2008 Taittinger "Comtes de Champagne" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne

Professional Reviews

Staff Reviews

GW

Gary Westby

Gary Westby

K&L Buyer

This wine is full of extroverted toasted brioche and the bouquet is among the most generous that we have in stock. In the mouth, the chalky, concentrated power of the vintage comes out- this wine is packed with white flowers and pain au levain in the middle. The finish is as long as they come, and this is where the wine does its best trick, switching from powerful to elegant, from concentrated to refreshing, all while charming me with kaleidoscopic complexity that goes on and on. Looking back at my notes on the excellent and very well priced 2007 Taittinger "Comtes de Champagne", I had compared that vintage to Puligny-Montrachet because of its limey drive. This 2008 reminds me of the graceful power of Chevalier-Montrachet- it has it all.

LM

Lilia McIntosh

Lilia McIntosh

This Champagne is the sheer perfection. It is so incredibly complex and multidimensional! Bright and powerful with deep concentrated flavor, it mellows down on the finish and gently sparkles on your palate for a very long time. It seems to be precisely balanced to the point that not a single aspect of it sticks out. The crisp acidity, light toasty and brioche notes in combination with mineral and citrus notes create Champagne that can rival any other higher priced cuvees. With the holiday season quickly approaching this should be a must gift for literally anybody.

Notes

This is just the 37th release of the Comtes, the first being the 1952. It is entirely Grand Cru, and only from the Côte de Blancs, made from a selection of the best lots from Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil, and Oger. Only the cuvée is used, the first most gentle pressing, and the wine is fermented almost entirely in stainless steel, with just 5% going into oak. The wine is then aged for a minimum of 10 years on the lees and is only just now being released at 12 years old, enjoying a bit of time on the cork as well. (Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer) 98 points, Neal Martin for Vinous: "Served from magnum, the 2008 Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is stunning. Vivid citrus fruit on the nose with crushed stone, this is initially quite taut but then develops gorgeous scents of orange pith and citrus peel. The palate is very concentrated, perfectly balanced, extremely pure with an almost penetrating finish that has the salinity to beckon you back for another sip. I would be interested to juxtapose this with a 750mls bottle as it felt quite backward. Both formats surely have a very long life ahead." (3/2022)