Pre Arrival Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2014

97 WA

97 VM

Notes:

Closed in style and character like the 2013, Taittinger's 2014 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne reveals aromas of ripe orchard fruit, confit citrus, dried flowers, herbs, spring blossoms and mirabelle mingled with customary autolytic notes. Full-bodied, seamless and enrobing, it has a delicate, elegant, fleshy core of fruit and racy acids, all enhanced by a saline, fresh and penetrating finish marked by finesse and elegance. This refined, chalky-inflected Comtes de Champagne has the potential to age gracefully over the next 30-40 years. Wine Advocate 97

The 2014 Comtes de Champagne is pristine In this tasting, it comes across as a mini-2008, similar in its linear personality, with just a touch more mid-polate creaminess. Reoders will find a Comtes that plays in the realm of tension and energy. Citrus confit, white flowers, chalk, mint and chomomile are all finely sketched Light tropical overtones grace the finish. What an absolute delight. The 2014 can be enjoyed now or cellored Dosage is 9 grams per liter. Vinous Media/Galloni 97

Apricots, hazelnuts, lemons, white flowers, sliced almonds and hints of licorice on the nose. It's creamy and layered, with soft, rounded bubbles that spread across the palate. Lovely balance of breadth, ripeness and freshness, with delicious wildflower honey and nut notes lingering. 100% grand cru chardonnay from Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Cramant and Chouilly. Drink or hold. James Suckling 97

Producer: Founded in 1734, Champagne Taittinger remains one of the few great Champagne houses still owned and managed by the founding family. Chardonnay has always been the cornerstone of the house style, giving Taittinger Champagnes their hallmark elegance, finesse, and longevity. Introduced in 1952, Comtes de Champagne represents the pinnacle of that philosophy and is produced only in vintages deemed worthy of the label. Fewer than fifty vintages have been released in more than seventy years, underscoring the house's uncompromising standards. Every bottle is crafted exclusively from Grand Cru Chardonnay and aged for nearly a decade before release, making Comtes de Champagne one of the world's definitive Blanc de Blancs and a benchmark against which many prestige cuvées are measured.
Vineyard: The 2014 Comtes de Champagne is produced from 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay sourced exclusively from the Côte des Blancs villages of Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Oger. These legendary chalk-rich vineyards are among Champagne's finest sites for Chardonnay, producing wines of remarkable tension, mineral precision, and aging potential. Only the first pressing (cuvée) is retained, ensuring the highest purity and finesse. The 2014 growing season combined a warm spring with a cooler summer, allowing slow, even ripening that preserved freshness while producing beautifully concentrated fruit—a profile perfectly suited to Taittinger's Chardonnay-driven style.
Winemaking: Comtes de Champagne is vinified primarily in stainless steel to preserve the purity and precision of Chardonnay. Approximately 5% of the wines are fermented in fresh oak barrels that are more than four years old, adding subtle texture without overt oak influence. After secondary fermentation, the wine remains approximately ten years on its lees before disgorgement, developing extraordinary complexity while maintaining remarkable freshness. The 2014 vintage was disgorged in July 2024 and finished with a 9 g/L dosage, a level that perfectly balances the wine's vibrant acidity and chalk-driven minerality. The result is a Champagne of immense depth, combining citrus, orchard fruit, toasted brioche, hazelnut, white flowers, and an unmistakably long, saline finish.
Technical Details: Champagne AOC; Vintage 2014; 100% Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs); Grand Cru vineyards in Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Oger; Côte des Blancs; first pressing only; primarily stainless steel vinification with approximately 5% aged in seasoned oak barrels; approximately 10 years sur lie; disgorged July 2024; Brut (9 g/L dosage); 12.5% alcohol.
Food Pairing: Caviar, oysters, lobster, Dover sole, turbot, scallops, roasted chicken with morels, veal, aged Comté, and truffle-infused dishes all pair magnificently with Comtes de Champagne. Aromas of citrus confit, white peach, pear, toasted brioche, hazelnut, chamomile, white flowers, and crushed chalk unfold over a palate that is simultaneously creamy, powerful, and laser-focused. The extraordinary balance between richness, freshness, and mineral tension makes the 2014 a superb Champagne today, while its impeccable structure promises graceful evolution for decades to come.