Maison Taittinger’s exceptional cuvee, the Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, is a reference point among cuvees. And the 2008 vintage has just come out of the cellar… A special moment. There is an over 10-year wait to enjoy a vintage, still made exclusively from Chardonnays that originate from the five villages in the Côte des Blancs with ‘Grands Crus’ classification: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. Which means over 10 years to wait until, 18 metres below the ground in chalk galleries carved during the Gallo-Roman period under the Saint-Nicaise Hill, a vintage wine can express its full depth. You can’t help but be bowled over by its character, style and elegance.
The famous food critic Périco Légasse once declared the Comtes de Champagne cuvee as the “Montrachet of Champagne” in the magazine Marianne. A nice compliment if ever we heard one. Another interesting fact is that Khrushchev, invited by General de Gaulle to sample one of the very first vintages from 1955, declared at the time (clearly very impressed by his discovery), “This is something we don’t have in my country!”
Since 1952 when the Comtes de Champagne cuvee was first created, only 37 vintage wines have actually been released.
Presenting a new vintage is akin to a birth, as an unveiling of a wine with unique characteristics. The good news is that 2008 is an exceptional year. It is typical of the continental climate of the Champagne region (cold and dry winter, wet spring, warm summer). This Comtes de Champagne is, too. Fresh and balanced.
Text : Cyrille Jouanno
