Wine Reviews

The 2014 Comtes de Champagne is a fine follow-up to the 2013. It shows the more linear personality of the year, with plenty of energy driving its overall feel. The fruit profile is on the riper side, but the wine has a decidedly lithe build that is quite attractive. Hints of yellow orchard fruit, chamomile, dried flowers and crushed rocks linger. This bottle was disgorged in July 2023, ahead of the commercial release. The 2014 is hugely promising at this early stage.

The 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne’s bouquet is compellingly fresh and minty, revealing aromas of white fruit—notably pear and apple—marzipan and sweet spices, as well as a light touch of citrus mingled with classy autolytic notes. On the palate, this is a structured, tensile and ethereal Champagne with high acidity—a sign of a classic vintage—animated by a mousse of striking finesse and delicacy. Although already enjoyable, it should develop well for several decades.

This beautiful Chardonnay from five top Grand Cru vineyards is textured with fruit that is still impressively perfumed. Its concentration has allowed it to remain perennially young. Although there are hints of toastiness, the Champagne has many more years of potential.

Taittinger elegantly captures the power and generosity of the 2012 vintage in the Comte de Champagne Blanc de Blanc 2012. Rich and seductive, the nose is replete with ripe yellow apple, lemon tart, buttered warm brioche and honeycomb. Medium to full-bodied, the ample and generous palate brims with notes of lemon curd, honey and toast enlivened by a spirited acidity and mouthwatering salinity to add considerable finesse to the long finish. Delightful and refreshing throughout, the bottle tasted was disgorted in January 2023 and finished with a nine gram per liter dosage.

Cool and a little inscrutable on release, but the composed and expected clarity of flavour is all there: green mandarin, dried apple, white peach and croissant dough, sitting tightly wrapped with a touch of iodine and subtle char. A beautifully serene texture and gliding mousse deliver length, detail and quiet intensity. Patience is required for the initial sweet citrus to subside into something more complex, but when it does this shows signs of being a classic. 100% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs grand cru villages, with 5% oak fermentation.