Comtes de Champagne, the mythical cuvee of Champagne Taittinger
The legend of the origin, "which must be read", became in the 16th century a marvelous tale where the presumed reality intertwines with the imagination and the poetry of the storyteller. To endure, it requires no proof but rather a level of shared emotion, constantly renewed. In this, the flamboyant legend of Thibaud IV le Chansonnier joins that of the very selective Comtes de Champagne de Taittinger vintage.
The Thibaud IV legend
In a prosperous and powerful County of Champagne, Count Thibaud IV, King of Navarre, will embody alone from 1222 to 1253, the apogee of the political, economic and artistic influence of this family of Champagne which was in its time the second most powerful family of France after that of the King.
King himself, lord, poet, chansonnier, conqueror, Thibaud IV will be all that at the same time. In love with his aunt Blanche of Castile, mother of the future Saint Louis, he had to go on a crusade in 1239. He brought back from the East two treasures still unknown to the Christian world: a rose of Damascus and a plant of a new grape variety, the ancestor of Chardonnay. This is how the Taittinger legend began..
Mythical vintages
The Comtes de Champagne Taittinger vintages are the quintessence of the House's style. Blanc de Blancs or sometimes Rosé, in exceptional years, some vintages become timeless and enter the legend of what Champagne can produce most exceptional. The work is truly accomplished when the champagne does not only make the palate vibrate in tune with rare emotions, but touches the soul and marks the memory of a lifetime..
Comtes de Champagne blanc de blancs Grands Crus
The Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is the most accomplished expression of the Taittinger House 's style. It is composed exclusively of Chardonnays from the 5 villages of the Côte des Blancs classified as "Grand Cru": Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger.
To get the best out of each vine, the work is manual and respectful of the environment. It is done at the rhythm of nature. The grapes are only harvested when they are fully ripe, with extreme care taken during the picking and sorting of the bunches. Each terroir is pressed separately in order to keep the characteristics of each one intact, between finesse, minerality and power. If the harvest proves to be of exceptional quality and worthy of being vintage, then the year will give birth to the Comtes de Champagne. With these great Chardonnays, jewels of the Champagne terroir, it is necessary to know how to be patient; the Comtes de Champagne Rosé Grands Crus rests thus nearly 10 years in the chalk pits of Saint-Nicaise before seeing the day and delighting the palates.
