The Cuvée Comtes de Champagne from Maison Taittinger was created in 1952 as a tribute to Thibault IV, King of Navarre and last Count of Champagne. And to give it even more character, it's housed in a uniquely identifiable 18th-century bottle.
The Comtes de Champagne cuvée is only made when the harvest is worthy of being Millésiméth, but even more, of exceptional quality. 1995, a sunny year, was not conducive to the harvest of Extraordinary Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes. By contrast, the Chardonnay on Côte des blancs will present a breathtaking balance of tension, ripeness and minerality.
This cuvée is a Blanc de blancs made from grapes from villages Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger, all "Grand Cru". The wines are aged between 8 and 10 years, depending on the year, 18 meters underground in the chalk pits of the former Saint Nicaise Abbey in Reims. Some of them (6%) were previously aged for 4 months in new oak barrels (a third renewed each year), which adds further complexity to the final blend.
The Cuvée Comte de Champagne 1995 presents a brilliant golden color with green highlights. The nose remains surprisingly youthful with notes of green apple, fresh hazelnut and white flowers, but also offers aromas of aging, yeast and sweet spices supported by a few brioche notes. On the palate, the attack is lively, slightly lemony, even aniseed-like, then we feel the roundness, the generosity of white peach, Anjou pear and white grapes Secs.
The finish, of extraordinary length, brings an even stronger sensation of suave, toasty, slightly smoky freshness.
To accompany this Cuvée Comtes de Champagne 1995 from Maison Taittinger, there's nothing like a fine salt-crusted sea bass, or scallops with leek fondue.
