Taittinger Comtes De Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2014

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2014 is a 750ml prestige cuvée Champagne of 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay at 12.5% ABV. The 2014 vintage marks a particularly compelling release for this flagship bottling, praised by James Suckling with a score of 97 points. It remains one of the most revered Blanc de Blancs prestige cuvées produced in Champagne.

Quick Facts: ABV: 12.5%  |  Origin: Champagne, France  |  Vintage: 2014  |  Style: Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay)  |  House: Taittinger

Production & Heritage

The house traces its roots to 1734, when Jacques Fourneaux established the estate. Pierre Taittinger purchased the property in 1932, and after a brief period of corporate ownership, the Taittinger family reacquired the house in 2006 — making it one of the few major Champagne houses still under family control. Comtes de Champagne, first produced from the 1952 vintage, draws exclusively from Grand Cru Chardonnay vineyards in the Côte des Blancs, primarily from the villages of Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Oger. Roughly 5% of the base wines are vinified in new oak barrels, lending subtle textural depth without overwhelming the wine's purity. The cuvée is then aged on its lees for approximately ten years in Taittinger's legendary 4th-century Gallo-Roman chalk cellars beneath Reims — crayères now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The 2014 Vintage

The 2014 growing season in Champagne brought warm, dry conditions through much of the summer, interrupted by intermittent rainfall that preserved acidity in the Chardonnay grapes. The result is a vintage that balances richness and tension with notable precision. Compared to the rounder 2012 and the taut 2013, the 2014 strikes a compelling middle ground — generous fruit wrapped around a backbone of chalky minerality that speaks directly to the Côte des Blancs terroir.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Initial notes of white flowers and crushed chalk give way to Meyer lemon zest and toasted brioche. A subtle hint of blanched almond emerges as the wine opens in the glass, alongside honeysuckle and a faint whiff of sea spray.

Taste: The entry is precise and laser-focused, with vibrant citrus and green apple yielding to a mid-palate of poached pear, hazelnut, and salted butter pastry. The mousse is exceptionally fine, carrying flavors across the palate with silky persistence. A thread of saline minerality anchors the fruit and adds intellectual depth to each sip.

Finish: Long and chalky, with lingering notes of lemon curd, toasted grain, and white pepper. The acidity remains lively through the close, leaving a clean, almost saline impression that invites another glass.

How to Drink Comtes de Champagne 2014

Serve chilled to approximately 10–12°C in a tulip-shaped glass to capture the aromatic complexity; this is a wine that rewards patient sipping on its own. A Champagne Cocktail with a sugar cube and Angostura bitters allows the wine's structure to shine alongside bitter aromatics. A French 75 made with this cuvée elevates the classic with its fine mousse and citrus intensity. A Kir Royale using a restrained measure of crème de cassis pairs beautifully against the Chardonnay's mineral backbone without masking it.

Best For

• Celebrating milestone anniversaries or once-in-a-lifetime toasts
• Gifting a serious Champagne collector or wine enthusiast
• Pairing with a multi-course tasting menu at a fine dining occasion
• Adding a benchmark vintage to a cellar for further aging

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Comtes de Champagne 2014 taste like? The dominant profile centers on citrus, white stone fruit, and toasted brioche, underpinned by pronounced chalky minerality and lively acidity that keeps the palate engaged through a long, saline finish.

How does Comtes de Champagne 2014 compare to Dom Pérignon 2014? Both are prestige cuvées from the same vintage, but Comtes de Champagne is a Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay), giving it a leaner, more mineral-driven character, while Dom Pérignon blends Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for a broader, more vinous profile. The two represent different stylistic philosophies within the prestige Champagne category.

Is Comtes de Champagne 2014 good for sipping neat? Absolutely — this cuvée is designed for contemplative drinking, and its complexity, fine mousse, and extended lees aging make it one of the most rewarding prestige Champagnes to enjoy on its own.

Where is Comtes de Champagne made? Comtes de Champagne is produced by Maison Taittinger in Reims, in the Champagne region of northern France, using fruit sourced exclusively from Grand Cru villages in the Côte des Blancs sub-region.

What foods pair well with Comtes de Champagne 2014? Fresh oysters and raw shellfish complement the wine's saline minerality. Lobster with drawn butter mirrors its richness without overwhelming the palate. Aged Comté cheese echoes the nutty, toasty notes from extended lees contact. Seared scallops with citrus beurre blanc highlight the Chardonnay's fruit, while a simple plate of smoked salmon and crème fraîche provides a textural match for the fine mousse.

What sizes does Comtes de Champagne 2014 come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle; magnums (1.5L) are occasionally available for select vintages.

Is Comtes de Champagne 2014 worth the price? Comtes de Champagne positions firmly in the ultra-premium tier of prestige Champagne, and the 2014 vintage — with its critical acclaim and decade-long aging regimen — represents strong value relative to similarly scored peers from houses such as Krug and Salon.

Why Comtes de Champagne 2014?

The 2014 vintage captures a rare equilibrium between generosity and tension that distinguishes it within the Comtes de Champagne lineage. A decade of lees aging in UNESCO-listed chalk cellars imparts a toasty complexity that few prestige cuvées can replicate, while the exclusive use of Grand Cru Côte des Blancs Chardonnay ensures a purity of expression rooted in terroir. James Suckling's 97-point score places this release among the top-rated Blanc de Blancs Champagnes of the vintage. For collectors and serious drinkers alike, this is a bottling that rewards both immediate attention and patient cellaring — a definitive statement of what family-owned Champagne at the highest level can achieve.