagne de Reims contributed structured, age-worthy Pinot Noir to blends, while the record-breaking yields meant winemakers across all three sub-regions had ample material to work with. The combination of quantity and quality was unusual and welcome, particularly given the scarcity caused by 1978.

• Côte des Blancs: Chardonnay was the dominant success, with outstanding bud break and ripeness across Cramant, Avize, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
• Montagne de Reims: Pinot Noir delivered structure and depth to prestige blends, complementing the vintage's abundant Chardonnay fruit
• Vallée de la Marne: Pinot Meunier contributed to the generous, ripe character of many non-vintage reserve blends built on 1979 base wines
• Region-wide yields of 11,061 kg/ha on average made 1979 the largest harvest in Champagne history at the time

The 1979 vintage was broadly declared by most major Champagne houses, yielding an exceptional range of prestige cuvées. Krug Vintage 1979 is widely celebrated as one of the finest expressions of the year, with the Krug Collection release scoring 98 points from critic Neal Martin. The vintage also holds a unique place in Champagne history as the inaugural harvest of Krug Clos du Mesnil, the iconic single-vineyard Blanc de Blancs from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, released in 1986. Salon 1979 was confirmed as a declared vintage, continuing the house's tradition of releasing only in truly exceptional years. Other notable declarations included Bollinger Grande Année, Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie, Pol Roger Blanc de Chardonnay, Veuve Clicquot, Lanson, and Dom Pérignon.

• Krug Vintage and Collection 1979: celebrated for spellbinding minerality, brioche, and thrilling acidity, scoring 98 points (Neal Martin) from magnum
• Krug Clos du Mesnil 1979: the inaugural release of this single-vineyard Blanc de Blancs, first presented in 1986, triggered by the outstanding quality of the Clos harvest on October 9th
• Salon 1979: a confirmed declared vintage from the ultimate single-cru, single-variety house sourcing 100% Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
• Bollinger Grande Année, Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie, Pol Roger Blanc de Chardonnay, and Lanson among the many prestigious houses that declared 1979

1979 occupies a distinguished place in Champagne history both for its quality and its historical significance. Coming on the heels of the near-disastrous 1978 vintage, which had created a shortfall of approximately 100 million bottles in reserve stocks, the abundant 1979 harvest was an economic as well as a viticultural lifeline for the region. Yet even the record production of 1979, generating a surplus of around 40 million bottles above immediate needs, was barely enough to replenish half of the depleted reserves. The vintage was broadly and enthusiastically declared, and today represents one of the finest decades-old Champagnes available for serious collectors.

• 1979 followed the near-disastrous 1978 vintage, which had left reserves some 100 million bottles short of requirements
• The record yield of 845,000 litres-pièces generated a surplus of around 40 million bottles, replenishing roughly half the depleted reserve stocks
• Broadly declared by most major and many smaller Champagne houses, giving collectors an unusually wide range of 1979 prestige cuvées to seek
• The vintage is widely assessed as outstanding, combining the rare qualities of both exceptional quantity and genuine quality

At over 45 years of age, 1979 Champagnes are fully mature and those in excellent condition offer a profound window into what great aged Champagne can achieve. The finest examples, including Krug Vintage and Krug Collection 1979 from magnum, continue to show remarkable freshness and energy alongside complex tertiary aromatics of brioche, almond, dried citrus, and minerals. Provenance and storage history are paramount at this age: bottles from cold, undisturbed cellars can still astonish, while poorly stored examples will have faded. Most authorities recommend drinking remaining examples soon, though exceptional magnums may continue to evolve for further years.

• Peak drinking: bottles in excellent provenance are at or near their plateau; consume in the near term while at their best
• Krug Collection 1979 magnum was assessed as still giving potential decades of pleasure when tasted in 2020 by Neal Martin
• Look for complex tertiary notes of brioche, almond, hazelnut, dried citrus, and chalk minerality in well-preserved bottles
• Provenance, cork condition, and ullage level are critical factors in evaluating any 1979 Champagne at this age

For collectors, 1979 Champagne represents a genuinely historic vintage with a compelling range of prestige cuvées to discover. The landmark status of Krug Clos du Mesnil 1979 as the inaugural release of that legendary wine makes it particularly sought after, and bottles from houses such as Krug, Salon, and Bollinger with impeccable storage provenance command strong auction interest. Lanson has notably released magnums of its 1979 kept on the lees until 2018, demonstrating the long-term cellaring ambition some producers had for this vintage. Authentication of storage history is essential, and warm or inconsistently stored bottles should be approached with caution.

• Krug Clos du Mesnil 1979 is historically unique as the inaugural vintage of that wine, making it one of the most collectible bottles of the decade
• Lanson released magnums of its 1979 Vintage Collection in 2018, after 38 years on the lees, showcasing the vintage's remarkable aging capacity
• Salon 1979, sourced entirely from Grand Cru Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, is among the rarest of the declared vintage's prestige offerings, with production around 60,000 bottles per vintage at most
• Cold, undisturbed cellaring is the single most important factor in evaluating any 1970s Champagne; provenance documentation is essential before purchasing