Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2012

The 2012 Comtes de Champagne is gorgeous. Warm and resonant in the glass, the 2012 Comtes shows all the allure that makes this vintage so appealing. The combination of bright citrus, mineral and floral notes typical of Comtes, enhanced by the soft contours of the vintage, makes for an inviting, open-knit Champagne that is quite showy right out of the gate. Light tropical accents on the finish add an exotic flair. Usually I recommend cellaring just-released Comtes, but that won’t be necessary here. Drink 2022 - 2042.

The 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is showing beautifully out of the gates, offering up demonstrative aromas of sweet golden orchard fruit, buttery croissants, peach and hazelnuts. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and enveloping, it's a rich, textural, vinous Comtes somewhat reminiscent of the brilliant 2002. If it gains in tension and cut (as the 2002 did and as I suspect the 2012 will) with more time on cork, it will make this initial rating seem conservative. 2024 - 2055

From the Grand Crus of Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Oger, the 2012 Champagne Blanc De Blancs Comtes De Champagne comes back swinging after last year's release and assumes a more noble and layered profile... it has fantastic aromatic complexity, with wonderful custardy and classic aromas of lemon curd, crème brûlée, shortbread, and honeysuckle. The nose is hard to resist, and on the palate, it’s full-bodied, with a refined and pillowy mousse and a delicate warmth on the finish. It hits a lot of the right marks in this vintage, offering plenty of purity and balance... It’s just such a pleasurable wine, 2012 marks an exceptional return for this cuvée...

Some smokiness on the nose. Lemony, youthful and still quite tight with a detailed undertow – lots going on there! Lacy texture and impressive length. This one will run and run and seems at this stage to have more pronounced acidity than some of its precursors.

Taittinger elegantly captures the power and generosity of the 2012 vintage in the Comte de Champagne Blanc de Blanc 2012. Rich and seductive, the nose is replete with ripe yellow apple, lemon tart, buttered warm brioche and honeycomb. Medium to full-bodied, the ample and generous palate brims with notes of lemon curd, honey and toast enlivened by a spirited acidity and mouthwatering salinity to add considerable finesse to the long finish. Delightful and refreshing throughout (the bottle tasted was disgorted in January 2023 and finished with a nine gram per liter dosage.)

The 2012 is a gorgeous wine. Immensely "gluggable," it possesses purity, depth, freshness, and such showy aromatics that many will consume their quota early in the wine's lifecycle. The nose is a melange of lemon zest and chalky minerality, finessed with autolytic, flowery nuances. The palate is broad and succulent, with acidity providing some cut and linearity. Underlying richness strikes an intriguing counterpoint to the apparent tension. What is not to like here? It has aromatic density and is polished with that gorgeous floral bouquet that the 2012s often possess—a great long-term prospect. Drink from 2025-2045. Tasted: 15-Jun-23.