2013 - Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs

The 2013 Comtes de Champagne is a towering Champagne, as it was last year. Rich, sumptuous and explosive, the 2013 soars out of the glass with a captivating mix of tropical fruit, apricot, passion fruit, baked apple tart, mint and yellow flowers. It is one of the most explosive, extroverted Comtes I have ever tasted. Impressive.

Taittinger’s 2013 Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne, disgorged in December 2023 with a dosage of nine grams per liter, is well worth seeking out. Derived from a long, slow ripening season marked by cool nights and an October harvest, it is slightly less acid-driven and a touch fleshier than the 2008, offering up a deep bouquet of nashi pear, lemon confit, freshly baked bread, almond paste and a gentle smoky reduction edge. On the palate, it is full-bodied and incisive, with a concentrated core of fruit, bright acids and considerable tension, culminating in a persistent, saline finish. While already indicative of its potential, its best days are still ahead, and it should continue to improve over the next two decades or more. Choosing a favorite between the 2013 and 2014 will be difficult, as both are strong editions of Comtes.

Taittinger’s 2013 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs captures an abundance of finesse from Champagne’s cooler 2013 vintage. Mineral-rich and taut, it opens with honeyed notes of ripe citrus, poached nashi pear, butter wafers, and crème fraiche that gradually gain aromatic intensity as it unfurls. Light to medium-bodied, it has well-heeled, vibrant acidity that lends an energetic tension and freshness to the long, toasty finish. This subtly assertive and refined Comtes de Champagne should evolve beautifully with bottle age for 15+ years. Drink 2023-2040.

Something about Blanc de Blancs automatically fires my pleasure receptors – especially when it’s this good. Ripe apple fruit, smoke, toast, butter and a lovely mineral twang as well. Not heavy, but certainly lengthy. A masterclass in Blanc de Blancs. (RH)