Taittinger Comtes Blanc de Blancs 2013

When Taittinger first produced a 100% Chardonnay prestige cuvée in 1952, it was a direct provocation — Pinot Noir dominated every serious tête de cuvée in Champagne. That founding conviction shapes every decision in Comtes de Champagne to this day. The 2013 draws exclusively from five Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs — Avize, Cramant, Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Oger — where deep chalk soils deliver exceptional drainage, relentlessly high natural acidity, and the saline mineral tension that defines the appellation's finest Chardonnay. The cool, late-harvest 2013 growing season amplified these qualities: an extended ripening arc built concentration without sacrificing the lemony precision and nervy acidity the vintage is known for, with a delicate salinity threading through the wine's structure.

Only first-pressing juice (cuvée) enters the blend. Roughly 5% of the base wine is fermented and aged ~8 months in small Seguin Moreau oak barrels, contributing textural weight and subtle spice without obscuring Chardonnay's primary character; malolactic fermentation is carried out. The wine then aged 10+ years on lees in the 4th-century Gallo-Roman chalk crayères beneath the former Abbey of Saint-Nicaise in Reims — UNESCO-listed cellars maintaining constant temperature and humidity — before disgorgement in late 2023 at a dosage of approximately 8–9 g/l. Unusually, ascorbic acid in the liqueur d'expédition combined with jetting at disgorgement provides antioxidant protection, allowing reduced SO₂ while preserving freshness. The 2013 is the tautest, most tensile expression in the current Comtes lineup — drink 2023–2045+.