2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut- France, Champagne (11/3/2020)
Lives up to the hype, and then some. On par with the brilliant 2008 Dom Perignon and Cristal, and probably the best young CdC I’ve had since the 2002. The nose shows a moderate hint of creaminess, as well as some almond paste, sweet citrus, and a little bit of bread. On the palate, there is a surprisingly generous amount of fruit, giving this a voluptuousness that belies the vintage. So like the 2006, this has a really nice breadth to it, but unlike the 2006, the roundness doesn’t come from the more brown/mushroomy flavours. Then, combine this with the zippy acids of 2007 (which is really the best quality of that wine) and you get a best of both worlds kind of thing. Throw in more extract and raw power, and you’ve got yourself a real winner. The price increase is admittedly obnoxious but the step up in quality over the last two editions seems to be pretty stark. (93 pts.)
Interesting note - “Lives up to the hype, and then some. On par with the brilliant 2008 Dom Perignon and Cristal”. I’ve had the 08 Dom a few times and the Cristal twice and I’d certainly give them more than the 93 points you did, unless that is for current tasting and not future potential.
I opened a 1996 on my wedding night in September 2019 and if that’s the comparison it’s got a lot to live up to. I can’t say that I would be surprised though given the quality of all the other 2008’s I’ve tasted.
I got charged for shipping in CA. They had previously told me free shipping at the time of the order. I didn’t push it. It was cheap, and they are losing money on these bottles anyway.