Taittinger

Comtes de Champagne 2014 | Bottle 75cl - Presentation pack

Description

The 2014 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is a blanc de blancs of remarkable precision: lively, briny, with a creamy texture developed over ten years of aging. Its briny profile makes it a natural pairing for shellfish and premium saltwater fish. The wine’s briny character reflects the measured extraction achieved through the careful pressing of whole bunches of Chardonnay grapes.

This 75cl bottle follows in the footsteps of previous vintages of Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne cuvée. It reflects the house’s historic expertise in grape selection and winemaking. The bottle comes in a gift box that protects the wine and showcases this truly remarkable cuvée.

The production of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2014

The Terroir

The Comtes de Champagne cuvée is crafted from five Grand Cru terroirs in the Côte des Blancs. These plots in the Côte des Blancs benefit from an east/southeast exposure, which maximizes the foliage’s photosynthetic activity to produce grapes with a unique aromatic richness.

The blend of these five terroirs creates a unique balance. The village of Avize anchors the structure of the blend thanks to its central position on the hillside. The village of Cramant contributes a pronounced mineral backbone, while Chouilly offers a more floral touch. Finally, Oger enriches the profile with smoky nuances perceptible on the palate, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger rounds out the selection by imparting a sharp liveliness to the final wine. In these five Grand Cru communes of the Champagne appellation, chalk outcrops directly at the surface. This close contact between the rock and the roots shapes the characteristic minerality of the juices. The elevation of the slopes, at around 150 meters, ensures effective natural drainage after each rainfall.

Vinification

Cellar Master Alexandre Ponnavoy oversees every stage of this process. The blending philosophy is based on the exclusive selection of cuvée juices derived from whole-cluster pressing. Static settling clarifies the must prior to fermentation. The temperature-controlled stainless steel tank room maintains a constant temperature of 18°C during sugar conversion, thereby preserving the geological character of the selected terroirs.

Full malolactic fermentation then converts malic acid into lactic acid, rounding out the wine’s structure. Five percent of the volume is aged in wood: these batches spend four months in oak barrels, one-third of which are replaced annually, promoting controlled micro-oxygenation. The tirage triggers the formation of bubbles through the action of selected yeasts. The wine rests on slats for 120 months in the darkness of the chalk cellars. After disgorgement, the final dosage is set at 9 g/L, classifying the cuvée as Brut. The entire process complies with High Environmental Value certification.

The 2014 Vintage

The winter of 2014 brought regular rainfall to the Champagne vineyards, deeply replenishing the groundwater in the chalky subsoil. Spring then brought a dry and sunny period, triggering early budbreak as early as mid-April. Flowering occurred rapidly in June, and the growing cycle accelerated under the influence of summer temperatures, suggesting an early harvest.

July and August reversed the trend: persistent showers and low temperatures slowed veraison on the grapes of the Côte des Blancs. Vineyard teams intervened to curb the spread of fungal diseases. The return of dry winds in September stabilized the vines’ health and brought the berries to maturity. The hand-harvest concludes this unique cycle, producing wines with a sharp acidity that recalls the tension and freshness of the 2008 vintage.

Tasting of the 2014 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

• Color

  The color of the 2014 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is a crystalline yellow with silvery highlights. The effervescence is sustained: fine bubbles rise in regular columns, forming a continuous and persistent cord along the rim of the glass.

• Nose

  The initial nose opens with mineral aromas carried by a sensation of damp chalk. Notes of pastry and brioche evoke lemon tart. Aeration reveals nuances of fresh hazelnut and blanched almond, complemented by hints of white flowers.

• Palate

  The attack on the palate is clean and precise. The silky texture accompanies flavors of stone fruits, while a slight citrus bitterness structures the mid-palate. The finish stretches for 8 caudalies, leaving a salty impression at the end of the tasting.

Pairing Suggestions

Appetizers

• Scallop carpaccio
• Salmon roe
• Comté cheese gougères

Main dishes

• Grilled blue lobster
• Small-boat-caught sole
• Turbot with butter

Cheeses and Desserts

• Brillat-Savarin
• Spiced Roasted Pear
• Fresh Chaource

Expert Opinion: More Bubbles

The Comtes de Champagne 2014 exhibits higher analytical acidity than the 2012 vintage. This increased tension pairs naturally with seafood dishes. The 120 months of autolysis have rounded out its structure while developing long-lasting tertiary aromas of roasted notes. The stability of this wine ensures an aging potential that easily spans several decades under proper humidity conditions. Serve it at 11°C to allow its aromas to unfold gradually.

Storage and Serving Recommendations

How should this champagne be stored?

Our shipping cartons provide perfect protection for the bottle during transport. For ideal storage, the bottle requires a dark space maintained at a stable temperature of 12°C. The humidity in the cellar should be around 70% to prevent the cork from drying out. Storing the bottle on its side ensures that the base of the cork remains constantly moist. The original box also shields the clear glass from light fluctuations and temperature shocks.

Aging Potential

The pronounced acidity of this bottling gives it a profile suitable for aging.

• Immediate tasting: the wine releases notes of yellow citrus and crumbly minerals.
• Intermediate development phase (by 2029): the aromas shift toward brioche and toasted hazelnut.
• Tertiary development (from 2034): the texture gains depth with the emergence of hints of melted honey.

Serving Recommendations

The optimal serving temperature is 11°C. A tulip-shaped glass channels the aromas toward the taster’s nose. Gradual cooling for thirty minutes in a bucket of cold water and ice cubes is preferable to refrigeration. Five minutes of aeration in the glass is sufficient to reveal the full bouquet.

Trivia about this cuvée

The name of this cuvée pays homage to Thibaud IV, Count of Champagne in the thirteenth century. According to regional archives, he is said to have introduced grapevines brought back from his expeditions to the East. The bottles age in the cellars of the former Saint-Nicaise Abbey, a historic Champagne site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.