Taittinger Comtes

de Champagne

 

"Fabulous" 2004 (97 VM)

"Breathtaking" 2008 (100 JS)

"Excellent" 2013 (98 VM)

 

Taittinger Comtes is one of our very favorite tête de cuvée Champagnes. Made exclusively from Chardonnay, it is an amazing example of precision, purity and breathtaking energy. Between us we have tasted most vintages back to 1973, and the wines develop incredible complexity with age, while they can also be enjoyed in their exuberant youth. Comtes is made from grapes grown in the five villages of the Cote des Blancs classified as Grands Crus: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. Described as the most perfect expression of the Taittinger house style, Taittinger only produce their prestige Blanc de Blancs in the very best years since the first cuvée in 1952.

 

 
 


2004 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
$229.98/bottle (3-7 days) Buy Now

 

97 VM / 96 DE / 95 JM / 94 WS / 18.5 JR

Taittingers 2004 Comtes de Champagne was fabulous from the very first time I tasted it during dosage trials. Today, a few years after its initial release, the 2004 is a poignant reminder of how sensational the 2004 vintage is in the Cote des Blancs. A wine of cool, steely reserve, the 2004 Comtes de Champagne bristles with salivating energy. Citrus, white flowers, slate and mineral notes all grace the palate, but it is the wines crystalline freshness and tension that stand out above all else. The 2004 has not budged much since it was first released. It remains pointed, tightly wound and built for cellaring. I have said it before, but I will say it again. Comtes de Champagne routinely delivers the highest level of quality for the money in tete de cuvee Champagne. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

 

It was a dry vintage up to August, which turned exceptionally wet and cool. September saved the vintage with the ideal weather conditions - low rainfall and cool nights. The graceful nose opens to white flowers, ripe apricot and citrus hints. It is tense and refined, with a vivid mineral core balanced by pristine acidity and some toasted notes on the finish. It's not the most expressive today, but wait for it to awaken. This is built for cellaring. - Christelle Guibert, Decanter

 


 

2008 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

$299.00/bottle (In Stock) Buy Now

 

100 JS / 98+ VM / 98 WA / 98 JM / 976 WE / 19 JR

The perfect blanc de blancs. Full-bodied with a lovely framework of acidity and dry fruit, such as apples, pears and peaches. Opulent. Dense and muscular. Yet, it’s balanced and harmonious. Line of acidity at the end. Totally in tune. Superb. Deep and complete. Has everything. One for the cellar. It is the greatest Comte ever. It has everything. A perfect upgrade from two years ago. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

 

Taittinger’s 2008 Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is simply breathtaking. I have tasted it many times over the years in various trial disgorgements and it has never been anything less than compelling. The final, finished wine captures all of that potential. Bright, focused and wonderfully deep, Comtes is a fabulous example of a vintage that expresses so much energy but with real fruit intensity, the signatures that distinguish it from other vintages (1996 comes to mind) that were similarly taut, but more austere in the early going. Although the 2008 impresses right out of the gate, it only really starts to open up with several hours of air. The 2008 Comtes represents the purest essence of the Côtes des Blancs in a great, historic vintage. Readers who can find the 2008 should not hesitate, as it is a truly brilliant epic Champagne that no one who loves the very best in Champagne will want to be without. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

 


 

2013 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

$198.89/bottle (In Stock) Buy Now

 

98 VM / 98 JS / 98 WE / 97 JM / 96 WA 

#71 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of France 2023

The 2013 Comtes de Champagne captures all the pedigree of this great vintage in its energy, depth and vibrancy. Lemon confit, dried flowers, chamomile, spice and crushed rocks all race across the palate. Passionfruit, ginger, marzipan and mint appear later, filling out the layers beautifully. Harvest took place in October in what has become the exception rather than the norm in Champagne. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

 

Nervy and tight with notes of crushed almonds, chalk, white grapefruit, digestive biscuits, lemons and apricot stones. Hints of fennel and white pepper. Deep and mineral, with plenty of power. Very fine bubbles. Long drive at the end. Try after 2024. - James Suckling

 

After the relatively easygoing 2012 comes the more serious 2013 vintage. A long growing season with a late harvest has marked the wine with intense acids. The aromas are also cool and intense: lemony fruit on the palate is fragranced with just a hint of coffee beans. As the wine warms in the glass, herbaceous nuances emerge (and a dusting of almonds for good measure). Full of nervy energy from start to finish, the mid-palate interjects a ripe juiciness, hinting at the oft-ignored ripeness of this vintage. The acidity and extended lees aging have imparted a delicate salinity on the long, complex finish. Phenominally phenolic! This precise and fresh rendition of Comtes de Champagne may threaten to topple 2008 from its throne in the decades ahead. Excellent! Drink from 2028-2055. Tasted: 3-Nov-23. - Stephen Pritchard for Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

 

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Sincerely,

 

Andrea Lench

Fine Wine Sales & Champagne Purchasing

Grand Vin Wine Merchants

2950 32nd Ave SW · Suite A | Tumwater, Washington 98512

Office: 360.350.4896 x 4 | Mobile: 360.888.8016

www.grandvinwinemerchants.com | andrea@grandvinwinemerchants.com

 
 
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Grand Vin Wine Merchants · 2950 32nd Ave SW · Suite A · Tumwater, Washington 98512 · United States (360) 350-4896