Taittinger   Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs

1998 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs

By Taittinger

1998 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, Taittinger

One of the more peculiarly elegant vintages to grace the Champagne viticulture, the 1998 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs from Taittinger mesmerises true connoisseurs and wine investors alike. A stunning product of a year that swayed from scorching summer days to cooler, adequate harvest conditions, resulting in an intensely idiosyncratic vintage.

 

Delicate Complexity: Investment Grade Wine Alert

The golden hue and delicate bead of the 1998 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs are but the initial hints at its complex craftsmanship. Steeped in fascinating notes of toasted almond, fresh pastry, pear blossom and vanillin lent by its ample time in oak, this Taittinger masterpiece is a song of symphonic grandeur; each note more intriguing than the previous.

 

Vintage Year Comes into its own

A rarity among the lush and full-bodied characteristics common to most Taittinger releases, this remarkable year’s climatic whimsy produced a leaner vintage while preserving a unique richness. The impressively expressive Chardonnay used exclusively in this cuvee further enhances this captured paradox.

The uniqueness in the 1998 vintage has undoubtedly contributed to the fascinating character of this Taittinger. Layered yet fresh, complex yet approachable - it veers away from the often plump releases of other years and presents an enrapturing ballet of elegance and intensity.

 

A Confluence of Charm and Grace

Blessed as it was with the right climatic serendipity, the 1998 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is proof of Taittinger’s masterful viniculture and deep reverence for nature’s serendipitous bounty. Drawing on the distinct harvest conditions of '98, this 100% chardonnay creation reveals subtleties seldom observed in champagne's inherent opulence.

For wine investors seeking wines that elevate beyond mere flavour profiles into narrative steeped bottles - the 1998 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs from Taittinger is indeed a worthy contender. Grabbing attention not just for its rarity, but also for its compelling display of a unique year's tale told through bubbling eloquence.

Current market price

$5,370.00

12x75cl

Highest score

94

POP score

230.71

Scores and tasting notes

94

The 1998 Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is simply beautiful. Sweet notes of honey are intermingled with candied citrus peel, flowers, smoke and minerals as this gorgeous wine opens up in the glass. Comtes de Champagne is always an understated, elegant wine, but its pedigree is impossible to miss. Readers seeking instant gratification will find much to admire even today, but this is clearly a wine that has the potential to develop positively in bottle. If past vintages are an accurate indication, the wine should acquire the liqueur-like sweetness in bottle that is its hallmark over time. Old vintages of Comtes de Champagne are unlike any other wine. The Comtes de Champagne is 100% Chardonnay from the grand cru villages Avize, Cramant, Chouilly, Beergers-les-Vertus, Vertus and Mesnil-sur-Oger. A small amount of the wine is aged in new French oak barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2028. This is Lot: L7081UB10000, disgorged February 5, 2007 Taittinger is one of Champagne’s historic houses. The estate is best known for its Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne, a wine that has a strong track record of developing beautifully in bottle, often for several decades after release. While a few bottles in the range aren’t quite up to par, in aggregate this is an impressive showing for a house of this scale. Importer: Kobrand Corp., Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7756

Antonio Galloni - The Wine Advocate, 21 December 2008

Vintage performance