Comtes de Champagne 2014: “a mini 2008”

2014 is the new release of Taittinger’s prestige cuvee, Comtes de Champagne. It comes from a vintage in which Chardonnay did particularly well, resulting in a classic Comtes that combines elegance with generosity. “A mini 2008…an absolute delight” is how Antonio Galloni describes the wine on Vinous, rating it an impressive 97 points. 

Comtes de Champagne is renowned as one of the finest Blanc de Blancs on the market. Taittinger’s success with this cuvee starts with the fruit. The grapes come entirely from grand crus in the Cote des Blancs, and most are from Taittinger’s own vineyards. The base wines are largely fermented in stainless steel, keeping focus on the fruit and retaining linearity of structure. A long, ten year maturation in  Taittinger’s deep chalk cellars allows the wine to develop finesse and complexity.

Comtes de Champagne is only made in the best years for Chardonnay. 2014 was one of these. After some rain in summer, the vintage finished felicitously with a dry and sunny September. To ensure optimum quality, Taittinger were particularly rigorous with selection this year. Overall, they made just 65% of normal production.

This is an excellent vintage of one of the very best Blanc de Blancs in Champagne. Already open and beginning to drink well, it will develop with a decade or more in the cellar. Don’t miss it.

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