Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1999

The 1999 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is beautiful. Understated at first, and also, surprisingly accessible, the 1999 Comtes de Champagne backs up its open, inviting personality with considerable muscle married to vibrant, pure fruit. The long, polished finish bursts with Chardonnay character. As is often the case, Comtes is at its best when it has been opened for at least 1-2 hours, or, even better, with a decade or more of bottle age. This is going to be a fascinating Comtes to follow in the coming years and decades. This is Lot L8283UI00600, disgorged August/September, 2008 (not indicated on label). Anticipated maturity: 2012-2039.

Taittinger is one of Champagne's most consistent large brands. The flagship Comtes de Champagne and Comtes de Champagne Rose, two of the finest wines in the region, sometimes fly under the radar, but they are both super-pedigreed wines with brilliant track records for developing considerable complexity in bottle. Readers who want to learn more about the estate and Comtes in particular may want to take a look at my article on www.erobertparker.com published earlier in the year. Taittinger does so many things well, but it would be great to see the estate add disgorgement dates to its labels.

After fifteen years of post-disgorgement aging, the 1999 is now perfectly mature. Aromas of lemon balm, coffee bean, and hazelnut can be found on the nose, while the palate offers generous, toasty fruit and quilty maturity. At its peak and should hold for the next five years. Drink from 2023-2028. Tasted: January 2023.

The 1999 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne (magnum) is sourced exclusively from Grand Cru villages. A small portion of the wine is aged in barrel. The 1999 is an absolutely delicious Comtes de Champagne that needs to be opened at least an hour or two in advance to show at its finest. Smoke, citrus, mint and flowers are some of the nuances that emerge from this fresh, fragrant Champagne. Deceptively lithe on the palate, the wine blossoms with air as it fills out with endless layers of perfumed fruit. The wine can be enjoyed today, even if it comes across as a touch sweet. With time, that sweetness will develop into the liqueur-like perfume that makes older Comtes de Champagne so irresistibly alluring. In my experience the magnum format is especially beneficial for Champagnes, and older large bottles of CdC often transform into an ethereal drink of the very highest level. Disgorged: mid-January, 2008, (not indicated on label). Anticipated maturity: 2009-2029.