TAITTINGER

50–60% Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the pillars of Comtes, supported by Oger, Chouilly and Cramant; 5–6% (Chouilly component) aged (not fermented) in young oak barrels (1/3 new & the balance up to 4 years old) for 4–5 months, not for strength, but to add body & subtle notes of toast, brioche, burnt vanilla & coconut to the delicacy of chardonnay; 9g/L dosage.
Taittinger’s flagship Comtes de Champagne holds an enviable position among the very finest blanc de blancs and it is fitting that the lauded 2008 is my Champagne of the Year. The depth of reach of the house into the Côte des Blancs grand crus has made this one of Champagne’s most consistent flagships, and one or two points ahead of Salon in my book in every vintage of the 2000s to date. Every even-numbered vintage since 1996 has been nothing short of transcendental. ‘We are lucky to work with a huge quantity of wines from the Côte des Blancs, allowing us to choose the best samples for Comtes de Champagne each year,’ explains cellar master Loïc Dupont. ‘We look for the vats that represent the typicity of each cru, to build the expression of the vintage. Avize brings elegance, finesse and balance, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger contributes body and a subtle reduction akin to grilled bread, Chouilly delivers roundness, Cramant grilled almonds, and Oger elegant citrus.’
Comtes de Champagne 2008 is one of the most anticipated champagne releases of the decade. It’s been more than three years since the family treated me to a premature sneak preview of this desperately coiled and reticent thing in the reception room of Taittinger at Saint-Nicaise. At that moment, the most enduring Comtes since 1996 was permanently etched in my psyche. It has been worth the wait, and that magic moment has finally come when this monumental thing is unleashed on the world. Still a gorgeous, brilliant pale straw hue. The purity is pinpoint exact, with the magical youthfulness of pure white fruits that capture the energy and precision of Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the brilliant 2008 season. Its tiny proportion of barrel-ferment kicks above its weight, bringing notes of grilled toast, brioche and vanilla. The presence and concentration are something else, with brilliant stature that holds an astonishing line of undeviating persistence that does not fade in amplitude for thirty seconds after you swallow. Its pure lemon fruit is pristine and radiantly fresh. The chalk minerality of the northern Côte des Blancs elevates with astonishing clarity, at once super-fine and calm and at the same time stark and mouth-embracing. This is classic Comtes of the highest order, with a concentration and presence that is all-encompassing and transfixing, perfectly juxtaposed with an energy and tension that will hold it rock-solid for a lifetime yet. Rating: 99 Tyson Stelzer - TysonStelzer.com (Dec 2020)

GoldDecanter World Wine Awards 2020 (Sept 2020)

Very pale straw. Smoky/spicy nose. Really exciting on the palate. Masses of energy. Great balance. Rating: 18.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Sept 2020)

2020 Top 100 – Trophy winner Best Sparkling
There's something rather reassuring when one of the big names of fine wine comes out top in a blind tasting. It suggests that, at least sometimes, high reputation is justified. Then again, it would have been hard for the judges to have awarded anything other than the highest marks to this celebrated 100% Chardonnay that was, as they said, "outright top quality prestige Champagne from a landmark vintage." That vintage has been widely hailed as the region's greatest in living memory, and the blend, as ever, is comprised entirely of wines produced from five Cote des Blancs Grands Crus. "Lovely bright green apple and citrus upfront with a mouth filling, creamy texture. As it unfurls there are notes of fresh curd cheese," the judges said. "This has a definite identity that comes from the land, with plenty of energy and a really coiled, tight finish. A superb intensity yet without ever feeling like it's intruding. Nigh on perfect.The Wine Merchant (Aug 2020)