Champagne Taittinger
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
2017
Champagne Taittinger's prestige cuvée represents the house's ultimate expression of Chardonnay, crafted only in exceptional vintages to showcase elegance, purity and the finest terroirs of Champagne.
Country
France
Region
Champagne
More information
Producer
Founded in 1734 and acquired by the Taittinger family in 1932, Champagne Taittinger is one of the most respected family-owned Champagne houses in Reims. The house controls approximately 288 hectares of vineyards across Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites in the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims. Its wines are distinguished by a refined, Chardonnay-led style that emphasises freshness, aromatic purity and exceptional finesse.
Quick Facts
- Location: Reims, Champagne, France
- Founded: 1734
- Acquired by Taittinger family: 1932
- House identity: Chardonnay-focused Champagne
- Signature cuvée: Brut Réserve
- Prestige cuvée: Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs
- Secondary prestige cuvée: Comtes de Champagne Rosé
- Historic cellars: 13th-century crayères beneath the former Abbey of Saint-Nicaise
- Vineyard holdings: Approximately 288 hectares, including Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites
- Key terroirs: Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims
- Key styles: Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Rosé, Prélude Grands Crus and vintage Champagne
- Ownership: Family-owned
From Abbey to Champagne House
The origins of Champagne Taittinger trace back to 1734, when the house was established as Maison Forest-Fourneaux. Nearly two centuries later, in 1932, Pierre Taittinger acquired the business and renamed it, establishing the family's enduring association with one of Reims's most historic Champagne producers.
The Taittinger family has remained in control across four generations, maintaining continuity of ownership and a consistent commitment to craftsmanship. This independence has allowed the house to preserve its signature emphasis on Chardonnay and extended cellar ageing.
The Chardonnay Foundation
Chardonnay forms the structural and stylistic foundation of Taittinger's Champagnes, typically comprising a higher proportion of the blend than at many other houses. This choice creates wines recognised for their luminosity, floral aromatics and graceful balance rather than overt power.
Brut Réserve, the house's signature non-vintage cuvée, reflects this philosophy with approximately 40 percent Chardonnay complemented by Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The result is a Champagne of freshness, finesse and accessible elegance.
At the summit of the portfolio stands Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, produced entirely from Grand Cru Chardonnay sourced from the Côte des Blancs. First released with the 1952 vintage, it has become one of Champagne's benchmark prestige cuvées, distinguished by its purity, tension and remarkable longevity. Comtes de Champagne Rosé, introduced later, combines Grand Cru Chardonnay with a small proportion of Pinot Noir to create a structured, fruit-driven expression.
The Crayères of Saint-Nicaise
Beneath the house's headquarters in Reims lies an extraordinary network of ancient chalk quarries. These crayères, carved from the 4th century onwards and later expanded beneath the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise, date in part from the 13th century and extend across multiple levels beneath the city.
The galleries descend as deep as 18 metres and provide darkness, natural humidity and constant temperatures ideal for the slow maturation of Champagne. Their chalk walls are inscribed with historic carvings and graffiti, linking the house's wines directly to centuries of Reims history.
These cellars form part of the Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, acknowledging their cultural and geological significance within the region's winemaking heritage.
Freshness Shaped by Time
Taittinger's winemaking approach prioritises balance and extended ageing. Non-vintage cuvées mature for longer than the legal minimum, while prestige bottlings spend several years on their lees before disgorgement, developing complexity, texture and aromatic depth.
The house's reliance on Chardonnay, combined with patient cellar work, produces Champagnes that express elegance rather than weight. The wines are characterised by fine mousse, citrus and white-blossom aromatics, mineral structure and a persistent, gently evolving finish that reflects both the chalk soils of the Côte des Blancs and the historic crayères in which they mature.
Country
Region
Champagne
Champagne is widely regarded as the world's most prestigious sparkling wine region and has become synonymous with celebration, luxury and uncompromising quality. Located in northeastern France, approximately 150 kilometres east of Paris, the region combines centuries of winemaking tradition with exceptional terroir to produce sparkling wines of remarkable elegance and complexity. From legendary maisons to small grower-producers, Champagne represents the benchmark against which all other sparkling wines are measured, and its influence on global wine culture remains unrivalled.
The region's vineyards stretch across five principal districts: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne and Côte des Bar. The defining characteristic of Champagne terroir is its chalk-limestone subsoil, which provides excellent drainage, mineral richness and steady water supply essential for producing grapes of exceptional quality. The cool continental climate, moderated by maritime influences, ensures slow ripening and high natural acidity, while the principal grape varieties—Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier—each contribute distinct character to the final blend. The region's 17 grand cru villages and 42 premier cru villages represent the finest expression of Champagne terroir, producing grapes of outstanding concentration and finesse.
Champagne is governed by strict AOC regulations established in 1927, which define geographical boundaries, permitted grape varieties, yields and production methods. The region is home to some of the world's most celebrated houses, including Krug, Louis Roederer, Bollinger, Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Pol Roger, Salon, Taittinger and Moët & Chandon. These maisons have upheld the art of blending and cellar ageing for generations, producing prestige cuvées and vintage expressions that rank among the most collectible wines in the world. Alongside these historic houses, a growing number of grower-producers cultivate and vinify their own grapes, offering terroir-focused expressions that reveal the diversity and depth of Champagne's varied terroirs.
Whether exploring grand cru villages, prestige cuvées or historic maisons, Champagne offers an unparalleled journey through the birthplace of the world's finest sparkling wines. Discover Champagne Champagnes, compare prices from trusted merchants across Europe and find the best offers with Sipfind.
Grapes
Chardonnay is one of the world’s most important and prestigious white wine grapes, renowned for its remarkable versatility and ability to reflect both terroir and winemaking style. Most famously associated with Burgundy and Champagne in France, Chardonnay is cultivated across virtually every major wine-producing country and can produce everything from precise, mineral-driven whites to rich, complex wines with exceptional ageing potential.
In Burgundy, Chardonnay reaches some of its most celebrated expressions. The limestone-rich vineyards of Chablis are known for wines combining vibrant acidity, citrus character and mineral precision, while the Côte de Beaune, particularly appellations such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, produces some of the world’s most sought-after and age-worthy white wines.
Chardonnay also plays a fundamental role in Champagne, where it contributes freshness, finesse and acidity to blends alongside Pinot Noir and Meunier. When produced exclusively from Chardonnay, the resulting Champagne is known as Blanc de Blancs, a style prized for its elegance, precision and capacity to develop considerable complexity with extended ageing.
The grape’s character varies significantly according to climate, terroir and winemaking. Cooler regions can produce wines showing citrus, green apple, white flowers and mineral notes, while warmer conditions can bring peach, melon and tropical-fruit character. Oak fermentation, barrel ageing and malolactic fermentation can introduce additional layers of toast, vanilla, butter and hazelnut, demonstrating Chardonnay’s exceptional stylistic range.
Beyond France, Chardonnay has established important expressions in California, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and numerous other wine regions. From the mineral whites of Chablis and the great vineyards of Burgundy to Blanc de Blancs Champagne and modern New World interpretations, Chardonnay’s combination of versatility, complexity and terroir expression has established it as one of the defining grape varieties of fine wine.
History and Style
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne stands as the prestige cuvée of Champagne Taittinger, one of the last remaining family-owned champagne houses. Created exclusively from Chardonnay grapes and produced only in exceptional vintages, this Blanc de Blancs represents the house's unwavering commitment to elegance and finesse over power.
Quick Facts
- Producer: Champagne Taittinger
- Classification: Prestige Cuvée
- Region: Champagne
- Appellation: Champagne AOC
- Country: France
- Style: Vintage Blanc de Blancs Champagne
- Grape Composition: 100% Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs)
- Ageing Potential: 20-30+ years from vintage
- Alcohol (ABV): 12-12.5%
- Tasting Profile: White flowers, citrus, stone fruit, brioche, hazelnut, honey, mineral tension
- Food Pairing: Oysters, scallops, lobster, turbot, white truffle, aged Comté
- Serving Temperature: 8-10°C
- Bottle Status: Iconic Cuvée
- Vintage: Vintage-dated (produced only in exceptional years)
House Style and Blending Philosophy
The fruit is sourced entirely from Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs, Champagne's celebrated chalk-rich terroir that yields Chardonnay of extraordinary mineral precision. Only five historic Grand Cru villages contribute to this cuvée, ensuring exceptional quality and consistency. The chalk subsoil imparts distinctive minerality and tension, while extended lees ageing—typically a decade or more before release—develops remarkable complexity and depth.
Character and Ageing
In the glass, Comtes de Champagne reveals a luminous golden hue with persistent, fine bubbles. The aromatic profile balances white flowers, citrus and stone fruit with nuances of brioche, hazelnut and honey. On the palate, the wine shows brilliant acidity, creamy texture and profound length, embodying the house style of refinement and grace. This is champagne of exceptional ageing potential, capable of evolving gracefully for two to three decades from vintage.
For collectors and champagne enthusiasts seeking the pinnacle of Blanc de Blancs expression, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne offers benchmark quality and consistency. Compare prices across merchants on Sipfind to secure this prestige cuvée at the best available rate.