Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is a prestige cuvée blanc de blancs made entirely from Chardonnay grapes sourced from the best vines in the prestigious Côte des Blancs region. It is only produced when the harvest is of exceptional quality worthy of a vintage year. Winemaking methods involve strictly using just the first press juice and ageing 5% of the wines for four months in new oak barrels – a third of which are renewed every year – to enhance the intrinsic qualities and complexities of the final blend. This hand-crafted champagne is aged eighteen metres underground in the UNESCO status Saint-Nicaise cellars in Reims for a minimum of eight years before being released.
The 2008 vintage is fast emerging as one of the best since the renowned and now-legendary 2002. The year 2012 has proven to be an excellent Champagne vintage. This highly contrasting 2012 vintage was characterised by a succession of climatic events that made for particularly challenging conditions for the vines.
“Pale shiny lemon colour. The first nose is radiantly fruity with gorgeous gun-powdery toastiness lingering on top of the zingy lemon, lime, peach and grass notes. Refined and elegantly restrained. The palate is linear and precise with long, juicy length lining the purely fruity and luxuriously creamy mouthfeel. Remarkable purity and finesse on this racey and mineral, slowly evolving, still super youthful Comtes packed with energy and tension.”
97 → 98/100 Essi Avellan MW Comtes 2012
“As usual, the 2012 Comtes de Champagne is a classic blend of the five Côte des Blancs grands crus Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. This is as classic a recipe as it gets, and it works like a dream. Right upon launch now, it holds back plenty but also gives generously, promising a lot. It’s rich and expressive on the nose, with gorgeous toast-lined fruit of the utmost purity. Comtes de Champagne’s hallmark toasty layers are already there and increasing. The palate is intense and structured, coming with fine nervosity and tension. Refined, linear and long. This is sheer perfection already, but it’s greatly ageworthy. Despite the small yields of the year, an average good volume of Comtes was produced.”
