The Taittinger Comtes Thread

[Howard_Cooper]

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.

I have been told that 2007 is considered more successful for Chardonnay than for Pinot Noir and Meunier. That may be why Taittinger did a 2007 and others did not.

[Brad_Baker]

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.

Thanks Brad. What’s the farming like at Taittinger? Their website says “Green Certified”.
Cheers!
WT

Warren,

All in all, it is quite good and much improved since around 2005. Taittinger practices Sustainable Viticulure/Lutte Raisonée and are certified as Haute Valeur Environnementale. They work their soils, promote biodiversity, do not use herbicides, only use any chemical treatments as a last resort, and try to be as natural as possible. Some will question why not organic or biodynamic certification, but they like flexibility and don’t want to go after a certification that may box them in. They also own 288 hectares which would makes any full estate organic or biodynamic certification a big challenge. Also, there are a number of elements that are not covered in organic or biodynamic viticulute (such as bio-diversity) that Taittinger strives for.

[Robert_M_yers]

Has anybody had an 02 Rose recently? I have a few and have never opened one, in fact I’ve never had their Rose at all.

[Warren_Taranow]

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.

Thanks Brad. What’s the farming like at Taittinger? Their website says “Green Certified”.
Cheers!
WT

Warren,

All in all, it is quite good and much improved since around 2005. Taittinger practices Sustainable Viticulure/Lutte Raisonée and are certified as Haute Valeur Environnementale. They work their soils, promote biodiversity, do not use herbicides, only use any chemical treatments as a last resort, and try to be as natural as possible. Some will question why not organic or biodynamic certification, but they like flexibility and don’t want to go after a certification that may box them in. They also own 288 hectares which would makes any full estate organic or biodynamic certification a big challenge. Also, there are a number of elements that are not covered in organic or biodynamic viticulute (such as bio-diversity) that Taittinger strives for.

Thanks, that makes me more comfortable continuing my purchases! I try not to miss a Comte vintage (or a Krug Grand Cuvée or a Cristal or a Vilmart CdC or a PP Chetillons or a …)

Warren

[Blake_Brown]

Had the 07` BdB and also the Rose last night- extensive notes to follow under a separate thread as we drank a lot of wines that merit write up.

I’ve had a few other 07 BdBs and all have been very good, but not as great as all others in the 00s. The 07 Rose is fantastic.

[Merrill_Lindquist]

I’m not sure of the exact sequence of events and recognition, but I meant to pull a Vilmart Grand Cellier last week with my Wednesday drinking buddy. Man, was THAT good for $60. We weren’t geeky about it, just appreciative. As I threw away the bottle (or maybe before) I realized the bottle was a 2007 Comtes. That’s why it was THAT good. Glad I have more.

[Warren_Taranow]

I’m not sure of the exact sequence of events and recognition, but I meant to pull a Vilmart Grand Cellier last week with my Wednesday drinking buddy. Man, was THAT good for $60. We weren’t geeky about it, just appreciative. As I threw away the bottle (or maybe before) I realized the bottle was a 2007 Comtes. That’s why it was THAT good. Glad I have more.

That’s funny. Don’t write up you’re notes until you check your recycling bin!

Cheers,
Warren

[alan_weinberg]

I’m not sure of the exact sequence of events and recognition, but I meant to pull a Vilmart Grand Cellier last week with my Wednesday drinking buddy. Man, was THAT good for $60. We weren’t geeky about it, just appreciative. As I threw away the bottle (or maybe before) I realized the bottle was a 2007 Comtes. That’s why it was THAT good. Glad I have more.

yeah, maybe trade a bottle for a pair of glasses! Those bottles are no way similar! Hahah

[Merrill_Lindquist]

I’m not sure of the exact sequence of events and recognition, but I meant to pull a Vilmart Grand Cellier last week with my Wednesday drinking buddy. Man, was THAT good for $60. We weren’t geeky about it, just appreciative. As I threw away the bottle (or maybe before) I realized the bottle was a 2007 Comtes. That’s why it was THAT good. Glad I have more.

yeah, maybe trade a bottle for a pair of glasses! Those bottles are no way similar! Hahah

They are similar as in location in my Eurocave! I pulled it, handed it to my guest, and he opened it, poured, and put it in an opaque wine bucket. I never touched it nor saw it until much later.

I love Champagne but don’t get geeky with descriptors and ratings…I get enough of that in my Cabernet business.

[David_Kingsbury]

Has anyone had the 05 BdB recently? Have a lone bottle and wonder how it’s drinking. We’ve consumed and really enjoyed a few bottles of the 06. We visited
Taittinger May 2019, amazing chalk cellars! A fun tour.

[Blake_Brown]

Has anyone had the 05 BdB recently? Have a lone bottle and wonder how it’s drinking. We’ve consumed and really enjoyed a few bottles of the 06. We visited
Taittinger May 2019, amazing chalk cellars! A fun tour.

Although mu notes are 2 years old, my feeling is they would be close to accurate now:

2005 TAITTINGER COMTES de CHAMPAGNE BLANC de BLANC BRUT- some of the same people and I just had the 06 a few days ago, so I chose this for an update for me and as a comparison for the others as Its been quite a few months since I tasted the last 05; it was as I remembered it to be, really elegant with bright acidity and fresh, tangy citrus notes; its really the inferior sister to the 06, but that’s not a negative; the biggest difference as I see it is the 06 has a much fuller and richer body and the signature notes of toasty brioche.

[Yao_C]

Has anyone had the 05 BdB recently? Have a lone bottle and wonder how it’s drinking.

I opened a bottle a month ago. It’s decently good but not in the top tier. My notes:

Has developed a distinct toastiness to go with a honeyed sweetness; there’s also a bit of citrus that’s more apparent after 24h open; on the whole light and easy and perhaps a little lacking in energy and interest; will hold the next bottle for 10 years and see if it develops some tertiary nuance; good minus

[David_Kingsbury]

Thank you Blake and Yao for the tasting notes. Sounds good if not great. Maybe that’s why I don’t see many notes on it.

[Jay_Miller]

Thank you Blake and Yao for the tasting notes. Sounds good if not great. Maybe that’s why I don’t see many notes on it.

That was my impression when I tasted it on release. It was a very, very, good Champagne but not as great as other recent vintages of Comtes. I found it better than 2000 but not as good as 2002 or 2004 and those were still available for similar pricing. I’d probably buy it if it traded at a (more) substantial discount but that hasn’t been the case.

I’ve been curious as to how it developed so nice to see the above notes.

[Warren_Taranow]

I’m starting to see offers for the 2011. A challenging vintage although I’ve found some excellent examples from other growers and houses. Has anyone tried or have useful information regarding the 2011 Comtes?
Cheers,
Warren

[joejolesch]

Zachys email for $195, which comes out to $250 per with their shipping…

[Mark_Golodetz]

$145 in UK

[alan_weinberg]

I’m starting to see offers for the 2011. A challenging vintage although I’ve found some excellent examples from other growers and houses. Has anyone tried or have useful information regarding the 2011 Comtes?
Cheers,
Warren

does this mean we are done seeing more 08?

[Warren_Taranow]

I’m starting to see offers for the 2011. A challenging vintage although I’ve found some excellent examples from other growers and houses. Has anyone tried or have useful information regarding the 2011 Comtes?
Cheers,
Warren

does this mean we are done seeing more 08?

I think we’ll be seeing that for years to come.

[William_Kelley]

I’m starting to see offers for the 2011. A challenging vintage although I’ve found some excellent examples from other growers and houses. Has anyone tried or have useful information regarding the 2011 Comtes?
Cheers,
Warren

Just tasted it, and the review will be coming out soon in TWA (when I am done pressing my barrel of 100-year-old Aligoté, my “house white” for this year). It’s a very charming, front-loaded, demonstrative Comtes: actually reminiscent of a less reductive, somewhat less concentrated sibling of the 2006. As it gets more toasty/nutty with a few years on cork, I suspect it will really please Comtes lovers. It will be a very useful vintage to drink while the 2008 is aging in cellars.