2008 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

The 2008 is one of the most celebrated vintages of the modern era and this 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay, a firm favourite amongst Champagne aficionados, is arguably the greatest rendition of this extraordinary vintage. This outstanding year is in fact one of the few in the last 20 years in which the harvest took place in October. Despite this "late" harvest, Taittinger’s Chef de Cave Alexandre Ponnavoy notes that the grapes retained a lot of acidity as well as concentration from what was an extended growing season. The Comtes 2008 carries this very contrasting climatology within it, between sun and freshness, as well as the distinct identity of the chalky terroir and the allure and precision you can get from the Côte des Blancs. Comtes de Champagne is sourced from all five Grand Cru villages situated on the Côte des Blancs – Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger, with the main base of the cuvée coming from Taittinger’s house vineyard surrounding the Château de la Marquetterie just south of Epernay. Comtes de Champagne remains the epitome of elegance when it comes to vintage Champagne. With the wine’s extraordinary ability to age, this will provide years of drinking pleasure over the next two decades and beyond. The overriding distinction in the 2008 Comtes is its balance. The wine is effortless to taste, with a noticeable creamy, textural finesse. It is both rich in fruit and at the same time ethereally light, with the integrated backbone of acidity lifting and framing the wine, a counterpoint to the rich, honeyed citrus and lightly baked pastry notes. Scented, honeyed grapefruit and jasmine notes add delicate aromatic lift. Despite its obvious youth, it is already wonderfully settled and not at all skinny – with the acidity never overreaching or aggressive. With such perceptible balance, this will no doubt age beautifully, slowly taking on more weight.