The 2012 vintage for Champagne was, by all accounts, excellent despite the growing season throwing enough curve balls to make most producers nervous.

The relatively warm winter moved into an extremely wet spring and both frost and a particularly vicious hailstorm devastated yields. Flowering was, unsurprisingly, uneven and the tough conditions also opened the vines up to disease. However, incredible conditions in August spun the vintage around. That month brought steady heat with temperatures sometimes rising so high that vines began to overheat. However, a smooth, sunny September allowed the grapes to finish the ripening process. Red varieties, like Pinot Noir and Meunier, were able to fully ripen and Chardonnay was both rich and rounded while retaining the necessary acidity.

The low yields generally resulted in high-quality grapes that produced wines with great depth, complexity and aromatic flavors along with balanced acidity. The vintage is widely acknowledged as one of Champagne’s greatest in decades and many wines are likely to be drinking superbly now, particularly from the top estates.