Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 2008

“The perfect blanc de blancs. Full-bodied with a lovely framework of acidity and dry fruit, such as apples, pears and peaches. Opulent. Dense and muscular. Yet, it’s balanced and harmonious. Line of acidity at the end. Totally in tune. Superb. Deep and complete. Has everything. One for the cellar. It is the greatest Comte ever. It has everything. A perfect upgrade from two years ago. Drink or hold.”

“I have long admired this beautiful ‘Comtes de Champagne’ sourced from only Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte de Blancs region. This is now the third time I have visited this beautiful wine and it is even better than when it was first released more than a year ago. Toasty Challah bread and lemon zest fill the nose alongside shades of wild mushroom and pine needles. The palate is exceedingly viscous and vinous with incredible depth and concentration, yet feeling utterly weightless. Wait for the exceedingly long finish that won’t stop. Gorgeous to consume now, this has at lest another twenty years in front of it.”

“Taittinger's 2008 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is being released this year, and it will be worth a special effort to track down. I wrote in August 2019 that this is the finest Comtes de Champagne since the brilliant 2002, and this tasting confirmed that. Offering up a deep and complex bouquet of citrus oil, crisp orchard fruit, warm brioche, crushed chalk, blanched almonds and smoke, it's full-bodied and incisive, with excellent concentration, racy acids and a long, searingly chalky finish. While this is already immensely impressive out of the gates, this 2008 is clearly built for the long haul, and three decades' longevity won't be a challenge.”

“The 2008 Comtes de Champagne is every bit as stunning as it has always been. The first signs of aromatic complexity are starting to appear, while there is a bit less of the youthful austerity that was present at the outset. It will be interesting to see how the 2018 continues to develop. It is certainly not the austere, bracing Champagne it was a few years ago. Hints of apricot, slate, mint, crushed rocks and light tropical accents build into the salivating finish.”

“After a cool, rainy spring and unsettled flowering, the weather in 2008 cleared in time to deliver a large crop of ripe, balanced grapes with lovely balancing acidity. The Comtes from 2008 is a fantastic success, with aromas of ripe pear, peach, bergamot and chamomile. There is a luxe style to the rich, creamy texture with its gentle yet persistent mousse. The fresh acidity and a subtle, pleasant bitterness bring balance and impressive length to the wine.”

“It is a champagne that I have tasted several times since 2013, before being officially released early in 2021. It has been interesting to follow as it has developed on its lees; the earliest iteration was buried under a mountain of fruit esters and acidity while slowly revealing itself over the years with successive trial disgorgements. An utterly thrilling Champagne. Full of taut energy that delivers immediacy and potential at the same time. The autolytic fatness is slowly receding, revealing a wine precision and depth—aromas of pear and preserved lemons dominate the bouquet, although a delicate toastiness is building. Impeccably balanced, the complexity is endless; each successive sniff of the glass reveals yet another dimension of this incredible Champagne. Did I mention the extraordinary length? It is a legend and the best Comtes de Champagne I have ever tasted (going back to the early 1960's). Alcohol 12.50%. Drink from 2023-2050. Tasted Dec 2022.”

“Medium golden yellow, silver reflections, fine and persistent mousse. Ripe yellow apple fruit underscored by fine yeasty nuances and biscuit notes; the bouquet also reveals hints of pear, white blossoms, and zest. Very juicy, with a rich, creamy texture and a taut acidic backbone that ensures impressive length; fine floral honey on the finish and dark minerality on the aftertaste. Great potential for further maturation and development. Peter Moser”

“From the great '08 vintage, 100% grands crus blanc de blancs. It's the favourite champagne of Australian winemakers. A scintillating blend of citrus and white peach wrapped in strands of almond, brioche and mineral notes, the length and freshness of the finish and aftertaste phenomenal.”

“Coming entirely from Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs, the new release of this famous Champagne is from a top vintage year. The wine is at perfect maturity, poised between crisp, taut minerality and wonderful toastiness. It is intense, beautifully clear and limpid, a great Champagne. It is ready to drink now and for many years to come.”

“The 2008 Taittinger “Comtes de Champagne” Blanc de Blancs is a beautiful young wine, with stunning precision on both the nose and palate, a serious girdle of acidity and stellar depth and mineral drive on the palate. This is not anywhere near as accessible and charming out of the blocks as the 2006 was at a similar point in its development, but there is even superior potential here for those with the patience to allow it to truly blossom with some further cellaring. The bouquet jumps from the glass in a vibrant blend of apple, pear, lemon zest, warm bread, chalky minerality, white lilies and just a whisper of buttery oak buried down deep. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with a fine structure and grip, refined mousse, beautiful backend mineral drive and a long, complex and still quite youthful finish. This is a gorgeous wine in the making, but it is realistically still probably a good decade away from blossoming completely and drinking with a semblance of full maturity.”

“Alluring smoky patisserie bouquet. The palate is lively with key lime pie, crystallised citron peel, and a refreshing mousse. As it builds a mineral saline character comes through, rolling on to a ripe round finish. Text book stuff.”

“Fresh and graceful, this dances across the palate with its fine, lacy mousse and seamless knit of delicate flavors of ripe Anjou pear, tangerine peel, toasted almond and candied ginger. The flavor range expands through the lasting, chalky finish. Drink now through 2033. 1,800 cases imported.”