Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2012
The Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is the finest example of the Taittinger House style and is always a vintage cuvée. It is made with 100% white grapes from the 5 villages with a Grands Crus classification for the Chardonnay grape.
This cuvée is created using juice from the first press only. A small percentage (5 %) of the blend is aged in fresh oak barrels to create the very delicate balance of toasted notes in the final wine. Taittinger knows it must be patient with these great Chardonnays, which are the crowning glory of its terroir; the Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs remains for up to 10 years in the chalk quarries beneath Saint-Nicaise, before emerging to ignite and delight the palates of wine-lovers.
The 2008 vintage is warm yet fresh – the perfect expression of our continental climate in Champagne. Comtes 2008 embodies the contrast in climate between sunshine and cool temperatures, giving an intense, crystal-clear evocation of the chalky terroir of the Côte des Blancs Grands Crus from which it derives its identity, its appearance and its precision. The winter was very long and cold with little rainfall. The spring was mild and humid with little sunshine. The vines flowered in the first two weeks of June in fairly cool temperatures. The fruit ripened slowly and steadily, in similarly cool temperatures with some periods of rain. Harvesting took place in the sunshine, though relatively cool temperatures, from 15 September to 10 October, which meant the grapes were ripe and very healthy. Characteristics of the Wines: freshness, tautness, purity, saltiness, sophistication and aromatic precision.
