Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2007 75cl

Description

Single Bottle Price – £140.00.

Introduction:
The Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs cuvée is made entirely from Chardonnays from only the best vines in the prestigious Côte des Blancs. It is only produced when the harvest is of exceptional quality worthy of a vintage year.

Being the most perfect expression of the House style, a Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is rare. Until its peak, it is subject to a great deal of care and attention and the rigorous criteria governing its production means that it cannot be created in large volumes.

Tasting Notes:
This great 2007 vintage lives up to all expectations as soon as you open the bottle. It is a moment to treasure. That typical Chardonnay colour is there in all its sparkling, golden glory with shimmers of green coating the constant stream of fine, delicate bubbles.

It has a fine and delicate nose which combines white blossom and a certain minerality with general overtones of Anjou light pear and golden raisins. Subtle hints of aniseed and smoky flavours follow this suggestion of fruit.

The taste is vibrant, with a combination of lemon and saltiness. This is immediately followed by a sensation of complex, yet mellow freshness creating the perfect balance between ripeness and a full-rounded flavour. It is rounded off by a long-lasting, crisp finish with hints of salted butter.

This elegant wine lives up to its reputation with its freshness, strength, minerality and mellow fruitiness. Its freshness encapsulates a certain moment in time and promises interesting cellaring potential.

Winemaking:
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:

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 8 to 10 years in the UNESCO Saint-Nicaise chalk pits (Crayères) does this cuvée of exceptional quality come out into the light.

Vintage 2007:
The 2007 viticultural year was an exceptional year in terms of both the vines and the final wine.After a mild winter, and with the unusually warm temperatures, growth started early and many people were anticipating a harvest by mid-August. However, during May against all expectations, the vineyards in Champagne suffered awful weather. These conditions interfered with the vines’flowering period, resulting in great diversity across the region and full bloom only being achieved between the 24th of May and 1st of June. The grapes matured a little slower as a result of a mostly cold and gloomy summer. Thankfully at the end of August came the return of the sun and with it hope, as the fruit began to mature perfectly.

Harvesting did not start until the 30thof August and was carried out under a cold, dry wind. This resulted in a healthy, good quality crop. The Chardonnay grapes were delicate and clear, and their citrus and white fruit aromas showed great potential.

Food Pairing:
Enjoy withgrilled & Roasted White Meats,Fish/Shellfish.
The ultimate aperitif. A hedonistic match with fine caviar

Grape Variety:
100% Chardonnay.

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.

Only first press wine (the ‘cuvée’) is used to give it an absolute guarantee of quality. 5% of the wines which help to create the Comtes de Champagne are matured for 4 months in fresh oak barrels (one-
third of which are renewed each year) to boost the intrinsic qualities of the final blend and its hint of a toasted flavour.

The celebrated bottles only see daylight after a long and drawn-out maturing period 18 metres underground lasting 8 to 10 years.

Background Information:
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is produced in the cellars of the thirteenth century Saint-Nicaise abbey in Reims. The greatest care is taken at every stage of production and it is produced only when all conditions essential to its unique style are met.

The Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs cuvée is made entirely from Chardonnays from only the best vines on in the prestigious Côte des Blancs including Avize, Mesnil sur Oger, Ogerand Chouilly.It is only produced when the harvest is of exceptional quality worthy of a vintage year and only the wine from the first press – the Cuvée is used: a sure guarantee of finesse.5% of the wines used in the blend are aged for 4 months in new oak barrels (a third of which are renewed every year), enhancing the intrinsic qualities of the final blend.

Only after slow and patient ageing for many years in the Saint Nicaise chalk pits (Crayères) does this cuvée of exceptional quality come out into the light.