Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2006 Investment

History

"To my grandson, who will one day be an entrepreneur and be the guardian of the family tradition." Little did the author know how true this prophecy of Pierre-Emmanuel Taittigner would prove to be - it was a gutsy move buying back the family business in 2008 - but one that has truly paid off. One of the last big independent, family-owned houses that uphold the name not only on the label, but in their management; Pierre-Emmanuel remains President, whilst his son, Clovis, is Export Director, and his daughter, Vitalie, handles the company's artistic vision. Comtes de Champagne is the pinnacle of Taittinger's range offering finesse, elegance and layers of complexity.

All the grapes used in Comtes de Champagne are grown in the 100% rated Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs of Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger and Chouilly. Only made from Chardonnay and from vintages of exceptional quality, 5% of the wines have aged for 4 months in new oak barrels, a third of which are renewed every year.

The 2006 Vintage

Despite being a brand new release (just hitting the market in early September), Taittigner Comtes de Champagne 2006 has already been lauded by the world’s leading wine critics as one of the best Comtes vintages ever. Second only to 2002, 2006 is now undoubtedly positioning itself as one of the vintages of the decade – certainly every example we have tasted thus far has been stunning, and this latest release is no exception.

Already awarded 97+/100 by VinousMedia.com’s Antonio Galloni, his second highest rating for any Comtes de Champagne vintage (he scored the 2002 vintage 98/100 – but, its worth noting, not immediately upon release), he commented: “The 2006 Comtes de Champagne is striking, especially in the way it brings together elements of ripeness and freshness…the 2006 has been nothing short of magnificent both times I have tasted it.” Jancis Robinson MW was similarly blown away, awarding it her highest score for a Comtes vintage to date: a magnificent 19/20; “Very lively bead…sumptuous nose…really classy and explosive…hugely promising.”

Crucial to Comtes de Champagne’s success is its excellent value for money. Truly magnificent Blanc de Blancs are hard to come by – a reflection of the rarity of great Chardonnay vines in Champagne – and Comtes, a pioneer of Blanc de Blancs prestige cuvées, is a steal at just £70 per bottle (its closest rivals; Salon le Mesnil and Krug Clos du Mesnil, fetch over £300 per bottle).

Antonio Galloni perhaps summarises the alluring appeal of Comtes de Champagne best: “Comtes de Champagne remains the single best value (in relative terms) in tête de cuvée Champagne. I suggest buying a case and following it over the next 20-30 years, which is exactly what I intend to do.”

Market Value

So, how do Taittinger Comtes de Champagne vintages typically perform in the market? Well, if we look at the market performance of the similarly rated 2002 vintage, we get a general idea of Comtes’ market strength.

As the graph below shows, since release in the summer of 2012, it has experienced a price increase of 47.7%, rising from £880 to £1,300 per 12 x 75cl case. Pretty exceptional growth for a Champagne that’s only been in the market for 36 months!

Excitingly, market appreciation also does not appear to plateau with time, indeed the 1996 vintage displays almost unprecedented price growth figures. The graph below shows Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1996’s 10-year market performance. Consulting the graph below, we can see that since early 2005, the 1996 vintage has incrementally increased in value from £727 to £2,194 per 12 x 75cl case – a pleasing 201.8% increase. Clearly Comtes de Champagne has potential for both short and long-term investment.

What’s more, the table below shows Taittigner Comtes de Champagne’s excellent vintage premium and offers an indication as to its value for money. As the highest ever rated (by Jancis Robinson MW) Comtes vintage, it offers great value for money. The price-over-points ratio (a loose measure of value, calculated by dividing the price of a wine by its 20-point score) of the last three released vintages (2004, 2005 and 2006) are almost identical. However, with 2006 being the highest rated (and that’s upon release); this Champagne can only be expected to improve, therefore giving the 2006 vintage the edge.

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne POP scores by vintage
Vintage	Av. case price	JR Score	POP
1996	£1,097	18	60.9
1998	£500	18.5	27.0
1999	£550	16.5	33.3
2000	£388	18	21.6
2002	£650	18	36.1
2004	£375	18.5	20.3
2005	£375	18	20.8
2006	£405	19	21.3

TFB In Bond Price: £0.00 per 6x75cl case

With price and production significantly lower than competing prestige Champagne brands (Taittinger produce less than 25,000 cases of Comtes de Champagne per vintage); Comtes 2006 is indubitably a worthy consideration for any investor.

Data as at 9th Sept 2015

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com – 19/20 - “Disgorged April 2013 for this tasting. Very lively bead indeed. Very sumptuous nose seems eerily close to fine white Côte d'Or burgundy. Still tight and very glamorous. Really classy and explosive. Hugely promising. There is delicacy and charm here.”

Antonio Galloni, VinousMedia.com - 97/100 - “The 2006 Comtes de Champagne is striking, especially in the way it brings together elements of ripeness and freshness in a hypothetical blend of the 2002 and 2004. Smooth and creamy on the palate, the 2006 is all about texture. There is a real feeling of density and weight in the 2006, qualities I expect to see grow with time in the bottle. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. The 2006 has been nothing short of magnificent both times I have tasted it. Comtes de Champagne remains the single best value (in relative terms) in tête de cuvée Champagne. I suggest buying a case and following it over the next 20-30 years, which is exactly what I intend to do. There is little doubt the 2006 Comtes de Champagne is a magical Champagne in the making.”

Wine Valuation & Selling

Customers who purchase from The Finest Bubble and cellar with us will have access to independent valuation data from Liv-ex for Champagne held in their reserves through an online personal account. When you come to sell your Champagne, The Finest Bubble may make an offer to buy depending on market conditions, however you are not tied to selling through us. If you need us to assist in selling the champagne we can do this for a 4% charge. There are no costs for providing this valuation information.

Financial Risk

We have presented information that shows the historical case for Taittinger Comtes de Champagne as an investment and any forward looking statements are forecasts and not guarantees. Since the value of any investment can go down as well as up we recommend you consult with an accredited financial expert before making investment decisions.

Our Help

We are able to help you with our opinion on what champagnes and which vintages we believe offer the right qualities to consider cellaring for 5-10 years and help with up to the minute market data showing valuations, trends and transaction quantity for every champagne. We are not able to offer financial advice or advice on investments.

Contact Us

To discuss this further please contact Nick or Chris 020 7359 1608 or email us via the contact page.

Last Updated: 9th September 2015