The producer
Taittinger emerged from family sale in 2005 and buy-back in 2008 with a purified vision of quality from a more sustainable approach in the vineyards to revitalised winemaking focussing on only the best of their own vineyards and growers produce. Members of the Taittinger family are involved from the running of the company to the blending of the base wines. The selection of wines for the various blends has been refined and the time on lees has been increased to lift the quality of the wines from an already high standard. Taittinger is back at the top of their game.
Despite longer than usual ageing on lees on everything from non-vintage to the prestige Comtes de Champagne, Taittinger Champagnes are refined, nervy wines of great purity and finesse.
The wine
Comtes Rose is an entirely different beast (or beauty more appropriately) with completely different vineyard sources. Predominantly (two-thirds) Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims Grand Cru villages of Ambonnay, Mailly, Verzenay and Verzy with Chardonnay from the Cote des Blancs villages of Avize, Chouilly, Le Mesnil and Oger; with the red wine portion from Bouzy, it now spends as much time on the lees as the Blanc de Blancs and is all the better for it. A masterful Rose Champagne.