Taittinger Collection Sebastiao Salgado 2008 (750ML)

97 WE / 93 WS / 93 JS / 92 BH / 92 VM / 17.5 JR 
#12 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Cellar Selections 2016

The bottle becomes both the canvas and the inspiration for a creation, signed by a distinguished artist. The Hungarian artist Vasarely was the first artist to produce work for this unique art gallery, which to date includes a long line of designs by artists such as André Masson, Roy Lichtenstein, Imaï, Rauschenberg and Amadou Sow. Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado has produced the artwork for the 08 bottling.

Taittinger selects only the very best vintages to be decorated by an artist for the Taittinger Collection, which contains 13 editions to date. Taittinger chose photographer Sebastião Salgado to embellish its Brut Millésimé 2008. The first for a photographic artist. This Franco-Brazilian artist had already created powerful work of stunningly beautiful images of man, animals and the planet. His latest work, published in 2013, was entitled ‘Genesis’ and the image chosen by Salgado for the Taittinger Collection was taken from this. The black and white photograph shows a leopard drinking from the Barab River Valley, Damaraland, Namibia - a depiction of all that is honest and true.

97 WE / 93 WS / 93 JS / 92 BH / 92 VM / 17.5 JR 

The balance between ripeness and acidity that is the hallmark of this fine vintage is expressed well in this impressive wine. Tangy, with a strong streak of minerality, it is crisp and rich at the same time. For its fruitiness, it is ready to drink; for more maturity, it will need to age until 2018. #12 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Cellar Selections 2016. Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

An elegant Champagne, with vibrant acidity and a finely detailed mousse, this offer flavors of crème de cassis and poached pear, showing rich accents of smoky, toasted brioche and lemon curd. Offers a lingering, spiced finish. Drink now through 2026. 500 cases imported. - AN, Wine Spectator

Taittinger's complexity is apparent here on the nose of this complex, rich and deeply powerful vintage Champagne. Flinty struck match reduction, toasty yeasty notes and bright lemon-infused citrus notes are all bursting from the glass amid savory, chalky minerals. The palate has a bold lemon citrus and peach fruit flavor to it, really saline, minerally and contained. Some glossy brulée-like notes to close.  - James Suckling

An elegant, pure and solidly complex nose displays plenty of yeast character on the apple, citrus and brioche-suffused aromas. There is good verve to the delicious, round and nicely intense flavors that also possess fine complexity before terminating in a moderately dry and balanced finale. The supporting mousse is neither refined nor coarse and seems to match the overall volume and concentration well. Note that this is a Champagne that could either be enjoyed now but the underlying material is sufficiently good that more depth should develop if you allow this to age for another 3 to 5 years. - Allen Meadows, Burghound

Taittinger’s 2008 Brut Millesimé is a powerful, bold wine. The intensity of the year has been tempered by lovely mid-palate depth and what feels like dosage that is on the higher end of the spectrum, which means Taittinger’s 2008 is more accessible now than many other 2008. Dried pear, brioche, honey, mint, chamomile and wild flowers blossom into the creamy, inviting finish. There is a lot to like. Although not especially complex, the 2008 should drink well for the next decade or so. And the 2008 Comtes? Well, it is shaping up to be epic. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

ll grands and premiers crus. 50% Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne, 50% Chardonnay. Aged four years on the lees. Dosage 9 g/l.
Tasted blind. Broad nose with a bit more depth [than the 2009 tasted alongside]. Tense and vibrant. Lots of zing and citrus peel. Even lime flavour. - Jancis Robinson