Champagne Taittinger Millésime Brut 2016

It was 1932 when a young cavalry officer named Pierre Taittinger fell head over heels in love with Champagne – in no small part because of the delectable wines produced there. He purchased the historic Château de la Marquetterie and developed a Champagne business with the help of his brother-in-law, Paul Eveque. Step by step, generation by generation, the Taittinger family has created one of the greatest houses of Champagne. 

My favorite part of their story is when the winery was sold in 2005 to a U.S. investment group, Starmont. As you might imagine, the entirety of Champagne, and France, nearly revolted. It was a scandal that eventually required the French government's intervention – as the purchase threatened to destabilize the entire Champagne industry (at least in the eyes of the French people). With a fair amount of prodding, the remaining branches of the Taittinger family unified to bring the house back under family control just over a year later. Today, the estate is run by Vitalie Taittinger, who serves as president, aided by her brother, Clovis Taittinger, who is now the estate’s general manager.  

Forged in the deep silence of the chalk quarries of Saint-Nicaise, where the only sound is the muffled steps of the riddlers carrying about their turning, this 2016 vintage Brut wine sat contemplatively for just over 5 years aging on the lees in bottle. Disgorgement occurred in 2021 – granting this 5 additional years added development on the cork to add layers of nuance and complexity.

The light lemon-gold hue to the wine hints at the layers of minerals that makes it so unique and vinous. Charming aromatics of grilled lemon, sourdough toast, and mint, with nutty accents of toasted almond pull you into the glass. With gentle bubbles and a silky mouthfeel, lemon, green apple, golden peach, and white pepper dance across the palate, interweaving with tertiary notes of parmesan rind and a bit of mushroom toward the end. The salty mineral vein and humming acidity runs lightly through it all, growing steadily into a long, powerful, softly spiced finish. It’s rich and bright, yet creamy and elegantly soft at the same time. Vintage 95-point Taittinger for UNDER $100 is worthy of any bubbly collector – do not pass this up!