Weird decision making by Taittinger to make 07 but not 09.
I’ve had some really good 2007s so I’m curious to try the Comtes. Unfortunately/fortunately I couldn’t find enough people willing to go in on a case.
Just as well probably from an inventory reduction standpoint.
Just had another bottle of the 06 CdC and it was the best yet; in fact, it kicked an 08 Cristal`s ass:
2006 TAITTINGER COMTES de CHAMPAGNE BLANC de BLANC BRUT- Ive had many bottles of this wonderful bubbly and it seems that from recalling my past notes, each one gets better than those before it; that was certainly the case for this one that shined ever so brightly; it had the cherished toasty brioche character throughout along with amazing acidity, its hallmark creamy mousse and depth and complexity that places it above many other marque champagnes.[such as the 08 Cristal on this night]
OH MAN! I have had a number of bottles of this 2006, but this afternoon some friends were in from Seattle and I took a bottle to lunch at Solage to enjoy with them. They are just honing their Champagne palates, so it was fun…and great that this was probably my best of these.
The bartender’s eyes opened wide - this was one great bottle. Details? None. Just enjoyed and, from memory, for whatever reason, this one was cooking.
I opened a 2006 a few days ago and it was excellent. As my wife noted, it walks a nice balance between the lean and the opulent styles. Great acid, energy, mineral, but also some depth and good fruit.
Is it Still true that they won’t bottle 09-11? I thought 09-10 were decent enough vintages.
This has been a consistent winner and as you experienced Chris, it just keeps on giving immense joy each time out. Love it that your wife is into it as well.
I have not asked in a while as to what will be released from 2009-2011, but they made/bottled Comtes BdB in 2011 and Comtes Rose in 2009.
The issue with 2009 in Champagne was the economy. Most of the cellars were full and vintage/prestige wines were not selling. The year was seen as vintage worthy, but for the larger producers a lot of wine ended up as reserves for future NV blends. A number of folks regretted this then and do even more so now as the vintage has developed far better than most initially predicted.
2010 is not a good vintage as mold was rampant. Through selection, decent wine could be made and the year is uniform in a mostly below-average way, but for prestige wine, most of the larger producers skipped this year as there wasn’t enough quantity of high end grapes to make it worth their effort. Some specific spots did well, but on a whole, this is not a year to look for.
2011 was a year of picking too early IMO. A lot of the wines lacked ripeness, but when picked appropriately, 2011 is a good deal better than 2010. The biggest issue is the year is not uniform in quality so there are quite a few ups and downs. The other issue is that many people wrote 2011 off early as many wines (normally not the highest in quality producers/labels) showed a lot of green/under ripe notes. With time this has started to fade, but the year got a reputation for being horrible and some producers who bottled a prestige wine, just decided to not risk trying to market and sell it.
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Paging Frank Murray. This sounds right in your sweet spot, my friend. Lacking ripeness, green, underripe notes.
This year I have had the 1996 twice. What a wow wine.
I opened my first 2007 Taittinger Comtes tonight. It’s another beautiful vintage for the Comtes, and a respectable successor to the phenomenal 2006. This is fresher and more precise than the '06, but less dense and viscous. Great flavor profile, with white pit fruit, lemon, honeysuckle. Taittinger nailed the 2006 vintage, and did a great job with the 2007, a vintage many houses didn’t even declare.
This year, in addition to drinking more 2006 (and buying 2004, more 2006 and 2007), I have had the 1996 Blanc de Blanc twice and the Rose once. Great, great wines.
the ole +1 here Warren
I keep seeing everyone mention '04, '06, and '07, but no one seems to drink any '05. What’s so bad with the '05? I’ve never had Comtes, but looking to try it and trying to decide which to buy.
I’ve posted a few notes on the 05 and can easily say it is very good and more on the elegant side of things with a less push and more pull than say the ones you reference. The 06 just outshines them all and does so on a consistent basis.
We opened a 06 the other day and it’s still drinking great!
I have a magnum on deck for a birthday party tonight. Lucky us!!!
Cheers,
Warren
I opened both an '04 and an '06 this week. More consistency than dissimilarity; the '04 is just starting to show some early signs of maturity. Both are viscous, with creamy lemon mousse, stone fruit and some autolytic notes. The 2006 was more boisterous, fruity and blustery, while the 2004, more elegant and possessing more savory notes. I’ll have to open an '07 soon; it’s been a while. I’m not sure when we’ll be seeing the 2008’s.
Cheers,
Warren
Warren,
Nice notes. I cannot recall a bad vintage of Comtes. The 1986s were top notch (at one point in time), the 1991 Rose was great at twenty years old, and even the 1994 came out pretty good all things considered. Comtes is an easy buy vintage after vintage especially for the price. In a different style and lower price point, Taittinger’s Millesime has also been firing on all cylinders lately. Of course being around 1/2 Pinot Noir and 1/2 Chardonnay, it is fuller bodied and not as chiseled as the Comtes, but, over the last decade, it has gained a lot more elegance and finesse. The 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013 are all extremely good wines.
Of the 2006 and 2004 Comtes, I love the open, extroverted personality of the 2006 and it is great to spend some time with, but the elegance, precision and class of the 2004 has my heart.
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Thanks Brad. What’s the farming like at Taittinger? Their website says “Green Certified”.
Cheers!
WT