Brut Millésimé 2018
Trade Tools
France / Champagne
Taittinger Brut Millésimé is made only in exceptional vintage years from equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The 2018 blend is 70% Grands Crus, with the balance from Premiers Crus. The Chardonnay comes from the Côte des Blancs, and the Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the edge of the Vallée de la Marne. Only first-press juice is used, and the wine is aged more than five years on the lees, giving it complexity and fine, pinpoint bubbles.
Harvest Note
2018 began with a very wet winter and a February cold snap that brought snow. Spring showers continued, but a break in the weather in late March led to rapid budburst from mid-April. At the end of April, a violent storm struck parts of the vineyard, particularly in the Aube and around Vitry-le-François, damaging more than 300 hectares. A bright spring brought early flowering, and summer arrived early with temperatures reaching 30°C (86°F), despite several hailstorms. Harvest began as early as August 20 and continued into early September under ideal conditions, producing abundant, sugar-rich grapes full of expression.
Tasting Note
The 2018 vintage is luminous yellow with pale gold highlights. The nose shows hawthorn, pear, kumquat, verbena, gingerbread and a delicate minty lift. The palate is energetic and fresh, with honeysuckle, peach and citrus, and finishes long with notes of orange peel.
Technical Data
GRAPES: 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir
APPELLATION: Champagne
ABV: 12.5%
DOSAGE: 9 g/L
AGING: Minimum 5 years
Unique Selling Points
- A classic vintage Champagne produced from equal parts black and white grapes
- Produced only in exceptional vintage years; 70% Grands Crus, balance Premiers Crus
- Made exclusively from first-press juice and aged in bottle more than 5 years
“The wine for connoisseurs.”
Vitalie Taittinger, President
About the Grape
Chardonnay
Though it has a distinctive profile, Chardonnay reflects other factors such as soil composition and vinification technique. Chardonnay is a reliable, hardy and prolific vine whose only real vulnerabilities are frost and uneven development of fruit.
Pinot Noir
In France, makes a silky, deceptively powerful wine of elegant, complex aromas and subtle, red fruit flavors, with earthy, floral, mushroom and mineral notes. In California, shows ripe, sweet characters.
