2013 Champagne Vintage

The 2013 vintage began with a cold, wet winter and an equally grey, rainy spring that kept the Champagne region under stubborn cloud well into summer. Budburst occurred in late April under heavy rain, and the persistent cool, damp conditions through flowering in late June and early July caused significant millerandage and coulure, reducing crop size before a single grape had formed. The key turn came during summer: the hot, dry season proved to be the sunniest on record in Champagne, building essential sugar and concentration in the reduced crop. Late September rains gave way to the easterly winds that preserved fruit health through an October harvest, one of the latest in two decades.

• Cold, wet spring pushed flowering to late June and early July, weeks later than normal
• Millerandage and coulure during cool flowering cut yields, particularly in the Côte des Blancs
• Summer 2013 was the sunniest on record in the Champagne region, rescuing ripening potential
• October harvest for most top producers, with Dom Pérignon picking September 28 to October 15

The southern Côte des Blancs, centred on Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger, excelled above nearly all other sub-regions, producing Chardonnay of outstanding concentration and racy acidity. The south-facing slopes of the Grande Vallée de la Marne and the southern Montagne de Reims, from Ay to Bouzy and Ambonnay, also performed strongly. The Aube suffered disproportionately: it received double the normal rainfall between January and June and further heavy rain in August and September, creating widespread mildew pressure and severely damaging much of its crop. Across the Marne, some areas were also affected by hail in July, though overall conditions in the main growing zones were far better than the Aube.

• Southern Côte des Blancs, especially Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger, produced the finest fruit of the vintage
• South-facing slopes from Ay to Bouzy and Ambonnay also performed well for Pinot Noir
• The Aube received double the normal rainfall from January to June and suffered severe mildew damage
• Nimble, smaller grower-producers with flexibility to sort and wait had a notable advantage at harvest

Salon's 2013 Cuvée 'S' Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs, released in September 2023 as only the 44th vintage in the house's history, was greeted with outstanding critical acclaim. Antonio Galloni at Vinous awarded it 99 points, while both Decanter and Wine Advocate awarded 97 points. Dom Pérignon 2013, blended from 51 percent Pinot Noir and 49 percent Chardonnay, drew comparisons to the great late-harvest vintages of the 1980s, earning 98 points from James Suckling and 96 points each from Decanter and Wine Spectator. Krug Vintage 2013, a blend of 41 percent Pinot Noir, 38 percent Chardonnay, and 21 percent Meunier and nicknamed 'Exalted Citrus' by the house's Tasting Committee, added to the prestige tier's strong showing. Notably, some major houses, including Veuve Clicquot, chose not to declare a vintage brut from 2013.

• Salon 2013: 44th release in house history; 99 pts Vinous, 97 pts Decanter and Wine Advocate; drinking window extends to 2050s
• Dom Pérignon 2013: 98 pts James Suckling, 96 pts Decanter and Wine Spectator, 95 pts Wine Advocate
• Krug Vintage 2013: 41% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay, 21% Meunier; nicknamed 'Exalted Citrus'
• Veuve Clicquot and Bollinger did not release a vintage brut from 2013, illustrating the quality divide across the region

The 2013 vintage is entering an increasingly rewarding phase for prestige cuvées, which are now showing the complexity that the vintage's natural acidity and long cool hang time promised. Chardonnay-dominant blends and Blanc de Blancs are the most compelling wines for long-term cellaring, with top examples like Salon 2013 expected to drink well into the 2050s. Dom Pérignon 2013 is considered approachable now but is expected to continue developing through the mid-2030s and beyond. Grower Champagnes from serious producers in Le Mesnil and the Montagne de Reims reward patience and are still in the early stages of their development.

• Salon 2013 drinking window: Vinous estimates through 2053; Decanter suggests 2033 to 2060
• Dom Pérignon 2013: Wine Spectator recommends drinking through 2037; Wine Advocate through 2043
• Krug Vintage 2013: expected to give pleasure for 20 or more years from release
• Cool, horizontal storage at cellar temperature is essential for preserving the vintage's high acidity and freshness

The CIVC set the official yield for 2013 at 10,000 kg/ha, with an additional 500 kg/ha releasable from individual reserve stocks, giving a total available yield of 10,500 kg/ha. Charles Philipponnat noted that his own estate achieved only around 6,000 kg/ha. The late, cool growing season produced wines with notably high natural acidity, and Chardonnay proved the standout variety, performing well across the board. Producers noted that shatter at fruit set, caused by cool flowering, moderated yields but concentrated what remained. The vintage is sometimes described as a throwback to pre-global-warming Champagne, when October harvests were routine and acidity was the backbone of every wine.

• CIVC official yield: 10,000 kg/ha, plus 500 kg/ha from reserve stocks, for a total available yield of 10,500 kg/ha
• Some producers, such as Philipponnat, reported actual vineyard yields as low as 6,000 kg/ha
• Chardonnay was the standout variety; Blanc de Blancs and Chardonnay-dominant blends show the best results
• High natural acidity defines the technical profile; the vintage recalls cool, late-ripening styles of past decades

The 2013 vintage arrived in the shadow of the blockbuster 2012 and was initially greeted with caution by the trade. As prestige cuvées have been released over the past several years, however, its reputation has grown steadily. Critics and producers now describe it as a 'retro vintage,' a throwback to conditions before modern climate warming routinely delivered early, ripe harvests. Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon of Louis Roederer described it as sitting between 2008 and 2012, being fruitier and more textured than 2008 but fresher than 2012. The vintage is increasingly recognised as one of the finest of the 2010s for those who prize finesse, minerality, and long aging potential over ripe generosity.

• Initially underestimated after the high-profile 2012, but reputation has grown significantly with prestige releases
• Described as a 'retro vintage' echoing the cool, late-harvest styles of pre-warming Champagne
• Roederer's Lecaillon positioned it between 2008 and 2012: fruitier than 2008, fresher than 2012
• Chardonnay and Blanc de Blancs are the true stars; buyers must be selective with Pinot Noir-dominant cuvées