x
  • Country ranking ?

    756
  • Producer ranking ?

    26
  • Decanting time

    10min
  • When to drink

    now - 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Salmon and avocado blinis

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is the finest expression of the world famous wine from one of the greatest Champagne Houses. First produced in 1952, Comtes is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes from 5 Grand Cru sites in the Côte des Blancs. Showing a pristine pale yellow colour with very light, abundant bubbles which rise uniformly to form a fine mousse. The evocative bouquet opens with notes of pears and fresh cute white flowers. Left in the glass for a time, the nose develops a richness and density of pure character. Once on the palate, Comtes is lively, direct and precise with flavours of candied lemon zest and fresh pineapple. The balance is something to behold. This Champagne's marriage of finesse and aromatic intensity is a promise of further potential, but already offers very pleasurable drinking.

The blend. Produced in the cellars of the former Saint-Nicaise abbey (13th century) in Reims, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs receives all the lavish care and attention it needs to reach its peak. Every bottle of Comtes de Champagne strictly adheres to all of the following to make it such a rare luxury and the connoisseurs choice :

The Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is composed exclusively of Chardonnay grown in the five villages of the Côte des Blancs, which are classified as Grands Crus: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger.

• It is only produced when the harvest is of exceptional quality worthy of a vintage year.

• Only the wine from the first press – the Cuvée – is used: a sure guarantee of finesse.

• 5% of the wines used to make it have been aged for 4 months in new oak barrels (a third of which are renewed every year), enhancing the intrinsic qualities and complexities of the final blend.

• Only after slow and patient ageing for almost 10 years in the Saint-Nicaise chalk pits (Crayères) in 18 metres underground does this cuvée of exceptional quality come out into the light. 

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Wine Information

Tasting notes.
The pale golden yellow colour is illumina ted by almost fluorescent green highlights. The bead, particularly fine and abundant, rises steadily to form a light ring of froth. The very fresh nose opens on contrasting, intense yet subtle, grilled, toasty notes. These are followed by aromas of candied citrus peel, lemon and vanilla tart, roasted almonds and finally a floral hint of dried flowers and lime blossom. The initial impression on the palate is expressive and powerful, dominated by the vivacious citrus fruit, especially ripe lemon. Mid palate the flavour is more deli cate, with flavours of caramelised grape fruit. The lengthy rich finish reveals sweet liquorice notes.

A perfect marriage of delicacy and inten sity with freshness and harmony, Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2000 reveals the full ageing potential typical of the great chardonnays from the Côte des Blancs.

Drinking Suggestions.
This wine will be appreciated at any celebration to enhance those wonder fully intense, rare moments. It will go very well with seafood or fish starters (such as white tuna carpaccio with truffles).

"We will never produce a large quantity of Comtes de Champagne because the technical characteristics we require so that this cuvee can be a very great wine are essentially unique in Champagne and very financially demanding. A triumphant blend of force and elegance, the Comtes de Champagne displays an eternal youth that it derives from the greatest Chardonnays of our province. Connoisseurs will appreciate it."

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger
President of Champagne Taittinger

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Vintage 2000

A warm and wet winter was followed by an equally wet spring. First, in May, came the seri- ous heat, which gave a fast owering around June 14. Chlorosis and mold growth were evi- dent. June and August were hot and dry. But if you were like me, and tried to have a July vaca- tion in Champagne that year, you noticed how cold and rainy it was. The weather was almost as bad as at home, with constant rain and local hailstorms. 

 

Everything looked hopeless, but the good weather during harvest saved a decent amount of fresh grapes. Harvest started on my birthday—September 11—and ended in early October. Chardonnay and pinot meunier did better than the delicate pinot noir. The year will become sought after thanks to their magic number. The quality does not look too fancy yet though. The wines are quite light with short lives. However, it is a very enjoyable moment, with its intense exotic aromas of passion fruit and tangerine. I am delighted to recommend some romantic bottles of the successful pink trio William Deutz Rosé, Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé, and Pommery Cuvée Louise Rosé. 

by Richard Juhlin

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Tasting note

color

Medium, Gold and Bright

ending

Long, Smooth, Gentle and Neutral

flavors

Coffee, Toasty, Apricot, Citrus, Tropical fruits and Herbs

nose

Open, Seductive, Complex and Generous

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Low alcohol content, Perfectly balanced, Well-Integrated, Multi-dimensional, Youthful, Light, Simple, Elegant, Fruity, Harmonious, Dry and Silky tannins

Verdict

Well-rounded and Masterpiece

Written Notes

Elegant and toasty, with a firm backbone of acidity structuring the brioche, lemon zest, poached apricot and spun honey flavors as they ride the lacy bead. Grated ginger and chalk notes detail the lively finish.

  • 94p

There is surprisingly little colouration, pale gold, tiny bubbles. The nose is delicate, with faint cappuccino and a meaty edge, marine too, there is definite elegance and purity. The tension here admirable with fine citrus, towards grapefruit which hits you and then drifts off into a rippling effect, tantalising the taste buds. Not sure I would get it blind it’s less evolved than the first release bottle tasted last year, where softer more honeyed notes appeared. There is precision here like a youthful white Puligny it definitely grows on you, with hints of ginger and marine carried into the finish. A good life ahead here.

Drink now – 2025+, 94/100.

  • 94p
Den inte alltför märkvärdiga årgången ’00 har givit många tunna viner med kort liv. Dock är det bästa verionerna strålande goda att dricka just nu. Faktiskt mer njutbara än monsterårgången 2002. Provade alla cuvée préstige 2000 mot just 2002 under sommaren och ’00:orna är just nu de som jag vill dricka. Just nu en en klassiskt krämig Comtes som jag dricker i ymniga klunkar!
  • 95p
Very fine delicate mouse. Supremely elegant nose of brioche and subtle nuttiness. There is huge depth of lees thich cintibutes to the amazingly long and beautifully balanced finish. This is amazingly drinkable Champagne that will improve for several years yet.
  • 99p
Palate: elegant, fresh, linear, fragrant, fine mousse, appetizing, superb balance Taste: intense, yet elegant Nose: soft, rich, layered, gun powder In a nutshell: charming Final verdict: a great Comtes, ready to be enjoyed but can be kept
  • 94p
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1 official sellers in 1 countries

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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Grapes

100% Chardonnay

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Very good

Ageing

  • in oak 5%
  • in steel 95%
  • in bottle for 9 years

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

None

Glass time

15min

Drinking temperature

12°C

Other wines from this producer

Brut La Francaise

Brut Prestige Rosé

Brut Réserve

Brut Réserve FIFA 2014

Collection

Comtes de Champagne Rosé

Comtes de Champagne Rosé Vinothèque

Comtes de Champagne Vinothèque

Cuvée Prestige

Demi-Sec

Future version of Comtes de Champagne

Les Folies de la Marquetterie

Nocturne

Nocturne Rosé

Prelude

Vintage

Inside Information

Consistently great but from time to time simply divine, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne has consecutively been an apt contender for the title of the best champagne on the market. All recent vintages have been successful; the intense 1996 being one of the finest of the vintage, the 1998 possessing classic Comtes elegance and the 1999 demonstrating a more softer side of Comtes. But in 2000 Taittinger and its reputed cellar master Loïc Dupont hit jackpot. This warm, overt vintage produced many heavy and overly ripe champagnes, but in Comtes the richness given by the year is bound to a velvet-smooth texture and a fine, fresh acidity that creates an exiting tension one wishes to marvel time and again.

 


Comtes de Champagne possesses a flawless track record all the way down to its inaugural vintage, 1952. It is reputed to be the first prestige cuvée blanc de blancs, if one does not count the then small mono-cru blanc de blancs Salon. Today it rivals for the title of the best blanc de blancs quite level-headedly with Dom Ruinart, Salon and Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires.
Why blanc de blancs then? It was already Pierre Taittinger who believed in Chardonnay. Following his instinct, he created the light and elegant Chardonnay-dominant floral and perfumed style as Taittinger’s trademark. Consistent with this vision, the house’s prestige cuvée was to be a 100 percent Chardonnay whose emphasis is on Avize and Mesnil fruit.

 


The wine is produced in a reductionist style in stainless steel vats but since the 1989 vintage a fraction of the wine has been aged in fairly new oak barrels for four months. This gives a boost to the wine’s creamy texture and enhances its hallmark toasty qualities.
After bottling the wines are transported to the ancient Gallo-Roman chalk cellars of Saint-Niçaise to ferment and mature. The St-Niçaise abbey was destroyed in the French Revolution and much later the Taittingers bought the ruins and built their cellars into these monumental historical surroundings. Today, the underground cellar network at St-Niçaise is used entirely for maturing Comtes de Champagne. The rest of production takes place at the modern winery facilities at Rue de la Justice.
Great champagnes are traditionally named after people. Taittinger makes no exception having chosen to honour the region by naming their prestige cuvée Comtes de Champagne – Counts of Champagne. The origins of the Counts of Champagne lie in the 7th century feudal society. Originally, before the 11th century, the Counts of Troyes had had the ruling but during the time of Thibault II the power shifted to the Champagne County whose Count had his residence in Reims. Thibault II was a mighty man ranking only second to the king. However, it was especially during the times of Thibault IV Champagne flourished. He arranged famous 49-day festivities that brought prosperity to the region. The story of the Champagne Counts came to an end finally when the crown and the Champagne County were unites as Louis X rose to power. Taittinger, still owning the historical Comtes de Champagne residence today, named their prestige cuvée to honour this history.


Complex story but complex is the wine, too. The champagne’s smooth, layered character develops over 10 years’ ageing period in the cellars. This, the wine’s attractive 10 g/l dosage and sufficient post-disgorgement rest make Comtes de Champagne such an attractive champagne already upon release.
We toast to congratulate Taittinger. This house that has recently returned back to family hands, has quickly built a strong spirit with Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger at the helm supported by both of his children Clovis and Vitalie.

By Champagne magazine

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