Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2012

• Already drinking surprisingly well
• Creamy palate, lemon, almonds, vanilla, and brioche

Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2012 is the perfect extample to illustrate why Comtes is the creamiest and most alluring of all Blanc de Blancs. After the lean 2011 and the mineral-driven 2008, the 2012 once again presents itself as a generous Blanc de Blancs with a silky texture and enticing fruit aromas.

The grapes for Comtes de Champagne come exclusively from the most renowned Grands Crus of the Côte des Blancs: Avize, Le Mesnil, Chouilly, Cramant, and Oger. Taittinger relies on its own vineyards, as the house owns a total of 288 hectares of vines. Vinification follows a traditional approach. Since 1988, Taittinger has also experimented with oak barrels, about one-third of which are new. In Comtes de Champagne, however, the influence of oak remains subtle and firmly in the background.

The inaugural vintage of Comtes de Champagne was released in 1952. As Salon was not yet commercially available, it holds the distinction of being the very first prestige Blanc de Blancs cuvée. Renowned for its longevity, it evolves beautifully in the cellar, revealing over time complex notes of smoke, truffle, and nuts that emerge after decades of aging.

96(94) Richard Juhlin champagneclub.com
A big lift in quality from the slightly lean 2011. Simply a classic and deliciously original Comtes. Lots of beauty right from the start, but store for five years yourself in your own cellar and you will be greeted by an even greater wealth of mint chocolate, coconut, honey, butterscotch and lime essence.

96 Antonio Galloni vinous.com The 2012 Comtes de Champagne is gorgeous. Warm and resonant in the glass, the 2012 Comtes shows all the allure that makes this vintage so appealing. The combination of bright citrus, mineral and floral notes typical of Comtes, enhanced by the soft contours of the vintage, makes for an inviting, open-knit Champagne that is quite showy right out of the gate. Light tropical accents on the finish add an exotic flair. Usually I recommend cellaring just-released Comtes, but that won’t be necessary here

750 mL

750.0

Champagne

Chardonnay

Sulphites

• Brut

France

Taittinger, 9, Place Saint-Nicaise, 51000 Reims, Frankreich