Taittinger Brut 3 Vintage Case 75cl

Taittinger produce a vintage champagne only when the harvest has been of exceptional quality. Their Brut Vintage is always a blend of juice exclusively from the first pressing of the grapes and is aged for four years in the cellars, allowing the aromas to mature slowly and the length and complexity of the wine to develop. It consists of Chardonnay from Grand Crus of the Côte des Blancs and Pinot Noir from Grand Crus of the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne.

This unique and rare Taittinger Brut 3 Vintage Case is an exceptional celebration of the diversity of vintage champagne. Showcasing the qualities of the incredible 2002, 2008 and 2009 vintages expressed with the characteristic Chardonnay-dominant Taittinger style, this Limited Edition case includes one 75cl bottle each of Taittinger Brut Vintage 2002, Taittinger Brut Vintage 2008 and Taittinger Brut Vintage 2009.

Taittinger Brut Vintage 2002: An exceptional summer of sun and hot weather created a vintage that produced the finest quality grapes seen in the last twenty years. The 2002 season began with low rainfall and a mild winter: this combined with the summer led to a fruitful harvest with large quantities of grapes. Regarded as the best vintage in the past two decades. On the nose an aroma of delicate fruit, on the palate a well-rounded intensity of brioche and fresh apricot with a real creaminess developing. A champagne with great structure and a long lingering finish.

Taittinger Brut Vintage 2008: The 2008 season began with a frosty winter that affected the vines and resulted in a late bud burst. However, the weather in May improved resulting in fast-growing vines. Disease in the vineyards had to be controlled due to regular damp conditions. However, a bright and warm summer created a harvest renowned for its liveliness and freshness. On the nose, yeasty bread aromas combine with an abundance of ripe fruits. The palate is full of lemon and mandarin hints with a freshness that continues throughout to the finish, lingering long with complex flavours.

Taittinger Brut Vintage 2009: The 2009 vintage was a continental, sunny year with a real winter that was very cold and dry followed by a glorious sun-filled summer and almost no rain in August and September. The harvest was incomparable in terms of quality and produced consistent, fresh and crunchy grapes. Pale yellow with a constant fine stream of bubbles. Initially on the nose there are yeasty bread aromas that give way to a sweeter fruity scent. On the palate hints of lemon and mandarin are present that leads to a slighty honeyed mid-palate. The finish is exceptionally long and generous with an abundance of fresh and rich fruits. A vintage that is ready to drink but given some time the maturity will only add to the flavours.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru | Pinot Noir: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne | Chardonnay: Côte des Blancs
Grape Varieties: 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay
Ageing: 4 years on the lees
Dosage: 9 g/l

Taittinger Brut 3 Vintage Case includes three 75cl bottles as described, presented in a beautifully crafted and branded wooden case (as shown in the picture on the left).

With history dating back to 1734, Champagne Taittinger is the third oldest House in the region. When Pierre Taittinger purchased Forest-Fourneaux in 1932, the label was officially born and a century of incredible growth saw Taittinger become one of the biggest producers and one of the last big independent, family-owned Houses. This changed briefly after a takeover in the early 2000s, however the House was bought back into the family in 2008 by Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger. Today, the brand has been successfully refreshed with entrepreneurial spirit and is firmly under family control: Pierre-Emmanuel remains President, son Cloivs is Export Director and daughter Vitalie is Marketing Director.

The proud owners of 288-hectares of vineyards in the best localities, Taittinger self-supply half of their grape needs. The hallmark of the Taittinger style is the high percentage of Chardonnay, providing the characteristic elegance, delicacy and freshness for which their champagnes are so well-known. The pride of the House is the pure-Chardonnay prestige cuvée Comtes de Champagne, a pioneering blanc de blancs that ranks amongst the finest of all prestige cuvées. In late 2015, Tatittinger announced that they had started sparkling wine production in Southern England.

Cellar Master: Alexandre Ponnavoy
Winery Location: Reims | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Montagne de Reims
Annual Production (bottles): 6,000,000

Gift Wrapping & Cards - choose these at checkout.

Gift Wrapping: Make your champagne gift even more luxurious with pearlised wrapping paper - select a colour at checkout for £4.95 per bottle.

Greetings Cards: Personalise your gift with a handwritten message - choose your preferred card at checkout for £3.50.

This Champagne House was originally established by Jacques Fourneaux under his own name in 1743, making it the third oldest Champagne House in existence. Jacques came from a family of important vineyard owners and was succeeded by his son Jerome who was the advisor to the young widowed Nicole-Barbe Clicquot. Jerome blended all the Veuve Clicquot wines between 1805 and 1810.

There is little to say about the formative years which were uneventful compared to the great success of the post-war period. Purchased in 1932 by Pierre Taittinger, he went about changing the name to Taittinger Mailly & Cie and started purchasing a great number of vineyards whilst the economy was depressed and land was going cheap.

Pierre had spent much time in the Champagne region when serving in the First World War as a young cavalry officer. Stationed at the Château de la Marquetterie, he fell in love with this remarkable property whose name came from the history of cultivating alternating plots of black and white grapes and the Château was one of his most revered purchases. Taittinger’s home is situated above miles of chalk tunnels and fourth century Roman cellars once belonging to the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of St Nicaise and are perfect for the slow ageing process required for great champagnes.

Owning some 288 hectares of vineyards in the best localities of Champagne makes Taittinger the second largest domaine owner in the region. The most famous of these are the vineyards surrounding Château de la Marquetterie and parcels in the prestigious Côte des Blancs. These ensure a regular supply of approximately 50% of Taittinger’s annual needs, significantly more than other well-known Champagne houses. The remaining 50% are purchased from carefully selected growers, some of whose links go back four generations. As quality is of paramount importance, Taittinger only use grapes from the finest vineyards in Champagne and impressively rank in the top two major Champagne houses in terms of self-sufficient supply.

The hallmark of Champagne Taittinger is the high percentage of Chardonnay used in their winemaking which can be anything from 40% in the Brut Réserve to 100% in the prestige cuvée Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs. This Chardonnay dominance provides a style of elegance, delicacy and finesse which is recognised worldwide and has earned the house many accolades and awards over the years.

All of the Chardonnay grapes used in Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs originate from the 100% rated Grand Cru vineyards of Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger and Oger in the Côte des Blancs. Vineyard procurement is the role of Managing Director, Damien Le Sueur, the vineyards are then managed under the watchful eye of Vincent Collard and the champagnes are made by long-standing Taittinger Chef de Cave, Loïc Dupont.

Today, the Reims-based House is headed by Pierre’s son, Pierre-Emmanual Taittinger. His son Clovis and daughter Vitalie are also both actively involved in the day-to-day running of this thriving family-run Champagne house.