An amazing champagne house with some serious history, Champagne Taittinger dates back to 1734 when a wealthy textile merchant named Jacques Fourneaux founded a Champagne house named Forest-Fourneaux. During this 18th century he was working with Benedictine monks in learning how to craft sparkling wines. This house remained intact until the 1930s when Pierre Taittinger bought the house and named it after himself, also purchasing the estate vineyards.
After years of developing the brand, Taittinger became wildly popular in the 1950s and today it is one of the largest houses in Champagne, producing roughly 5-6 million bottles annually. Most people are familiar with their great NV Taittinger ‘Brut La Francaise’ (OB, 91) which has really nice range for the price. Taittinger has also been a hit in James Bond movies, as Bond enjoyed Taittinger in “Casino Royale.” Taittinger also founded Domaine Carneros in 1987 which has become one of the finest sparkling wine houses not only in California but North America. They also make a killer, very delicate NV Taittinger ‘Prestige’ Rose Champagne (OB, 92) that you can find on first class Qatar Airways. The Rose is fresh and also shows a gorgeous core of delicate red fruits. Learn more about this famed house at https://www.taittinger.com/en and here are my reviews of the new releases by Champagne Taittinger.
NV Taittinger ‘Brut La Francaise’ Champagne- The NV ‘Brut La Francaise’ combines Chardonnay (40%), with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and comes from 35 different vineyards and vintages. It shows good finesse and a soft mousse. Salted green melon flavors mingle well with wet rock, lemon rind and copious minerals on the palate. Drink 2025-2031- 91
NV Taittinger ‘Prestige’ Rose Champagne-The NV Taittinger ‘Prestige’ Rose is a beautiful wine that you can also savor in first class Qatar Airways as I did earlier in the year. It is very pretty in its guava and cranberry fruit profile, loaded with salty minerals. The combination of density and nuance really makes this sing. Drink 2025-2032- 92
NV Taittinger ‘Nocturne City Lights’ Champagne- A slightly sweet champagne composed from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes, the ‘Nocturne City Lights’ delivers candied papaya and kumquat flavors that meld well with cloves, challah bread and suggestions of baking spice laced shortbread. It is nicely rich on the mouth with excellent viscosity. Drink 2025-2033- 92
NV Taittinger ‘Nocturne City Lights’ Rose Champagne- A very pretty salmon hue, the ‘Nocturne City Lights’ Rose Champagne combines Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. It has just a kiss of sweetness on the palate, with salted tangerine, cantaloupe and red cherry fruits that meld well with gravel and diatom accents. Delicious now, enjoy over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2033- 92
NV Taittinger ‘Prelude’ Champagne- The NV ‘Prelude’ Champagne is another stunning rendition of this wine new wine that spent more than than five years on the lees. This combines equal parts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and comes from onlyGrand Cru vineyards. Salted French bread and starfruit flavors combine with dense melon fruits and suggestions of yellow plum on the palate. The richness and viscosity here is really good, as this is best savored now and over the next decade. Drink 2025-2035- 94
NV Taittinger ‘Les Folies de la Marquetterie’ Champagne- The NV Taittinger ‘Les Folies de la Marquetterie’ comes from the Les Folies Vineyard, a Taittinger estate. Stored on the lees for four years, this has amazing richness, power and underling tension. Brioche and white peach mark the palate alongside shades of red raspberry and wet gravel underpinnings. A really delicious wine to enjoy now, this will easily hold for another decade. Drink 2025-2035- 94
2016 Taittinger ‘Brut Millesime’ Champagne- The 2016 ‘Brut Millesime’ Champagne is composed of equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It immediately opens with kiwi and wet rock on the nose alongside orange blossom and fresh ginger notes. The palate is rich and fat with an unctuous mouthfeel and great underlying salinity and tension. Great now, enjoy over the next ten years to come. Drink 2025-2035- 94