A rare and historic year, 1990 is celebrated for its exceptional amount of radiant sunshine. Nearly 2,100 hours of light shined down upon the vines, setting a 30-year record. Over the course of a seemingly endless summer, the warming rays gently but steadily intensified the grapes’ colors and aromas until peak maturity. The enveloping sunshine bestowed on its champagne vintage the unique and special qualities that have made it the magnificent
creation it is today. The year began with a warm, wet winter - not seen in the region since 1966 - and spring arrived in late February. The first signs of summer also came early, making themselves felt during March, when the gentle warmth coaxed open the buds nearly a month early. 12,000 hectares of vines then endured two spring frosts, on 5 and 19 April in 1990. Flowering took place in the first half of June during a slightly cooler period, bringing some coulure (or ‘shatter’) and millerandage (uneven grape sizes) on those vines that lagged behind the rest. In July, summer conditions took hold across the region. Although temperature and rainfall were normal for this period, the level of sunshine was, of course, remarkable, and foreshadowed this vintage’s brilliant future. As the harvest approached, sugar levels rose rapidly, whilst acidity stayed at good levels. Picking began in the second week of September for Chardonnay grapes and the following week for Pinot Noir. The musts were remarkably well balanced, with average sugar levels of over 10,5g/l and acidity of 8g/l. With the exception of some Chardonnay grapes affected by botrytis, the quality of the three varietals was uniformly outstanding: a radiant finale to this luminous year. La Grande Dame 1990’s signature blend draws traditionally on the eight Grands Crus, which are among the most prestigious in Champagne. It is dominated by Pinot Noir, with nearly 61%. These grapes come from Aÿ, in the Grande Vallée de la Marne, and Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy in the Montagne de Reims. The Chardonnay portion of 39% was harvested from the vines in the Grands Crus of Avize, Oger and Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs.