Taittinger Comtes Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2008

The concentration and finesse of a rare Blanc de Blancs champagne signed Taittinger

The property

It is at the beginning of the 20th century that the history of the Champagne House Taittinger begins. Led by Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger and his two children, Clovis and Vitalie, the Taittinger House has managed to preserve a family soul by producing champagnes resolutely oriented towards a chardonnay style. Since January 1, 2020, Vitalie Taittinger has been President of the Taittinger Champagne House.

The vineyard

The vineyard of the Champagne House Taittinger extends over 288 hectares of vines and includes 37 different crus. Taittinger is thus the third largest vineyard in Champagne. The entire vineyard is certified in High Environmental Value.

The Wine

Champagne of exception, Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs from the house of Taittinger was created in homage to Count Thibaud IV, King of Navarre, who brought back from crusade the ancestor of chardonnay. Only vintage, this prestigious cuvée is created in very great years. Since 1952, only 37 vintages have been declared. A rare and world-renowned cuvée, Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs from the house of Taittinger undergoes a very rigorous and long elaboration process. Only the purest juices from the first press are used. 5% of the wines used in the blend are aged in new oak barrels, a third of which are renewed every year and bring toasted notes. Finally, this exceptional champagne is patiently matured for ten to twelve years in the Gallo-Roman chalk cellars of the former Saint-Nicaise Abbey in Reims.

The vintage

A perfect expression of the continental climate of Champagne, the 2008 vintage was marked by a cold winter and a hot summer with slow maturation. For this 2008 vintage, the harvest took place from September 15 to October 10 under the sun while observing cool temperatures. Described as a Champagne miracle, 2008 gave birth to wines remarkable for their freshness, tension, purity and finesse while retaining a beautiful saline expression.

Maturing

Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne 2008 champagne was aged for 12 years in its cellars.

Assemblage

100% Chardonnay, this Blanc de Blancs is made from grapes coming from 5 villages classified "Grands Crus" of the Côte des Blancs: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger.

Tasting

Dress

Dazzling, Comtes de Taittinger 2008 presents a superb brilliant pale yellow color with green reflections highlighting the delicacy of the delicate string of bubbles.

Nose

On the nose, the saline and mineral expression of the great chalky terroirs is expressed with great purity. Deep, precise and very fresh, the aromatic bouquet is complex yet restrained. First pear notes, then citrus fruit, white pepper and floral notes of orange blossom blend brilliantly with liquorice and toasted notes.

Mouth

Of great finesse, the mouth highlights all the purity in its raw state of this 2008 vintage. Concentrated, taut and mineral, the mouth nonetheless retains a fruity profile with flavours of white fruits, grapefruit and menthol.

Cellaring potential

Ready to be savored in the dazzling energy of its youth, Comtes de Taittinger 2008 possesses an outstanding ageing potential.

THE SOUL OF A FAMILY BUSINESS

Emblematic sites

A story’s soul

The story behind a place, whether based on facts, accounts, people or images, shapes a collective memory just as much as a personal one. Emotion sees beyond the stones which are there, or were there. The Taittinger story is built on the respect of such memories and on what these emotions mean.

SAINT-NICAISE

Something beautiful in the cellar

The Benedictine monks built an abbey church in the 13th century on the site of the grave of Saint-Nicaise in order to worship his relics.

It was sold as a national asset during the Revolution and was plundered for its stone, until its complete demolition in the19th century. Its vaults and ancient, underground chalk quarries dating from the Gallo-Roman era remained remarkably intact. Today, they house a portion of Taittinger Champagne’s production, including the famous cuvée the ‘Comtes de Champagne’.

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