2012 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs
Grape
Chardonnay
Its Origins
Champagne Taittinger are one of the few Grande Marque Houses that are still family owned and run. Presiding over this fabulous estate is Pierre-Emanuel Taittinger who is assisted by his children Clovis and Vitalie. With over 650 hectares of their own vineyards, Taittinger control much of their own production, with much of the vineyard being of Grand Cru classification. In the 1960s a prescient decision was made by Pierre-Emanuel’s great-uncle Francois to focus the House’s resources around Chardonnay and to pursue a vision of lightness and delicacy which has become a hallmark of the Taittinger style enjoyed today. The Taittinger cuvees also benefit from a longer aging process than is required under Champagne regulations delivering wines that have a subtle elegance with an underlying persistence of flavour and length that see the wines consistently score well in international tastings as well as with sommeliers from around the world.
What The Critics Say
99/100 James Suckling
"This is a fantastic and refined Blanc de Blancs. So layered and complex, with lemon curd, chalk, hazelnuts, pastries, baked apples and almond croissants. Structured and tightly wound, with almost imperceptible bubbles. Delicious salty notes at the end. Beautiful. Five years of further cellaring would be ideal, and even more for aficionados of Champagne with marked bottle maturity."
97-98/100 Essi Avellan MW
“As usual, the 2012 Comtes de Champagne is a classic blend of the five Côte des Blancs grands crus Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. This is as classic a recipe as it gets, and it works like a dream. Right upon launch now, it holds back plenty but also gives generously, promising a lot. It's rich and expressive on the nose, with gorgeous toast-lined fruit of the utmost purity. Comtes de Champagne's hallmark toasty layers are already there and increasing. The palate is intense and structured, coming with fine nervosity and tension. Refined, linear and long. This is sheer perfection already, but it's greatly ageworthy. Despite the small yields of the year, an average good volume of Comtes was produced.”
96/100 Jeb Dunnuck
"From the Grand Crus of Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Oger, the 2012 Champagne Blanc De Blancs Comtes De Champagne comes back swinging after last year's release and assumes a more noble and layered profile... it has fantastic aromatic complexity, with wonderful custardy and classic aromas of lemon curd, crème brûlée, shortbread, and honeysuckle. The nose is hard to resist, and on the palate, it’s full-bodied, with a refined and pillowy mousse and a delicate warmth on the finish. It hits a lot of the right marks in this vintage, offering plenty of purity and balance... It’s just such a pleasurable wine, 2012 marks an exceptional return for this cuvée..."
| Variety | Chardonnay |
|---|---|
| Region | Champagne |
| Closure | Cork |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Maturity | 2021 - 2055 |
This Wine Goes Well With
Taste
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