(Intellectual) Hedonism
1999 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
Just. Utterly. Delicious.
Taittinger is, without a doubt, in the highest echelon of Champagne. Every time we open a bottle, we're blown away by how "irresistibly alluring" it is.
In the company of the best Champagnes, Taittinger absolutely excels.
I can't count how many times we've opened a bottle of Comtes alongside the biggest names in Champagne (you know them) and Taittinger has emerged an against-the-odds favorite for its pure hedonistic pleasure bolstered by an underlying intellectual thrill - think piles of baking spices heaped over glacial minerals and a tightrope of acidity.
This is incredible Champagne that should not be overlooked.
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The Comtes de Champagne is one of very few Champagnes that's lovely in its youth - ripe, rich, and completely indulgent - as well as stunning 20, 30, even 40 years down the line. Antonio Galloni describes the sensual, perfumed older bottles as "irresistibly alluring."
Over the last few years, Bobby and I have enjoyed numerous phenomenal bottles of Comtes: the 1995, 1990, 1989, 1982, and a truly formative bottle of the 1976. While each vintage had different hallmarks, the common thread was unmistakable: Upon opening, the wines are lush and intense, but with air, a vibrant back-end structure and acidity rounds into form, which is what really keeps you coming back for more.
Today we offer you the pure pleasure of the 1999 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne for as low as $129.95.
Although the Champagne community talks frequently about the rarity of Blanc de Noirs, when you think about it, truly great Blanc de Blancs is also in short supply. At the end of the day, four wines make up the sparkling Chardonnay pantheon: Krug Clos du Mesnil, Salon, Selosse's vintage offering, and Taittinger Comtes.
Keep in mind the former three sit at somewhere between two to eight times the price of Comtes!
1999 was a solid vintage for Champagne, highlighted by the quality of the Pinot Noir grapes. Going against the trend of the season (along with Anselme Selosse), Taittinger's Chardonnay nailed it with one of the best bottles of the year, a wine that gushes with all the "unadulterated hedonism" you can take, blossoming in the glass with sheathes of flint, candied citrus peel, caramel and exotic fruits. Gulpable, maddeningly sluggable juice.
At just over ten years old, the 99 Comtes is still fresh and quite flirtatious, but she's beginning to seriously round the bend into her luscious, hogging-the-spotlight phase. Today's pricing gives you the opportunity to fully witness this evolution.
Now is likely the time to stock up on Comtes. With each passing vintage, there is upward pressure on the price of Comtes. The days feel numbered for this wine holding court as one of Champagne's value gems - the older parcels, such as today's, are disappearing quickly. Lovers of Taittinger are serious about the Comtes, and most have bought it all up shortly after release and stashed it carefully, selfishly away. We're guilty as charged.
In an ideal world, this is a wine to buy in bulk. Our parcel is sizeable, but so is the merry band of Comtes fiends.
To place your order, email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call us at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Fine and Rare Director
Crush Wine & Spirits
Taittinger
1999 Comtes de Champagne
Special Bottle Price: $134.95
Compare at $145-$225
Special 6-pack Price: $779.70 ($129.95/btl)
Antonio Galloni: The 1999 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne (magnum) is sourced exclusively from Grand Cru villages. A small portion of the wine is aged in barrel. The 1999 is an absolutely delicious Comtes de Champagne that needs to be opened at least an hour or two in advance to show at its finest. Smoke, citrus, mint and flowers are some of the nuances that emerge from this fresh, fragrant Champagne. Deceptively lithe on the palate, the wine blossoms with air as it fills out with endless layers of perfumed fruit. The wine can be enjoyed today, even if it comes across as a touch sweet. With time, that sweetness will develop into the liqueur-like perfume that makes older Comtes de Champagne so irresistibly alluring. In my experience the magnum format is especially beneficial for Champagnes, and older large bottles of CdC often transform into an ethereal drink of the very highest level.
Net / No further Discount
99 Taittinger Comtes arrives late spring