Was 1988 a good year in Champagne?
Champagne 1988 scores 95 out of 100. Taut and structured at 9.3 per cent alcohol and 9.6 g/l acidity. The first of the 1988, 1989 and 1990 trilogy and the one built for long-term ageing.
A late, rainy season delivering a good yield with perfect acidity, picked very late on 26 and 27 September.
What it has traded at
| Month | Low | Median | High | Trades |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04 | £301 | £301 | £301 | 1 |
What drinkers rate it
93.8 out of 100 from 25 ratings, the most recent in 2025.
Should you buy the 1988?
The asking price is above what it last traded at, by about 113 per cent. Retail asks usually sit above traded prices because a shop carries the stock, the risk and the guarantee, so a small gap is normal and a large one is worth questioning.
It is drinking now and has until 2034, which is the widest possible window in which to enjoy it without hurrying.
Whatever you pay, ask the seller when the bottle was last moved and how it has been kept. Storage history changes what a mature bottle is worth far more than a few pounds on the shelf price.