Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2008

The perfect blanc de blancs. Full-bodied with a lovely framework of acidity and dry fruit, such as apples, pears and peaches. Opulent. Dense and muscular. Yet, it’s balanced and harmonious. Line of acidity at the end. Totally in tune. Superb. Deep and complete. Has everything. One for the cellar. It is the greatest Comte ever. It has everything. A perfect upgrade from two years ago. Drink or hold.

The 2008 Comtes de Champagne is every bit as stunning as it has always been. The first signs of aromatic complexity are starting to appear, while there is a bit less of the youthful austerity that was present at the outset. It will be interesting to see how the 2018 continues to develop. It is certainly not the austere, bracing Champagne it was a few years ago. Hints of apricot, slate, mint, crushed rocks and light tropical accents build into the salivating finish.

This bottle of Taittinger's eagerly anticipated 2008 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne had been disgorged in July 2018, and the wine is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with a vivid bouquet of citrus oil, green apple, warm brioche, crushed chalk and blanched almonds. On the palate, it's full-bodied and searingly intense, with striking concentration and incisive but perfectly integrated acids, displaying a fine mousse, and remaining quintessentially elegant despite its undeniable power and persistence. The finest Comtes de Champagne since the brilliant 2002, this is a terrific vintage for this dependably age-worthy cuvée, and though it's already impressive, the wine is built for the long haul: conserved in a cold cellar, the 2008 will still be in fine form three decades from now.