98 numerically and 100% a fan. I love this producer. Pound for pound, Ill take this over DP, all-day-long Who knows tomorrows score but are you going to hold out for 2 lousy points? Hmmmm...The wine whore der's debate.... Drink or Hold
Tasted best after a few hours of air and a warmer temp (~60-65F).
Fresh citrus aromatics surge forth from the glass after some swirling. With more swirling, you start to get hints of the rich, concentrated fruits you will enjoy on the palate.
The palate hits hard with rich stoned fruit sweetness, and fresh, juicy citrus acidity. It had an enjoyable finish of sweet lime whipped cream with a mint leaf on top. The whole package delivers rich decadence in a light package - I could easily drink the whole bottle myself if everyone else let me.
I envy those who bought this at the original release price.
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Moderate golden in the glass. Nose is closed at first, but with a bit of air and warmth, it just explodes across the board. Notes of baked pineapple, baked nectarine, green apple, brioche, marzipan, molasses. Dessert-like. The palate delivers a very elegant and precise drink, with everything in perfect check. Somewhat young, but very approachable. Decades of life ahead, this will go to the stratosphere.
The 2008 Comtes is simply going from strength to strength. The most ready rendition I’ve had, full of brioche, lemon curd, toasted almond, honey, and marzipan. Super giving on both the nose and palate, and will probably stay like this for a long time to come.
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OMG...! Bottle was opened several hours before tasting. The wine is already so unbelievably tasty and juicy and creamy and harmoniuos... Breathtaking. Destined for a perfect score in a few years' time.
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similar to my last tasting note. I have to stop drinking these!!! They need 10 more years and this may one of the greatest of all time! I think this may be better than the 2008 Krug and Cristal. This will be epic if you can wait until 2030 or beyond. This is special
Charity Wine Pairings for Hospice House Auction winners; 4/6/2024-4/7/2024 (Bellingham): Our wine of the night, paired with ostetra caviar. I've been delaying trying the 2008, as I've found the vintage in general to be fantastic but late maturing. No regrets, this is in the zone, early in its drinking window. Opens with some flinty matchstick which I love, followed by a perfectly balance throng of flavors and textures. It has that Comtes creamy texture, but remains edgy; pure class. Lemon cream, white orchard fruit, lightly fragrant floral notes, honey, chalk, brioche. It lives up to the hype.
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Friday Night Lights (Jim and Michelene's Place, St. Paul, MN): Shimmering gold color. Drank a couple glasses over 90 minutes. Oh, my, word....I am not going to regret loading up on these. I'd been holding off, and holding off on opening one of these for some time. But many if not most of the '08's are drinking well now and this was loudly calling my name. I wasn't taking any notes at the time, but there are a few thoughts that come to mind: wow, riveting, compelling, the real deal. This had an immense nose with an explosive bead. Tons of gorgeous toast, creme caramel, brioche, almond cream, nuthorns, splendid ultra refined sea spray and minerality, subtle floral notes and marzipan, bright, refreshing, long and wistful. Glorious, and eveything I'd hoped for. Now the clock starts to see if this can surpass the brilliant 2002 in time. 98(+)pts.
Hadn't had this in a while and it is opening up. Clean, precise and sparkling. For those who like their champagne with the chardonnay front and center. This is a very pretty wine.
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Update: Exploded when trying to open. Extremely fruity aroma…especially on the kitchen floors. However, although aroma not as pleasant, this has aged nicely.Very creamy, super long finish, no acidic aftertaste. Nice mouth feel. Much smoother than 3 years ago. Some lemon notes as well as chalk. Still with the minerality but far less spice. Very drinkable and keep going back to it. Less complex overall.
3/12/21 Apple aroma. Spicy, full bodied, high minerality Golden color, longer finish. Bright, fresh. Not terribly complex, but very interesting. Still quie young with slight acidic aftertaste. Has great promise with aging 88 points
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Fried chicken and champagne - one of the great pleasures in life. Beautiful notes of cashew and ginger, with the addition of stone fruit. Simply devine.
1-hour slow-ox; ethereal almond, stone fruit and lemon notes; balance and acidity are near perfection; hard to discern if the deep, rich, endless finish is on your palate or in your memory; easily another decade of development ahead - 1/18.
Medium yellow with fine beads. Excellent nose that shows lemon and orange citrus peel, lots of ripe stone fruits and limestone. A concentrated palate shows dense stone fruit framed over great acidity and minerality, and a long intense and saline finish.
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This was on fire tonight, certainly still quite primary but much more together and expressive than the bottle I tried 2 years ago. Cant wait to try it again with some time.
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Only had Taittinger Comtes once prior and I don't remember it wowing me; this however certainly did. Chilled, opened, then allowed to warm and breathe for a bit. The purity here is immense. Absolute classic BdB with the intensity turned up. At 15 it still feels like an absolute baby. Bright lemon, green apple, chalk, pastry dough, just a hint of spice and orchard blossom. Silky mouthfeel and lovely mousse. Great stuff.
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**So this is christmas, And what have you done? I have opened one of these, And Im rowing in the sun. This was beautiful yesterday. The weightlessness of this wine left me in awe. I dont know if its the wine, or the bubble package, or the temperature. It definitely becomes more toasty, almondy, and weightless as it warms in the glass. I think this is in perfect drinking window for phase 1 of its life and is not to be missed if you are looking for something airy and incredibly elegant. When Taittinger hits it, boy it nails it. This one is nailed in history...Very well done and a great representation of the hype around 2008. Drink or HOLD
Wines from SQ lounge / Suites: Tasted across a few different bottles when in the lounge and on the flight. Surprisingly the one on board showed the best, i.e. it was the most open. Broad impressions were similar to previous notes, still reductive and tight despite the crystalline fruit.
Magnum. In this format, much too young to drink now. Needs some years. But profile is definitely classic Comtes with great complexity and depth. But wait.
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CRiBBS @ La T (La Trompette, London): Deeper on the nose, rich with some custard apple development. Nice weight, developing nicely. Still some 08 structure on show towards the finish. Very approachable now. *****
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acidic. Not as complex as I would have hoped based on all the hype.
A nice Taittinger, yes. Probably could use more bottle age. But from my experience I've actually preferred other vintages for drink-ability and complexity.... 04, 02, 06 all come to mind. of course the 96 as well but... that is in another league altogether, best Taittinger I've had by a wide margin.
this seems a bit less refined. based on the reviews i was expecting some fireworks. nope.
the almond brioche and toasted almond and burnt almond and almond cake and almond cookies and almond tart and back to burnt almond and toasted almond..... almond this and that is all I'm getting. oi! I like almonds but please.
OK but wait, no almond milk )) finish a bit short and woody.
Krug tasting (Freiheit Vinothek, Ulm, Germany): Glass: Riedel Superleggero Champagne Tasted completely blind, Pirate. Clear, youthful golden color. Beautiful deep, smoky, dense and complex nose. On the palate the way better version of Krug 08. Round, elegant, harmonious, beautiful mousseux and great tension and weightless power. Very long! Best 08 Comtes I had so far. 94-95
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My first taste of 2008 Comtes and the vintage seems to live up to the hype. Lovely nose of yellow apple, lime cordial, crème patissiere, and saline. Great density and weight on the palate with intese fruit but held in check by good expected cut and a very long finish. Really impressive
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Jim and Michelene for their 40th wedding anniversary w/ chef Don Saunders. Nita's & my btl. Superb! My all-round favorite glass of Champagne year in / year out. Arguably the most sublime, ethereal, weightless, pristine champagne on the planet. Loved it again tonight. Really fun following Jim & Michelene's fabulous '06. Paired especially well with Don's smoked salmon mouse & row appetizer.
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(BYO Blind tasting) Still youthful, very elegant nose. Medium-fullish. Lovely intensity. Lightly toasty. Green apple, a load of citrus, hints of bread. No coffee roast. Medium-fullish, fullish palate. Rich and generous. Lightly toasty. Yellow orchard fruit and modelling clay. Minerally. Very long and concentrated. Impeccable balance and very high, refreshing acidity. Chocolate and oyster shell in finish and after time in glass. Second bottle of Comtes during the weekend. This was my bottle that had been stored at 12 degrees since purchase. And therefore, it was just a tiny bit more developed than the other bottle. I would hold on to this for at least 5 years, even though it is delicious aldready.
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(BYO Blind tasting) Medium-fullish, youthful, very elegant nose. Yellow orchard fruit, some toast and bread. Citrus and nuts. Still closed. Medium-fullish, fullish palate. Very high acidity. Some development. Utterly balanced and elegant. Apple and toast. But above all very citrus-intense. Long and austere. In a much more elegant style than we have come to expect from Comtes. Still not ready. Probably because it had been stored in a very cold cellar which inhibits development.
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2008 top champagnes - horisontal wine tasting dinner (Rest MG (kg arr)): Second 2008 horisontal champagne half blind tasting dinner. First time June 2021. Back then the vintage was extremely youthful. How is it now? An almost unbelievable development in just 2 years. As a wine enthusiast I must simply surrender! I was skeptical about the drinkability at this point for this extreme vintage. That skepticism was proven wrong. 2008 can definitely be enjoyed now. For me, it's one of my really great tasting experiences. And there has certainly been many... Add to that, the vintage is only in its initial stage of maturation and therefore still youthful but extremely charming and open. I really look forward to tasting the 2008 vintage once a year in the coming many years experiencing the tertiary notes develop.
Lemon colour, creamy mousse and long finish. Significant Aromas of coffee (because of that I actually guessed Dom Perignon), ripe apple, blossom. A little sweeter than the rest, but not a problem. Rating based on performance right now 95+
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2008 Champagne - 25 top names tasted blind: Very expressive nose. This stood out aromatically and was in total contrast to the bruised apple aromas of the Pinots next to it. Ultra reductive nose with brioche, fresh citrus, lots of caramelized sugar, toast, butter croissant and even a touch of gun flint. Traditional dosage and mouth feel. This, Dom, and Rare were stylistically very similar. If you like the classic high-end house style, look no further. Great showing.
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Fantastic display from the 08 comtes, maybe the best yet. The intensity is apparent, really solar and acid driven, with a beautiful tension that doesn’t slap you across the face like before. Really chalky, lots of brioche, almond and again, salivating acid. Is the 08 Comtes finally coming together?
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(SYP) PNP Pretty nose with brioche and white flowers. It is racy, fresh and vibrant with fine bubbles. The finish was a tad bitter at first. Best with 2 hours of air.
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Accord parfait avec du caviar ce soir. Une merveille , beaucoup de fraîcheur et un vrai bonheur à déguster. C’est le moment d’en ouvrir une bouteille , même si le potentiel de garde est important. Bravo à la maison Taittinger pour ce champagne qui est un de mes préférés !
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in general not a huge fan of this cuvee which performed admirably consistantly. brown sugar, confected, on the sweet site. are these partially barrel attributes? tastes very unique compared to other BdBDs. others found it hallmark Comtes. for desert.
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A private dinner with friends (Restaurant 212 **, Amsterdam, NL): A superb vintage for Comtes de Champagne. It is not as closed as I had expected but already quite expressive, with the quintessential elegant, fragrant, floral, brioche and toast character of this cuvée, but in this great vintage it is backed up by a huge minerally energy and acidic structure that will ensure a long life. At 15 years old this is still a baby - drink the charming 2011 while you wait for this to mature further.
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Taittingers Comtes blanc night (Noize, London): Still incredibly young and embryonic, and so not that enjoyable to drink now. I'm not sure it has the depth of fruit the 2008 Cristal or the complexity of Dom Perignon 2008 (both of which I've opened in the last 2-3 months). I'm sure it will it will develop into a very impressive wine in 10 years time, but I'm not sure it'll be a highlight of the vintage, in the way the 2002 Comtes is.
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Popped and poured at a restaurant and drank from white wine stems. On the nose, always that high-toned floral and elegant nose from Taittinger's CdC, with a touch of smoke. Flavors not yet fully integrated IMO, highlighting green & yellow fruits; still a bit disjointed. I'd give this vintage another 2-5+ years before starting to drink my remaining bottles as I expect this to improve. 95+ potential. If trying today, open 1+ hour before drinking as the wine will become much more welcoming.
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Shared at dinner out. Was supposed to be enjoyed with oysters but people doing the shucking couldn’t keep up with our wild enjoyment of this bottle (it was left to a GC Chablis to accompany the oysters). No formal notes but this is firmly a classic “clean” style of bubbles with brioche, chalky minerality, vibrancy yet very caressing and enchanting. Delicious now but should age effortlessly. For me it was superior to the ‘02, ‘04 and ‘05. Neck and neck with the ‘06. 95+
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not blind together with CdM 2008 and VVF 2008 the first we had. The easiest accessible, the sweetest one. Not annoying but maybe a hint too much. It will help in the next 2-3 decades to get him rounder and lasting. The "weakest" champagne was great and fun to drink. One of the best from this hyped vintage. I love this waffle style and burnt candy cotton. 97
CdM 2008 was very reluctant in the beginning. Very shy but after 2 hours it showed his beauty and uncopyable style. Lemon peel, a bit honey and no roasted aromas. The concentration is out of this world but the finish is elegant and extremely precise. Will be nice to drink these bottles again in 20 years. 99
VVF 2008 Compared to the 2013 I had 2 weeks before this is surprisingly more elegant maybe because it is more settled and balanced after a few years of disgorgement. Less chocolate than expected. In teh same league as CdM. I can't prefer one of them. Maybe the BdB will survive a bit longer. 99
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Off the chart good. still young, will hold remaining bottles another 5-10 years. This in 8 years will be flirting with perfection. Crisp apples and honey dew couped with a gret mid palate mouth feel. The razors are gone and starting to mellow and round out. I did pop cork an hour before serving, and it paid off
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No formal note. Big glass of this from a 1 day old bottle. Apparently very tart and acidic on pop and pour day 1. Day 2 wowzers! So darn good. Seamless complete mouthfeel with impeccable balance of mineral and fruit and just a small touch of nutty brioche to remind you of some age. Tastes like some energy potion elixir.
Single-varietal champagnes: Much better than the last time that I had this. Others were leaning towards 2012 but I thought the acidity beneath the sheer, ripe citrus fruit could only have been from 2008. More tropical fruit after time in the glass which I didn’t enjoy.
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This was near perfection - wow! Beautifully harmonious, tiny bubbles, some moderate brioche. Very complex yet light on the palate, with a beautiful finish.
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At Restaurant Auberge du Bois Prin, Chamonix, France.
Boy is this a powerful punch on the pop of the cork. The front end lures you in with a pile of freshly sliced lemons and pears, rolling along the palate like a quiet steamroller (if there is such a thing). Then, once the mid-palate drop is achieved, a rush of minerality and acidity comes swooping in, filling the mouth with a buffet of flavors.
I was digging this as is, but I can certainly see why waiting another handful of years (think five minimum - best in ten perhaps) makes the most sense. 94 points for now, with upside in the nuance and finesse departments with more time in bottle. A little too much push here to be a top food wine at the moment, but certain to get there in a decade. Currently, this gets points for freshness, potency, and intensity. It is balanced in the way the Space Shuttle Endeavour is balanced, but this vintage (or at least, this bottle) of Taittinger is seemingly a drive-fast kind of experience at the moment. If you wear large sunglasses, have a bushy mustache that curls back up into your nostrils, and drive a convertible Aston Martin through the streets of Monaco, then pop this bad boy today.
Beat the Dom Perignon 2012 (Medlar, London SW10): Single blind. Seems a little reduced on the nose and showing lemony notes with good midpalate energy (similar to the preceding Krug 168) but charming all the same, and at the time I thought it was very decent hence score given and bronze place finish as #3 WOTN. From Jancis.
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Single blind. Pale yellow colour. Delicious! Drinking really well. Clearly a bdb and I was confident it was the 04 comtes. Was surprised to see it was my 08 instead as it was definitely more rounded/mature than other bottles a few months ago. My 3rd favourite and the group's equal 1st.
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Beat the DP 2012? (Medlar, Chelsea): Pale straw. Some custard on the nose, and a clean feel - definitely a BdB. Lemon/lime on the palate, and a touch of richer pineapple. Long, tangy finish. I found this a bit dry and undemonstrative.
Given #7 seemed younger than this I guessed Comtes 04, but it turned out to be the 08. That had been my pre-match favourite based on trying it last year, and the general acclaim, but it was actually my least favourite on the night apart from the Ruinart NV. That said, the group still voted it joint WOTN.
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semiblind, Tasting of 16 big 2008's 5th wine and not only for me in the Top 3 (with Clos du Mesnil and Selosse). I was thinking about CdM and CdC. fresh, elegant, some honey and a touch of waffles. Brilliantly balanced. 98-99 Wow
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Brioche, lemon, limestone and chalky minerals. Beautiful texture, lightly creamy with a mild mousse and a lemon peel flavor profile. Acidic finish that fans out on the palate. Awesome paired with fried chicken from 99 Chicken.
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Finally a 2008 that’s ready to drink. This is beautiful, totally open and full-flavored and feels 6 months old. All the tropical and stone fruits, some reductive notes especially before it aired out. No malo or toast or oak or anything remotely hinting of age. Shades of a ripe white burgundy. Maybe a little chalk? Maybe.
Anyway: it’s totally open now, which is awesome, and it’s full of big fruit flavors. And like all 2008s it’s completely precise and elegant and finesse-ful — there’s nothing sloppy or uncontrolled, just a perfect beautiful bouquet of fruits.
And… I’d love to have it in another 10 years when there are some age notes as a counterpoint to the big rich fruit. Damnit. I wanted to start drinking my 2008s.
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WOW...des bulles de course ici! Super franc, bien sec et net et surtout d'une vinosité exceptionnelle. Un peu cher, mais c'est plus que du bonbon. Vraiment EXTRA!
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Wow. Salty lemon brioche, but so much more. Perfect little bubbles, layers of flavour, intense yet subtle and very long. Good with food but better contemplated on its own.
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2023 New Year's Day Blind Tasting (Marietta, GA): Challenging to put this up against something unique like the Ulysse Collin Maillons, this is very pure with driving acids, fresh, green apples and cream, very good but subtler, chalky, a bit linear now in its youth but great things down the line.
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Rather muted but very fine bubbles. Fresh intense and complex nose with baked apple, ginger and other spices, orange peel. Lovely energy and focus on the palate with intense acidity and a lovely creaminess on the finish. Delicious but still a baby.
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Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): Walkaround tasting. So much orchard fruit throughout with amazing depth and complexity already. but the best is yet to come. My first time tasting this wine, and alas I only bought three bottles for the cellar.
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2007 Barolo and one Barbaresco in Tucson (Ciabot Tucker): Beautiful but closed nose at first. Chalk, toast, citrus, and some nuttiness. One the palate, it's chiseled and powerful yet with filigree fine detail and a sense of intensity coupled with grace. A vibrant, animated youthful wine that gives you chills thinking about its potential. Chevalier Montrachet with bubbles. Wonderful 97+
Tasted double blind. A brilliant wine and the best bottle I‘ve had since the first one right after release thanks to a touch more expression. While good today, this will be fantastic in 10 years.
TN: Medium+ expressive toffee and brioche nose with some fine citrus notes. On the palate again fine bakery, brioche, toffee notes, some herbs, citrus. All quite sharp, but medium complexity only. The wine is very fresh, laser sharp acidity, light with just the right amount of creamy texture. Drinks very well already.
TN: Not decanted, no extensive decanting needed.
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Acker JK 51st birthday in NYC. Pastry butter, pear and chalk on the nose, no reduction, this is obviouly made in an old school way rather than in the reductive way (Salon) Nevetheless, there are exquisitely fine bubbles, that support the excellent depth of complex flavors mixing white summer fruits, and which end in a long and perfumed finish. While it does not have the level complexity of Salon, this was miles above Dom Perigon 08 served aside, a very fine juice that can age effortlessly.
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Light airy fresh and clean with a wet mineral and biscuit aromas. Great Stoney white fruit with serious depth of concentration. Firmness points to long life ahead. Yum.
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During a blind tasting dinner. Discrete nose of lemon peel, minerals, then on the palate some toasty notes, especially on the long finish. The palate here is very precise, racy, chalky. A very grand Blanc de Blanc.
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Sthlm Food & Wine Champagne-tastings (Älvsjömässan, Stockholm): (Disgorged in July 2019, 100% Chardonnay mainly from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger but also some from Cramant, Oger and Chouilly, dosage 9 gr/l) Still a light yellow colour with a greenish hue and a very youthful, but expressive nose showing chalk, gunpowder and lime citrus flowers in a lovely way. Filled with energy on the palate filled with chalk, candied lemons and a green apples acidity before a delicious creaminess takes over that lasts into the lengthy finish.. (Best 2023-2048)
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Tasted blind. Layered with a plethora of fruit as well as buttery and bakery notes. The palate simultaneously explodes aromatically but comes across settled and calm. A knock-out-of-the-park kind of sparkler that in this tasting bested Dom Ruinard, Rare and DP P2 2002.
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When this was first poured after opening, it had a distinct toast and matchstick aroma, but with air (seemed like about 20 mins), that pretty much blew off. What then emerged was a pretty cool floral aromatic, reminding me of honeysuckle. Within the core of the wine, lemon oil and anise, with a concentration and richness. And when I let it go still (suing a pour later into the evening), it was pretty nice. I can really see why people are digging this version of the wine. It's very good, but in thinking about comparators, I still prefer and think Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee beats this wine on price, acidity and farming.
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BBM in Atlanta: A champagne I like, but this bottle was tight as a drum. More a flaw in our schedule that evening (hurried) and it likely would have opened up nicely given more time.
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Champagne night: Brought by a generous friend. Creamier and rounder, together with more exotic fruit compared to the 2007 alongside. Must admit after reading all the great reviews this didn't seem to be showing as well as I thought it would be. Guessed it was from a lower-acid vintage like 2006.
Man did I mess up with this bottle. So I took it to dinner with my family and parents (Bricolage's patio) and tried to drink it from my Conterno Sensory - much too wide. I had a few sips from a Zalto Universal that I brought for my dad, and it was much better, but didn't get a note. so I tried to force a (different) cork back in to take the rest home. Tried it again the next night and it was totally flat because the cork didn't have a good seal. So this note is an attempt to reconstruct the experience from night 1 where it was still pretty wound from a too-wide glass and night 2 where it was open but flat.
The nose is intoxicating with notes of lemon, tangerine, orange blossom, sweet biscuits, flint, gunpowder, almond creme, green apple, white flowers. It's crisp and lively but has a wonderful creaminess and depth in the background. The palate is very much like the nose.
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So this was beautiful, with richness on the nose and palate, lovely intensity of fruit, fine mousse, energetic acidity, but not strikingly so - that is, I've had plenty of 08s that are more acid driven than this wine, which instead comes across to me as balanced and rich, rather than linear and shrill. A wonderful tete de cuvee to hold that should develop harmoniously over the years. Right now, I'd rather drink the 06 or 07, but this showed marvelously tonight.
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As good a young Taittinger as I've tasted, this sports a perfect balance of crisp acidity and depth of lemony fruit with excellent intensity and refinement. The finish is already complex with wonderful notes of yeasty bread and chalky minerals. Surprisingly drinkable already but this should develop along the lines of the '96 with perhaps better balance. 95+
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Bright and fresh with lemon and sourdough notes, there is depth to the fruit but it is tight and much more linear than other champagnes I have had recently the same vintage (Cristal, Dom Rose, Krug). Will probably improve with time but I dont think it will reach the same heights
This bottle was slightly corked. We still finished the bottle. Interestingly, the restaurant sommelier preferred this tainted bottle over a splendid Dom Perignon 2010.
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Audouze for 2 hours. Immediately expressive with sourdough, lemon curd. Palate is singing with bright citrus, white flowers, brioche and sourdough. Such depth of flavor with a backbone of acidity. The finish goes on and on and on. Top 5 Champers for sure. My earlier note said 95 pt potential, but that was proven conservative.
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insane potential but still too young. Flinty on the nose like a white burg, incredibly intense and taut on the palate. My score is very conservative compared to what lies in store.
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Big Bottle Lunch: So tight and finely cut - rapier like. Felt very fresh and young with all of its apogee ahead of itself. Clearly a decade to go. Extremely enjoyable now of course but if you can, stash some away.
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Drinking so well right now, not much more I can say that hasn't already been said. Took on a bit of a smoky note after pairing with a hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano, which made for a fun experience.
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PnP; Jordnaer DK; truly captivating; bright lemon and subtle almond aromas; ethereal mid palate with creamy citrus notes; not as dense and dynamic as I remembered. This seems to have lost some of its youthful weightiness and tension that I enjoyed.
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The most special of special occasion wines to mark a great day in Banff NP and later at dinner tonight at The Crazy Weed restaurant in Canmore. A fabulous local Asian infused cheffy restaurant with a lovely patio to boot! The Comte paired fantastic w/ all of our dishes. A stunning Champagne. Lacy weightless intensity. Such delicacy & intrigue with every sniff & sip!. My first of 4. Wonderful wine in an amazing place. So so many peaks in every direction and the most glaciers I’ve ever scene! Ah....! Contentment! 95+
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This was great on release but razor sharp and tight. It is just starting to crack open. It is like Roulot Perrieres put through a Sodastream. There’s fine citrus and blossom and fabulous weight without heaviness. It has brilliant mineral cut, is so fine and expansive and persistent.
Another dynamite bottle consistent with my impressions on release. Thanks A+B. This one was poured after an '08 Sir Winston, which was solid, but transitioning over to this one was like flipping on the stadium lights. I am always a little afraid to go back to a wine that jazzes me the way this one did. At that level it's tough to pass the replication test. This one did. A glass's worth left in the bottle was even great sans fizz two days later tasting like a cross between Vatan and Raveneau, i.e., pure Kimmeridgian soil-to-glass-transfer bliss.
Another fantastic bottle. Really comes alive with some air. I was sure to not allow the bottle to become too cold. Opened and consumed over 2 hours. Will become even better with time but so good now!
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No notes taken. The highlights are the broad aromatic complexity, beautiful precision and overall seamless composition from an expressive nose to the quite long finish. Compared to the DP 08 and the Cristal 08, this might have more immediate charm but will it live as long as the DP? The acidity could be more pronounced at this stage and the mousse is so finely laced that it will probably have disappeared completely too early. Still a great, hedonistic Champagne to drink today.
Decanting: This needs a bit of air. Got better, more expressive with time in the glass.
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Champagne Evening (Beverly-Bietigheim): Glass: Zalto Universal Tasted blind, but I immediately detected my Comtes. Clear, pale golden color. Very fine and precise, mineral and citrus driven nose. On the palate very precise with lasersharp acidity, lots of citrus, great mineral core. Very good pressure and tension, extremly fresh and youthful, good length. Far from beeing at its peak unfortunately, so it got a bit lost in this lineup. Give it a few more years to fully shine or a looong aeration. 93-94++
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Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2008. Vakker og forførende med nydelig dybde. Svært ung vin av skyhøy kvalitet. Ikke helt sado å drikke nå, men man gjør nok lurt i å spare noen år. En stor fremtid foran seg. Rå konsentrasjon, friskhet og dybde. Topp druemateriale. Ekstremt lang med sublim mineralitet. En råtass av en Champagne. 96p
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Finally opened this to see what all the fuss is about…
Super complex aroma — citrus zest, yeast, vanilla and almond pastries. Light and fresh flavor with lots of lemon, tangerine, vanilla and yeast. Extremely fine mousse with lots of minerality on the finish. Well balanced. Great acidity.
Clearly has the backbone to age for decades, but it’s pretty extraordinary right now — particularly if you prefer a fresh fruit profile.
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At Shunsai, East Brisbane. This wine is a sparkling Chevalier Montrachet with lots of drive and a gripping persistent mineral and acid finish that goes on and on. There is lovely authority on the palate balancing the fine orchard fruits, lemon rind and yuzu that provide the fruit complexity and tons of matiere that suggest this is a wine for the ages.
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Fantastic melange of yellow fruits that changed every five minutes, bright and creamy at the same time, opulent texture. I could go on all day but to sum it up quickly: this is one of the best champagnes I've ever had.
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An opulent CdC for sure, the weight texture and bound up complexity is striking, suffering slightly from a bit warm temp this opened up quickly to show the brioche, lemon, green apples, creamy texture, smoke with graphite and coffee emerging, almost a bit decadent and what seemed like a generous dosage to really match the food today, this is one hell of a way to start off lunch!
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First bottle of this. High acid as expected but the purity of fruit and creamy texture is phenomenal. Delicious now but potentially incredible future ahead.
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Brilliant from first pour. Excellent cut, great fresh line and length. Wonderful fizz at peak stage. No rush though - but gorgeous now, especially if you value freshness over complexity.
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My first try, and can't quite get the overwhelming excitement this wine has generated. Already rich and fairly mature on the nose: rather yeasty, some dusky flowers, and a stoniness - definitely attractive, but not a knockout. There's still some tightness to the attack and through the midpalate, but not on the finish, which seemed to be the wine's most attractive feature at this stage - extremely long and biscuity, mmm. Acidity was lower than for some 2008s, which made the wine more approachable than I had expected but isn't necessarily a good thing for its long-term prospects. I have 15 bottles, might sell some of them...
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Brought to Kindlers at PB, and drank at Cafe L'Europe. Lots of brioche, as well as citrus, both on the nose and palate. Started out a bit too cold but as the wine warmed, it really opened up showing notes of lime, apple, mousse and toast. Very creamy, but still with lots of wet stone minerality, and very precise on the attach. Wonderfully long, dry finish. Great bottle of bubbly!
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This is just amazing. Beautiful Blanc de blancs. Enormous depth and just amazing as a white wine but just with bubbles. Best champagne of the recent Taste Champagne in Sydney.
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Has not moved. This is out this world in terms of balance, the generousity, charm and sexyness of the Comtes, - oh, the butter, the citrus, hints of vanilla, ginger - this year is combined with a firm concentration, that leaves you almost speechless. Still very young and crisp, as a truly great wine this is approachable young. #FormelB#Roberto
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Difficult to evaluate right now. Smells like rocks, tastes like lemon drenched rocks. Creamy texture with an endless minutes-long finish. Pretty obviously closed down, but you have to give credit to 13 year old juice that tastes like it was bottled yesterday.
Will it be monumental in time? Probably. Would I just pony up another $75 for 08 Cristal instead? Probably. But (budget notwithstanding) I’d drink that wine anytime, this one I’d give 10 years minimum in the cellar and probably longer. It could very well be legendary, but I just don’t have enough experience with young champagnes that became legends to say this is a done deal. To me it’s very different from the 06 and 07 and clearly built much more for the long haul.
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One of the best bottles of Champagne I’ve ever had. This was for the opening course of an eight course dinner. Incredible balance, fine bubbles, hint of grapefruit, fresh bread, granite. Spectacular.
Early dinner gathering (Capital Grille, DC): Absolutely gorgeous nose displaying elegant yet concentrated yellow and white fruit, lemon curd, granny smith, cinnamon, caramel, and wet stone. Perfectly integrated palate, beautifully layered concentrated yellow fruit, fluid and weightless without losing intensity, unbelievably fine medium generous mousse, bright acidity and strong wet stone mineral, and a seamless long sweet yellow fruit driven finish with cinnamon and caramel at the end. This is a great example of the 08 vintage, incredibly elegant, energetic and fresh but also concentrated and intense. This bottle shows medium generous mousse which is surprising. If this is a correct bottle, there may not be much bubble two decades from now. For now, this is showing incredibly well.
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SLDS Decadence 2021: Orange, oyster shell, citrus and pear. Layered, tense and with lovely power but control on the palate. Persistence paired with depth and balance. Delightful.
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(Disgorged in July 2019, 100% Chardonnay mainly from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger but also some from Cramant, Oger and Chouilly, dosage 9 gr/l) Delicious and seductive nose showing butterscotch, freshly baked bread and minerals. Opens up with a touch of hazelnuts as well. Very nice and creamy palate focused on lemon acidity and with some ginger as well. Nice and smooth with a nuttiness on the lengthy finish combined with a pleasant lemon juicy note. (Best 2023-2048)
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Dinner with friends (Waldhotel Sonnora, Dreis, Germany): Quick note from memory: Needs some temperature to fully unfold. Very precise, lean and mineral with time and air. Bone dry. Fine Mousseux, some fresh apple and lime notes. Long, refreshing finish. Still very young. 94+
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Maybe it didnt quite get the same air time as my previous bottle, but its an impressive champagne. So much body, development... The hardest part is to give it enough cellar time to develop!
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Open, and ready for business. But I believe it will only get better and better and better .... Brioche without being yeasty. Lemon curd, cinnamon (?), warm peach pie. Amaaazing! Best experience I've had with it (two or three bottles.)
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Drank with the Antigua crew last nite. Such a lovely champagne. Nose is quite toasty, with a small hint of vanilla. Bright, fresh and active on the palate. There’s lots of toasty goodness, a bit of nuttiness, and a fair amount of citrus up front. Mid palate and finish is all smoothness and finesse where the wine exudes creaminess and mousse. There’s some minerality there as well, and a solid acid core, of course. Delicious wine that always pleases, and this is a particularly solid vintage. Several excellent tastings ahead.
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Popped and poured. Deep lemony goodness with a leesey nose. Aggressive mousse with a citrus core and a chalky mineral laden texture. Got better with the last glass at the end of the evening showing a more mellow vinous side to the fruit.
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WB Boys Weekend; 10/14/2021-10/17/2021 (Highlands NC): A thing of beauty to be sure! This was Kane’s wine. This is bright and juicy, and just utterly delicious!! It has all kinds of tart and juicy citrus fruit. It has a strong backbone of crushed rock mineral. There were spices, and a pretty hint of ginger. It’s hard to describe how the fruit and mineral were wound so tight, but at the same time so gorgeous, giving, and generous! I love this wine!
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This was a lovely, well-made champagne, with toast notes, vanilla and a crisp finish. I love the way champagne tastes when it is aged, and this bottle had that magic aged quality that I really enjoy in champagne. A wonderful treat.
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This is way too young. I knew it would be young but wanted to check current status. Razors, chalk, and some crisp apple. Overly aggressive on the palate. This was much better at 2 hours of air, but I will have no issues holding off on this as it needs time, 5 years minimum. By far more closed down than the 2008 Cristal, Dom, and Bollinger GA that I also have.
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I was very disappointed how much I liked the 08 Taittinger Comtes. Even though my pour was too warm for my preferences and I drank it before it had had much air, I was pretty blown away by this champagne. Such depth, power, length, intensity, all in a style I prefer (brighter/chalkier). I like Taittinger a lot, with the 95 and 96 being two of my favorite bubblies, but multiple bottles of the 06 and 07 Comtes in recent years have been head scratchers (closed?). Not the 08, which unfortunately seems tot deserve of all the hype.
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6 of 18 The last bottle was so delicious I grabbed another for Friday afternoon road trip to Bigelows in Rockville Center…. Perfect with piles of perfectly fried clams, oyster and scallops
5 of 18 First bottle in new place. Great way to celebrate, clean white fruits, still retains 2008 energy, nice acidity, balance on point, starting to show more complexity with 30 minutes of air. Just delicious
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Pale, straw gold. Sharp bubbles. Wowza, that's a lot of citrus! Lemon+lime, a bit of pear (harry + David!), Japanese milk bread, some marzipan. Rich and luscious.
For me, I'm not sure if this lived up to the hype. But it sure is damn fine, and I hope I get to taste it again.
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Nose The wine exhibits medium, developing aromas of lemon, lime, pear, green apple, wet stones and brioche.
Palate The wine is dry with a medium body, high acid, medium alcohol offering pronounced flavors of pear, apple, lemon, lime, fresh parsley, wet stones, and toasted bread.
Conclusion The quality of this wine is outstanding. Extremely refreshing under the hot Big Sur sun. Life and wine are good!
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I had another bottle alone. This one told the story of why this wine is so special. If you like toast, almonds, brioche, warm croissant, this is for you baby! A note to self: Just because a bottle has a year stamp on it doesn't make it good! Dont waste your money on "vintage" Champagne unless it speaks French!!! Please! The 08 is ooh la la'ing already...Im definitely in collection mode on this. HOLD
First try of this much hyped wine. It's a different beast to almost any Comtes I can remember on release (I was too young for 95 & 96) - the lightest coloured comtes at this stage? on the palate it's in line with the talk - very structured, very backwards, still showing a hint of dosage. Frankly it's an enormous waste to drink this now - if you want a Comtes to enjoy now the '06 is a much more complete experience today. The 2008 will be legendary in 10-20 years (and will comfortably surpass the '06 and indeed every Comtes of the decade when it hits maturity)
To drink now: 93 points, potential in 10 years: 98-100.
Les Trois garcons chez Lukas: Initially a little bit closed but with time a broad and complex nose with lemon, orange, a touch of red berries, cantaloupe melon, straw and fresh bread. With additional time coffee, fudge and candied orange peel. On the palate fine mousse, at first a bit angular with some bitterness but gradually gaining balance and complexity. Similar impressions as for the nose. Good acidity, iron and chalk minerality, very good lenght. A clear step up from last bottle, probably ’cause we gave it more time and attention. Best young Comtes I’ve had and good upside as well. With luck, this could approach perfection in 8-10 years time.
This is my second bottle in 90 days and it's such a lovely wine. I really want more. There's a balance and intensity to this wine that is epic. This has a wonderful warmth and open-knit character about it already, with scents of brioche, citrus, and a long, long finish. In a word...Extraordinary!
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(Disgorged in fall of 2020, 100% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs Grand Cru villages Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger, dosage 9 gr/l) Light yellow colour with a greenish hue and with a very fine stream of tiny bubbles. Lovely youthful nose showing an intense chalk and flint note and more light notes of lime flowers and wild strawberries in a delicious way. Palate showing crisp green apples acidity with a smooth and creamy mid before the intense lime zest bitterness takes over on the lengthy finish. Wow, so young and so fresh and so delicious in its youth I really need to have a lot of bottles to be able to enjoy them both now and when mature.. (Probably best 2028-2048)
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This is cleary a great wine and one of elegance, energy, and length. Super long, super dry. This will be great in the future, but needs at least 7 years of sleep. I like the balance of this far more than Dom and once again, this is in line with the Comtes style, yet in a higher level of elegance vs. richness. HOLD
Nose: lemon rind and a chalky minerals. Palate: a chalky, yeasty delight, chiseled acidity with some suave orchard fruit coating the palate.
She is such a baby but already fantastic! Wow. The wine can live for a very long time but I think in another 3-5yrs it may be in its prime window for my taste. Enjoy!
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96-98. The battle of the 2008s. This more than holds its own against the 2008 cristal, dom and pol roger. I really would need to try them all side by side but I would put this one behind the cristal but but not by much. This one is is similar to the cristal in that it drinks beautifully now and can be aged. Both the pol and dom need some time. Can definitely benefit from age but will be super hard to keep my hands off it.
Among the best champagnes, I've ever tasted, this is already complete in it's presence. Nervous, tight, deep, excellent acidity and just a hint of the tell-tale Comtes boudoir-style at the end. I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet, alas these are hard to come by. #Ib
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2008 top champagnes - horisontal wine tasting dinner (Rest PG (kg arr)): For me Comtes was - together with Dom Perignon and Winston Churchill ´08 - the evening's no. 3. Light intensity on the nose. Acidity is high+, but not quite as high as Cristal '08. Delicate mousse. Aromas of citrus, green and red apple (but not overripe) and blossom. A little bitterness. My rating is based on performance right now so it an drink now but will undoubtedly develop more complex and tertiary notes in the coming years. I look forward to following the development in my other btls. - If I only had one btl. I would definitely wait at least 5 years.
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bright young champagne color, when first opened quite restrained but showing far better balance that a bottle opened late last fall at release, I never made a note for that bottle because it was so disjointed that I felt the wine needed more time and a second chance, that is a rare need- but then again 2008 is a singular vintage and even the clear superstars like Dom Perignon and Cristal have shown enormous change and movement during their first few years, but now all is as it should be- though note this is going to be a rather singular vintage for this wine, after 4 hours it is brooding, a great mass of pure Chardonnay fruit and cream, toasty lemons on the nose, a good deal of sweetness yet to be resolved, this second tasting a few months after release offers much reassurance, but for me personally it does not quite persuade, this will be a great wine in time- but I also think sweeter and more full-bodied than I would expect from Taittinger, this is not a bad thing- but one key takeaway, especially given the recent price increase and the frankly annoying manner in which the wine is being dribbled out (not sure where that directive is coming from- so no way to lay blame)- if you really like the big sweet vintages like 2002 and 2006- then I think you will love this wine, if you do not have any strong preferences along the sweetness and power spectra- odds are you will love this wine, but if you share my strong preference for the leaner and lighter ways of champagne then I would strongly suggest trying this before buying, it is going to be a very fine Comtes in time, but sufficiently outside the norm that it is worth the up front investment in a tasting bottle to be sure it will ideally match your tastes.
(*****), a long wait ahead- 2033++
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I just can't imagine Champagne getting much better than this. It's a really, really special wine. I have to imagine this might have been what the 1996 was like on release, there's all this energy that's coiled up, but there is also this purity of fruit and a crushed chalk note that adds a bit of complexity, tension, and depth to this. I can't imagine I will be able to hold off on drinking these...but I would love to age one of these at least another 10-15 years from now.
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Opened after dinner based on recent reports that it is showing well young. Served on the colder side and allowed to warm in the glass (GGGs), drank over about 2 hours. I swear I could smell the wine as JR was pouring it into the glasses as he sat at the other end of the couch. Just phenomenal, powerful and compelling nose, citrus driven, some floral elements, fresh baked pastry crust brushed with butter, maybe a little honey. It might as well have been a perfect lemon bar from the nose. On the palate the concentration is off the charts, amazing, firmly coilled but softly not tight. Like a perfect little package of cat when they tuck in all paws, head and tail. Plenty of taught acidity keeping everything firmly in place, reverberates across the tongue. There's still a good amount of baby fat, as one would expect, that I expect will retreat and reveal more delineation. I believe this was the best young CdCs I've had, and perhaps the best young champagne period, though that's less certain. I think this could have the bones and the beauty to give the great 1995 a run for its money in time, and that is my favorite vintage of my lifetime. Gorgeous and exciting and deeply, deeply satisfying. Great wine.
Blew the '07 off the table. Intense, compact, rich and contained. The purest of white peach fruit with a squeeze of lemon. It has spice and brioche notes and such great intensity and drive. Bead is super-fine and it finishes with fabulous cut. Despite how tight it is, it offers pleasure now, but the best is yet to come.
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Hard for me to score, as I havent had masses of top end champagne in the past beyond DP and a bit of Krug.
Drunk over the course of 90 minutes:
First glass was clean, very mineral-y, moussey bubbles. Nice. Bit of yeast perhaps?
Second and third glass (chilled a few degrees in the ice bucket) were much bettter. More of a honey after taste, bit of apple?, finished lasted minutes, moussey bubbles were consistent throughout. A bit more expressive, chalky/mineral/yeast. Maybe a shade of Lemon? (30+ min after opening, no decanting at suggestion of the somm)
Glass 4 and 5 perhaps were a little too chilled in the ice bucket. Still tasted great but regressed a bit because of the temperature. It was cold enough at this point to get a bit of condensation on the glass.
If you like your champagnes cold, definitely let this warm up a couple of degrees.
Absolutely beautiful, and the finish is lingering even 20+ min after I had the last glass. Will be a real treat in a decade or two's time - no brioche/toast/butter notes yet. Potential to integrate better but this is clearly a world class champagne already.
Keep it for another few years before you crack open another bottle. I can imagine this will be divine in a decade's time.
The only way I personally can imagine this improving is the aged notes, which will undoubtedly come with time. The bubble structure is the right sort (as far as I know) for this to manifest beautifully in due course
Revisiting this, I'd be tempted to get it quite cold, decant for 15 min (and let it slowly warm up) and drink over the next hour from there.
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I felt a bit naughty opening this so young but it is already fantastic and it's my birthday so I figure I'm allowed. :) That being said, this will absolutely improve massively in the coming years so if you have some and you can resist temptation, you will surely be handsomely rewarded. A few additional notes: A little aeration goes a long way with this champagne, as it gains greatly in aromatic complexity after just a few minutes. In other words, patience is a virtue even in the short term. The finish is CRAZY long and I found the dosage to be beautifully balanced (which is something I rarely say about brut champagnes; I usually prefer extra-brut/brut nature).
APPEARANCE: Color & intensity: pale gold
NOSE: Intensity: medium (+) Aromas: toasted almond, mirabelle plum, lime, toast, apple, white flowers, wet chalk, hint of white pepper Development: developing
PALATE: Sweetness: dry Acidity: medium (+) Alcohol: medium Body: medium (+) Mousse: delicate Intensity: medium (+) Flavors: apple, brioche, grapefruit, lemon zest, mirabelle plum, crushed chalk, hint of salt Finish: long
CONCLUSIONS: Quality level: outstanding Potential for ageing: can drink now (although it is still a bit too young for our personal tastes), with excellent potential for ageing
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Dinner with the wine group (Millbrae, CA): Greenish golden; high intensity aromatics, white fruit, very slight brioche, much more citrusy and fresh; palate is medium bodied, superb mousse, dosage is perfect and not at all sweet like young Comtes typically is, lemon-lime, excellent length; finish is medium-plus length. Superb but young. 95
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Pale yellow. Terrific lemon lime citrus but on top of already rich and toasty aromas of green and yellow apple. I don’t find this overwhelmingly lemony and am pleased with the brioche already showing. Purity on the nose. Higher chalk and mineral right now but not offensively / unapproachably so. A sort of melon fruit medley. Already expressive. Even has some glimpses of Blanc de Blanc creaminess showing through the primary notes. Powerful but not offputtingly intense. Obviously super youthful and best showings are years ahead but this isn’t something that is undrinkable right now. Has a wonderful warmth and open-knit character about it already in the same sort of way that ‘08 DP is so inviting even in its infancy, if to a slightly lesser extent. Pretty excited. 93 at the moment with 94+ ahead shortly.
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My favorite wine I've had this year. Such a joyous wine, like a sun beam through the window warming up your face. Very generous bright fruit with beautiful texture and finish.
I don’t remember my last “profound” wine ... a wine that truly reminds me why I love this hobby. This was one of those wines for me. This was incredibly generous without being hedonistic or silly. I’m honestly lost for words - hope to remember and come back to update this note when I can compose my thoughts.
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Mid yellow in the glass. Very foamy to start with, settling down to a slow lazy bead. It has all the B de B attributes such as freshness and elegance with flavours of fresh lemon, grapefruit and green apples. But it's the texture that sets this apart from other Blancs de Blancs. There is excellent concentration as you'd expect while the mousse is mouth filling and rich, coating every corner of the palate - like a cat purring on your tongue. Reminds me of DP in a way in its subtlety and completeness. There is quite a bit of crunchy acidity still suggesting that this needs to be kept another couple of years at least but if you bought a case, by no means a wasted bottle checking in on these now.
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Consistently one of the most reliable tete de cuvees of any big Champagne house, and of course 2008 was a knockout vintage. So no surprise here it is excellent. Tasty though it was, I suspect there's a lot in reserve -- probably hits a higher peak in 5 years or so.
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Lots of honey and cream on the palate. Elegant mouthfeel and extremely balanced. Not as much minerality or acidity as I prefer. A little bland that got worse with air. May just be closed down right now. Will revisit the rest of the bottle tomorrow.
Second day much more expressive. Showing lemon peel and green apple framed by a zesty but understated acidity. This is much more what I would expect from this cuvée, albeit very primary. "Tastes like champagne" as some other tasters have opined. Time will tell but if the balance and elegance can meld with the flavor and acidity, could be very special one day. 95 pt potential.
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Not to be tacky or anything but I've had just about every hyped Champagne and bling Champagne to have been released in the last two decades and frankly it's pretty rare for them to provoke any reaction in me beyond, "Yeah, pretty good, tastes like Champagne" and then I find myself scratching my head wondering what is making everyone swoon other than the price tag or the fancy packaging. This is an exception so dramatic that the first sip just leaves me standing there, stupefied. The effect is positively transporting. Outside it's a miserable winter night and then with a sip of this, the fruit turns the inside of your mouth into Katrina & the Waves' "Walking on Sunshine" and the bubbles rain on the palate with the gentle patter of a light summer sunshower. Owing to its sheer glowing uranium-like vibrancy, the refreshment value is off the charts, but there is plenty more packed into the fruit beneath this, as it's fleshed out with thicker, more candied lemony flavors starting to pick up some of the honeyed character of age and which give it a very Salon-like profile, which isn't so strange considering the Mesnil part of the blend. It finishes with a sensation of metal shavings and a finely serrated cut followed by a sustained echo of that bright, thirst-quenching fruit, but not so quenching that you don't feel immediately compelled to grab another sip. 750ml is a cruelly inadequate serving size. Comtes de Champagne is always a treat to drink although it tends to require a few years for me to get past the aforementioned "pretty good, tastes like Champagne" stage - this one requires no such patience. I can't say whether it's unusually precocious this year or if the winemaking somehow stepped up to the next level (really, stepped up to the very top level), or both, but you just can't ask for or expect any more from a Champagne of this age. Champagne just doesn't get any better without there being actual nymphs to serve it to you.
First bottle of the CdC - 08. And what a start! Nose is shy , white flowers lemons, lime, green apple, rubber, pepper and chalky minerals. Palate is also a bit closed, comes along with more time (but it was not given enough time, since I had to drink it) lemons and lime, green apples, a touch of zest. Creamy chalky minerals and high acidity - long finish. To early imo, tight and closed at this stage, undeveloped and will require more time, but excellent material - this will come around and turn into a classic. (95 - 97)
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I love CdC. 2008 is a great vintage and thats why you need to be patient. At the moment it’s quite closed and very bubbly. 2007 (for much less money) makes fun and is the better value at the moment.
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This wine seems to have enormous potential. This said, it seems quite muted right now and expressing 20% of its potential. Mineral, flowers and citrus, very balanced, nice acidity. Admittedly a poor tasting note of mine, also reflecting the difficulty in judging it right now. Needs few additional months in the bottle. Consume the 2007 for the time being.
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Opened by Allred. Straw yellow color. Very bright and lively. Notes of brioche toast and very yeasty with citrus and stone fruit. Will have a long life. The best Comtes I have had (the others being the 1995 and 2006). 96 points.
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Tight and closed. With rising temp we get toast, grass, cream, lemon and yellow fruit. Some minerals but would have liked more. Piercing acidity, very good lenght. Needs time. Probably good upside.
Light golden yellow with an aggressive mousse that lingers for a bit. The bouquet is rich and toasty, with loads of orchard fruit, as well as biscuit and yeasty elements. More of the same on the palate, along with marshmallow and cashew tones. Hints of citrus and toasted ginger underneath. Absolutely legit and worth seeking out; a must-have for any Champagne lover.
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At first this was a bit muted but with the right amount of air it blossomed into a nicely expressive and seductive Champagne full of the signature toasty and bready aromas. It is already quite approachable and round with an impressive concentration. Not as good as a bottle two months ago (97) which showed even more harmonious and more complex. In a good first drinking phase right now!
TN: With a bit of air the nose shows bready, brioche and toast aromas along some citrus fruit. Medium intense and with a good precision. Intense on the palate with the same aromas along some additional apple aromas. Already round and very harmonious with fine (but not ultra fine) bubbles and a well (but not perfectly) integrated acidity. Good, long finish.
Decanting: Not decanted, needed some air in the glass.
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Really excited to try this for the first time and it doesn't disappoint. Fantastic young Comtes. Really youthful and full of energy. Needs a few years to soften up and fill out, at which point I imagine it will be even better. 96+
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not blind Superb elegant Comtes. Less vanilla and toast than usually but more lemon zest and not so sweet as the previous vintages. It will age for decades. Would be nice to drink it together with Cristal 08. 95(99)
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Fantastic showing, though this wine could definitely use a few more years in the bottle. All the potential is there for an epic Comtes vintage though. Excited to try the next bottle(s) in a few years....
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Fine toast, bread dough, a bit of wood, citrus, green apple, Provence herbs and steely mineral notes. On the palate mineral and predominantly citric initially. Quite heavy on the acidity at this point. Not overly expressive at first, but this improved over time, building a more commanding presence. Also clearly showing off great refinement and detail, especially on the toasty notes. Venturing a guess here I would say the 2008 is likely to out-shine the 2006 over time, but the latter is currently in a better spot. Looking elsewhere among the 2008s not quite at the level of Cristal, DP, La Grande Année, Pol Roger or Egly-Ouriet – again for the time being.
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96+. I don't drink much Champagne, but I could not find a fault in this wine. I loved it, and my wife loved it. Unfortunately I did have an allergic reaction and cannot have more than a glass of this nectar.
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(Disgorged in July 2019, 100% Chardonnay mainly from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, but also some from Cramant, Oger and Chouilly, dosage 9 gr/l) Youthful light yellow almost greenish colour with intense streams of tiny bubbles bursting on the surface. The nose is an explosion of chalk, flint and lime flowers and wild strawberries in a delicious way. The creaminess on the palate combined with the crisp green apples acidity is just wonderful and the finish is very lengthy with a nice lime zest bitterness that curls the tongue. Wow! This was a delight to drink right now, but should keep for a number of decades if wanted... (Probably best 2028-2048)
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The newly released 2008 Comtes de Champagne Taittinger is high toned and nervy. Intense array of pure Chardonnay fruits, ripe lemons and white peach. Medium bodied. Creamy mouthfeel and fine chalk texture. Stern with sharp acidity. Drink from 2022 to 2038. (90+/100)
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Popped and poured. Lively nose, showing brioche, chalk and apple. The palate is creamy and lemony with a nicely acidic texture and medium volume. Really tasty.
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Prövades blint med 14 andra 08. Första doften drar en direkt till Dom Perignon med sin reduktiva krutiga stil. Doftar krut, citrus och kakao, smörstekt bröd. Fin reduktiv stil med härlig smak av persika och kaffe med lite påbörjad mognad, fin längd med mycket krut. Gissade att detta var en prestige och det är tillsammans med Dom Perignon den bästa 08 jag prövat hittills. Den har åren framför sig och kommer nog sjunga om 5-10 år.
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Provades halvblint på en stor 2008-provning med 15 flaskor.
Rätt ljus i färgen med små långsamma bubblor. Trevlig doft av någon krydda som jag inte kan sätta fingret på. Första zippen skriker syra, ett rejält bett i gommen. Sedan händer nånting väldigt fort för andra zippen så har det redan lugnat ner sig och den blir bara bättre under tiden vi provar. Citrus, äpplen, fin och elegant.
Det var mycket snack runt bordet om att 6an och 8an (Dompa) var lika varandra i stil och att någon av dem måste vara Dompa.
Omdömen som kom upp från andra: doft av svavel, jäst, rostat bröd, knäck, kaffe, lite krut, kolatoner och reduktion. Vinös i smaken, rostad och medicinal. Hus. Bra för alla.
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Drunk on an auspicious day to celebrate hope for the future.
Bright fruit, chalk, subtle toast, white florals on the nose. Chalky and chiseled on the palate with a fine bead and a sense of intensity with simultaneous lightness. The dosage is less evident than in the 06 or 07 and this has a level of detail that is well beyond these two most recent bottlings. This has crystalline purity and tremendous depth coupled with incredible focus and an effortless sense power without weight. A tremendous BdB. Chevalier Montrachet with bubbles. Youthful, with incredible promise. 97+
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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.
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The nose was nicely perfumed with lemon, sea breeze, white flowers, and a hint of toasted nuts. On the palate, the wine was intense with a rich, creamy texture, with apple fruit, lemon, and again just a hint of toasted, buttery nuts, ending in a long finish highlighting the nutty, lemony, and saline flavors of the wine. Acidity is high and the wine is full of energy and freshness. It's very drinkable today for the sheer power of the wine, but unsurprisingly I imagine the best days in terms of complexity are well in the future.
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Solid and classically proportioned in terms of concentration and acid, but this bottle showed all of the sins of young Taittinger Comtes: vapid 7Up fruit, sickly-sweet sugar, vanilla. Like other vintages it will sort itself out in time but it is not at all pleasant to me currently. Didn't really show any positive development until day 4, but even then it was merely nice. On the basis of this bottle, hard hold.
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Our group tasted a couple of bottles at a restaurant. It is very young but still a great experience now with a huge upside potential as it will evolve over the coming years. Utterly harmonious and balanced already. Lemon core, brioche richness, apple and apricot flavours. It will definitely be a standout in the future and it has a long future in front of it indeed.
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Disgorged after 10 years maturation on the lees, the 100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs cuvée is created using only first-press juice from Grand Cru-classified grapes sourced from Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger, and Mesnil-sur-Oger. Five percent of the blend is aged in oak barrels, adding flavor complexity as well as textural finesse to the finished wine. Grower Champagnes have been attracting lots of attention among Champagne-savvy groups and there are certainly impressive examples from this under-the-radar set; that said, the region’s most iconic houses remain instrumental in upholding the reputation of this esteemed sparkling wine style. These maisons have access to the best grapes, largest libraries of back vintages, and have centuries of winemaking know-how—their prestige cuvées are untouchable in terms of quality and complexity. Taittinger ‘Comtes de Champagne’ is the finest example of the Taittinger style and the 2008 release is one of the most impressive to date.
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First taste of the much lauded 2008 vintage and it is a bomb! There is so much aromatic intensity, super seductive brioche and bakery aromatics, several other layers peaking through and all in all already quite round and harmonious. It’s such an inviting and intriguing crowd pleaser, yet it is complex enough to satisfy intellectually. I would definitely start drinking this wine today, no need to wait another 5 or 10 years. Still, this will certainly develop even more complexity and become softer over the coming two decades. In my opinion, this is definitely one or two steps above the 2006 and 2002. One to stock up.
TN: Intense nose full of very precise bakery, buttery, brioche and toast aromas along some yellow fruit and citrus. The same intense aromas on the palate with additional layers of sweet yellow fruit, some hints apple, more citrus, some crushed rocks. Very expressive and super precise, high energy yet already superbly harmonious and round (with more upside on that front). Long brioche and yellow fruit driven finish.
Decanting: No decanting needed.
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5/19/2024 - jmoon Likes this wine: 98 Points
Quite brilliant. Beautiful rich yellow, fresh energetic and lively but deep complex and very moreish.
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5/17/2024 - Purple Tooth wrote: 98 Points
98 numerically and 100% a fan. I love this producer. Pound for pound, Ill take this over DP, all-day-long Who knows tomorrows score but are you going to hold out for 2 lousy points? Hmmmm...The wine whore der's debate.... Drink or Hold
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5/11/2024 - SH Wu Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted best after a few hours of air and a warmer temp (~60-65F).
Fresh citrus aromatics surge forth from the glass after some swirling. With more swirling, you start to get hints of the rich, concentrated fruits you will enjoy on the palate.
The palate hits hard with rich stoned fruit sweetness, and fresh, juicy citrus acidity. It had an enjoyable finish of sweet lime whipped cream with a mint leaf on top. The whole package delivers rich decadence in a light package - I could easily drink the whole bottle myself if everyone else let me.
I envy those who bought this at the original release price.
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5/4/2024 - grapenomad wrote: 95 Points
Moderate golden in the glass. Nose is closed at first, but with a bit of air and warmth, it just explodes across the board. Notes of baked pineapple, baked nectarine, green apple, brioche, marzipan, molasses. Dessert-like. The palate delivers a very elegant and precise drink, with everything in perfect check. Somewhat young, but very approachable. Decades of life ahead, this will go to the stratosphere.
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5/3/2024 - wineton.mee wrote: 95 Points
The 2008 Comtes is simply going from strength to strength. The most ready rendition I’ve had, full of brioche, lemon curd, toasted almond, honey, and marzipan. Super giving on both the nose and palate, and will probably stay like this for a long time to come.
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5/1/2024 - jkoenen wrote: 98 Points
OMG...!
Bottle was opened several hours before tasting.
The wine is already so unbelievably tasty and juicy and creamy and harmoniuos... Breathtaking.
Destined for a perfect score in a few years' time.
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4/24/2024 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 96 Points
similar to my last tasting note. I have to stop drinking these!!! They need 10 more years and this may one of the greatest of all time! I think this may be better than the 2008 Krug and Cristal. This will be epic if you can wait until 2030 or beyond. This is special
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4/20/2024 - lepetitchateau wrote: 96 Points
This is a classic
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4/11/2024 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
On the slightly sweet side.
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4/6/2024 - WST Likes this wine:
Charity Wine Pairings for Hospice House Auction winners; 4/6/2024-4/7/2024 (Bellingham): Our wine of the night, paired with ostetra caviar. I've been delaying trying the 2008, as I've found the vintage in general to be fantastic but late maturing. No regrets, this is in the zone, early in its drinking window. Opens with some flinty matchstick which I love, followed by a perfectly balance throng of flavors and textures. It has that Comtes creamy texture, but remains edgy; pure class. Lemon cream, white orchard fruit, lightly fragrant floral notes, honey, chalk, brioche. It lives up to the hype.
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4/5/2024 - rocknroller wrote: 98 Points
Friday Night Lights (Jim and Michelene's Place, St. Paul, MN): Shimmering gold color. Drank a couple glasses over 90 minutes. Oh, my, word....I am not going to regret loading up on these. I'd been holding off, and holding off on opening one of these for some time. But many if not most of the '08's are drinking well now and this was loudly calling my name. I wasn't taking any notes at the time, but there are a few thoughts that come to mind: wow, riveting, compelling, the real deal. This had an immense nose with an explosive bead. Tons of gorgeous toast, creme caramel, brioche, almond cream, nuthorns, splendid ultra refined sea spray and minerality, subtle floral notes and marzipan, bright, refreshing, long and wistful. Glorious, and eveything I'd hoped for. Now the clock starts to see if this can surpass the brilliant 2002 in time. 98(+)pts.
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3/29/2024 - Topper wrote: 95 Points
Hadn't had this in a while and it is opening up. Clean, precise and sparkling. For those who like their champagne with the chardonnay front and center. This is a very pretty wine.
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3/25/2024 - steveiiiiii Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tight, needed 1 hour of air before opening up. But super young and at this point in time I prefer the 06. Not sure that is true 10 years from now.
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3/10/2024 - Fuel55 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just starting to open up. Definitely improved in the glass so could have used a short cold decant. High acid belies a long life.
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3/8/2024 - MWiking wrote: 97 Points
Readan helt faktiskt har allt
97-
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2/23/2024 - sbjm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Update: Exploded when trying to open. Extremely fruity aroma…especially on the kitchen floors. However, although aroma not as pleasant, this has aged nicely.Very creamy, super long finish, no acidic aftertaste. Nice mouth feel. Much smoother than 3 years ago. Some lemon notes as well as chalk. Still with the minerality but far less spice. Very drinkable and keep going back to it. Less complex overall.
3/12/21 Apple aroma. Spicy, full bodied, high minerality
Golden color, longer finish. Bright, fresh.
Not terribly complex, but very interesting.
Still quie young with slight acidic aftertaste. Has great promise with aging
88 points
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1/31/2024 - thelostverse wrote: 96 Points
Fried chicken and champagne - one of the great pleasures in life. Beautiful notes of cashew and ginger, with the addition of stone fruit. Simply devine.
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1/14/2024 - Cliff Booth Likes this wine: 96 Points
1-hour slow-ox; ethereal almond, stone fruit and lemon notes; balance and acidity are near perfection; hard to discern if the deep, rich, endless finish is on your palate or in your memory; easily another decade of development ahead - 1/18.
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1/3/2024 - devraj Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium yellow with fine beads. Excellent nose that shows lemon and orange citrus peel, lots of ripe stone fruits and limestone. A concentrated palate shows dense stone fruit framed over great acidity and minerality, and a long intense and saline finish.
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1/1/2024 - geoffreychambertin Likes this wine: 98 Points
It's exceedingly rare to find a champagne that is both intellectual and hedonistic but this nails it.
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12/28/2023 - Ghoulardi Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was on fire tonight, certainly still quite primary but much more together and expressive than the bottle I tried 2 years ago. Cant wait to try it again with some time.
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12/25/2023 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Only had Taittinger Comtes once prior and I don't remember it wowing me; this however certainly did. Chilled, opened, then allowed to warm and breathe for a bit. The purity here is immense. Absolute classic BdB with the intensity turned up. At 15 it still feels like an absolute baby. Bright lemon, green apple, chalk, pastry dough, just a hint of spice and orchard blossom. Silky mouthfeel and lovely mousse. Great stuff.
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12/18/2023 - Purple Tooth wrote: 98 Points
**So this is christmas,
And what have you done?
I have opened one of these,
And Im rowing in the sun.
This was beautiful yesterday. The weightlessness of this wine left me in awe. I dont know if its the wine, or the bubble package, or the temperature. It definitely becomes more toasty, almondy, and weightless as it warms in the glass. I think this is in perfect drinking window for phase 1 of its life and is not to be missed if you are looking for something airy and incredibly elegant. When Taittinger hits it, boy it nails it. This one is nailed in history...Very well done and a great representation of the hype around 2008. Drink or HOLD
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12/11/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 92 Points
Wines from SQ lounge / Suites: Tasted across a few different bottles when in the lounge and on the flight. Surprisingly the one on board showed the best, i.e. it was the most open. Broad impressions were similar to previous notes, still reductive and tight despite the crystalline fruit.
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12/9/2023 - LW31 Likes this wine:
Magnum. In this format, much too young to drink now. Needs some years. But profile is definitely classic Comtes with great complexity and depth. But wait.
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12/8/2023 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
CRiBBS @ La T (La Trompette, London): Deeper on the nose, rich with some custard apple development. Nice weight, developing nicely. Still some 08 structure on show towards the finish. Very approachable now. *****
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12/7/2023 - simon@sble.com.au Likes this wine: 90 Points
Will do even better with a little more time
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12/7/2023 - fizz wrote:
Apple, pear, lemon, white florals. Fresh, with controlled intensity. Texture and persistence in the mouth is appealing. Lovely.
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11/26/2023 - essenceofreal wrote: 93 Points
acidic. Not as complex as I would have hoped based on all the hype.
A nice Taittinger, yes. Probably could use more bottle age. But from my experience I've actually preferred other vintages for drink-ability and complexity.... 04, 02, 06 all come to mind. of course the 96 as well but... that is in another league altogether, best Taittinger I've had by a wide margin.
this seems a bit less refined. based on the reviews i was expecting some fireworks. nope.
the almond brioche and toasted almond and burnt almond and almond cake and almond cookies and almond tart and back to burnt almond and toasted almond..... almond this and that is all I'm getting. oi! I like almonds but please.
OK but wait, no almond milk )) finish a bit short and woody.
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11/19/2023 - Alex Barbera Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pirat in Krug-Runde - wunderschön, überraschend und mein bester Tautti bisher
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11/18/2023 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 95 Points
Krug tasting (Freiheit Vinothek, Ulm, Germany): Glass: Riedel Superleggero Champagne
Tasted completely blind, Pirate. Clear, youthful golden color. Beautiful deep, smoky, dense and complex nose. On the palate the way better version of Krug 08. Round, elegant, harmonious, beautiful mousseux and great tension and weightless power. Very long! Best 08 Comtes I had so far. 94-95
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11/11/2023 - Radders12345 Likes this wine: 95 Points
My first taste of 2008 Comtes and the vintage seems to live up to the hype. Lovely nose of yellow apple, lime cordial, crème patissiere, and saline. Great density and weight on the palate with intese fruit but held in check by good expected cut and a very long finish. Really impressive
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11/9/2023 - Redback Likes this wine:
So Fresh. Excellent.
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10/19/2023 - chablis28 wrote: 97 Points
Jim and Michelene for their 40th wedding anniversary w/ chef Don Saunders. Nita's & my btl. Superb! My all-round favorite glass of Champagne year in / year out. Arguably the most sublime, ethereal, weightless, pristine champagne on the planet. Loved it again tonight. Really fun following Jim & Michelene's fabulous '06. Paired especially well with Don's smoked salmon mouse & row appetizer.
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10/19/2023 - CTwine wrote: 99 Points
Only 99 because 100 rarely occurs. Clean crisp as good as it gets.
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10/14/2023 - Argrath wrote: 96 Points
(BYO Blind tasting)
Still youthful, very elegant nose. Medium-fullish. Lovely intensity. Lightly toasty. Green apple, a load of citrus, hints of bread. No coffee roast.
Medium-fullish, fullish palate. Rich and generous. Lightly toasty. Yellow orchard fruit and modelling clay. Minerally. Very long and concentrated. Impeccable balance and very high, refreshing acidity. Chocolate and oyster shell in finish and after time in glass.
Second bottle of Comtes during the weekend. This was my bottle that had been stored at 12 degrees since purchase. And therefore, it was just a tiny bit more developed than the other bottle.
I would hold on to this for at least 5 years, even though it is delicious aldready.
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10/14/2023 - Argrath wrote: 95 Points
(BYO Blind tasting)
Medium-fullish, youthful, very elegant nose. Yellow orchard fruit, some toast and bread. Citrus and nuts. Still closed.
Medium-fullish, fullish palate. Very high acidity. Some development. Utterly balanced and elegant. Apple and toast. But above all very citrus-intense. Long and austere.
In a much more elegant style than we have come to expect from Comtes. Still not ready. Probably because it had been stored in a very cold cellar which inhibits development.
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10/12/2023 - MWiking wrote: 97 Points
Champagne 2008 tasting at the office (sweden): helt underbar redan nu, lätt kvällens bästa vin
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10/5/2023 - Kim Gerner wrote: 95 Points
2008 top champagnes - horisontal wine tasting dinner (Rest MG (kg arr)): Second 2008 horisontal champagne half blind tasting dinner. First time June 2021. Back then the vintage was extremely youthful. How is it now? An almost unbelievable development in just 2 years. As a wine enthusiast I must simply surrender! I was skeptical about the drinkability at this point for this extreme vintage. That skepticism was proven wrong. 2008 can definitely be enjoyed now. For me, it's one of my really great tasting experiences. And there has certainly been many... Add to that, the vintage is only in its initial stage of maturation and therefore still youthful but extremely charming and open. I really look forward to tasting the 2008 vintage once a year in the coming many years experiencing the tertiary notes develop.
Lemon colour, creamy mousse and long finish. Significant Aromas of coffee (because of that I actually guessed Dom Perignon), ripe apple, blossom. A little sweeter than the rest, but not a problem. Rating based on performance right now 95+
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9/29/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 97 Points
2008 Champagne - 25 top names tasted blind: Very expressive nose. This stood out aromatically and was in total contrast to the bruised apple aromas of the Pinots next to it. Ultra reductive nose with brioche, fresh citrus, lots of caramelized sugar, toast, butter croissant and even a touch of gun flint. Traditional dosage and mouth feel. This, Dom, and Rare were stylistically very similar. If you like the classic high-end house style, look no further. Great showing.
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9/28/2023 - wineton.mee wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic display from the 08 comtes, maybe the best yet. The intensity is apparent, really solar and acid driven, with a beautiful tension that doesn’t slap you across the face like before. Really chalky, lots of brioche, almond and again, salivating acid. Is the 08 Comtes finally coming together?
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9/16/2023 - Brolawa wrote:
J3. Delicious nose that finish does doesn’t live up to. Dinner at B&Hs
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9/12/2023 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
Surprisingly reductive. Lots of sweet lemons but very 1 dimensional at this stage.
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8/31/2023 - LTTC Likes this wine: 94 Points
(SYP) PNP
Pretty nose with brioche and white flowers. It is racy, fresh and vibrant with fine bubbles. The finish was a tad bitter at first. Best with 2 hours of air.
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8/28/2023 - Oliverwine737 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Accord parfait avec du caviar ce soir. Une merveille , beaucoup de fraîcheur et un vrai bonheur à déguster. C’est le moment d’en ouvrir une bouteille , même si le potentiel de garde est important. Bravo à la maison Taittinger pour ce champagne qui est un de mes préférés !
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8/18/2023 - soyhead wrote:
in general not a huge fan of this cuvee which performed admirably consistantly. brown sugar, confected, on the sweet site. are these partially barrel attributes? tastes very unique compared to other BdBDs. others found it hallmark Comtes. for desert.
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8/4/2023 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Youthful, bright, and just a little bit toasty! Very nice.
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8/3/2023 - bookert wrote: 92 Points
Classic Comtes bready nose. Toasty palatte, great structure. Has all the ingredients to age v well. Gained complexity over time in glass.
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7/29/2023 - astroman wrote: 93 Points
C & YM Birthday Dinner (Empire Chinese Cuisine): Peach, creamy on the aromas, lush on the palate with good linear acid. Beautiful complex finish.
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7/27/2023 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 98 Points
A private dinner with friends (Restaurant 212 **, Amsterdam, NL): A superb vintage for Comtes de Champagne. It is not as closed as I had expected but already quite expressive, with the quintessential elegant, fragrant, floral, brioche and toast character of this cuvée, but in this great vintage it is backed up by a huge minerally energy and acidic structure that will ensure a long life. At 15 years old this is still a baby - drink the charming 2011 while you wait for this to mature further.
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7/21/2023 - ubercuvee wrote:
Taittingers Comtes blanc night (Noize, London): Still incredibly young and embryonic, and so not that enjoyable to drink now. I'm not sure it has the depth of fruit the 2008 Cristal or the complexity of Dom Perignon 2008 (both of which I've opened in the last 2-3 months). I'm sure it will it will develop into a very impressive wine in 10 years time, but I'm not sure it'll be a highlight of the vintage, in the way the 2002 Comtes is.
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7/20/2023 - Terroir59 wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured at a restaurant and drank from white wine stems.
On the nose, always that high-toned floral and elegant nose from Taittinger's CdC, with a touch of smoke. Flavors not yet fully integrated IMO, highlighting green & yellow fruits; still a bit disjointed. I'd give this vintage another 2-5+ years before starting to drink my remaining bottles as I expect this to improve. 95+ potential. If trying today, open 1+ hour before drinking as the wine will become much more welcoming.
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7/20/2023 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Shared at dinner out. Was supposed to be enjoyed with oysters but people doing the shucking couldn’t keep up with our wild enjoyment of this bottle (it was left to a GC Chablis to accompany the oysters). No formal notes but this is firmly a classic “clean” style of bubbles with brioche, chalky minerality, vibrancy yet very caressing and enchanting. Delicious now but should age effortlessly. For me it was superior to the ‘02, ‘04 and ‘05. Neck and neck with the ‘06. 95+
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7/3/2023 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 97 Points
not blind
together with CdM 2008 and VVF 2008
the first we had. The easiest accessible, the sweetest one. Not annoying but maybe a hint too much. It will help in the next 2-3 decades to get him rounder and lasting. The "weakest" champagne was great and fun to drink. One of the best from this hyped vintage. I love this waffle style and burnt candy cotton. 97
CdM 2008 was very reluctant in the beginning. Very shy but after 2 hours it showed his beauty and uncopyable style. Lemon peel, a bit honey and no roasted aromas. The concentration is out of this world but the finish is elegant and extremely precise. Will be nice to drink these bottles again in 20 years. 99
VVF 2008
Compared to the 2013 I had 2 weeks before this is surprisingly more elegant maybe because it is more settled and balanced after a few years of disgorgement. Less chocolate than expected. In teh same league as CdM. I can't prefer one of them. Maybe the BdB will survive a bit longer. 99
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7/2/2023 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Off the chart good. still young, will hold remaining bottles another 5-10 years. This in 8 years will be flirting with perfection. Crisp apples and honey dew couped with a gret mid palate mouth feel. The razors are gone and starting to mellow and round out. I did pop cork an hour before serving, and it paid off
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7/1/2023 - Leidersdorff Likes this wine: 99 Points
By far one of the best champagnes ever tasted.
So clean, great mousse, perfect acidity. Can't imagine how it could be done much better...
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6/6/2023 - Likawine Likes this wine: 95 Points
A very nice Champagne. Still very young.
All there, minerals, citrus, structure,
Need time in glass.
Great today, but I will save rest of the bottles.
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5/8/2023 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 96 Points
No formal note. Big glass of this from a 1 day old bottle. Apparently very tart and acidic on pop and pour day 1.
Day 2 wowzers! So darn good. Seamless complete mouthfeel with impeccable balance of mineral and fruit and just a small touch of nutty brioche to remind you of some age. Tastes like some energy potion elixir.
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5/7/2023 - Shiraz_1155 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Celebrated new apartment - very crisp and grippy. Incredible for a 16 year old wine.
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5/1/2023 - Neecies Likes this wine: 100 Points
Flawless. There might be champagnes I could like as much, but I can't imagine one I'd love more.
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4/15/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 92 Points
Single-varietal champagnes: Much better than the last time that I had this. Others were leaning towards 2012 but I thought the acidity beneath the sheer, ripe citrus fruit could only have been from 2008. More tropical fruit after time in the glass which I didn’t enjoy.
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4/15/2023 - Eric wrote:
ESTG does Champagne (West Seattle, WA, USA): OMG, fresh, smoky, really nice acidity
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4/1/2023 - bbq_grandcru Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was near perfection - wow! Beautifully harmonious, tiny bubbles, some moderate brioche. Very complex yet light on the palate, with a beautiful finish.
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3/27/2023 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 97 Points
blind
Phantastic, creamy, lemon tart, balanced. One of the top 2008's. Close to perfection in a few years. 97
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3/26/2023 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
At Restaurant Auberge du Bois Prin, Chamonix, France.
Boy is this a powerful punch on the pop of the cork. The front end lures you in with a pile of freshly sliced lemons and pears, rolling along the palate like a quiet steamroller (if there is such a thing). Then, once the mid-palate drop is achieved, a rush of minerality and acidity comes swooping in, filling the mouth with a buffet of flavors.
I was digging this as is, but I can certainly see why waiting another handful of years (think five minimum - best in ten perhaps) makes the most sense. 94 points for now, with upside in the nuance and finesse departments with more time in bottle. A little too much push here to be a top food wine at the moment, but certain to get there in a decade. Currently, this gets points for freshness, potency, and intensity. It is balanced in the way the Space Shuttle Endeavour is balanced, but this vintage (or at least, this bottle) of Taittinger is seemingly a drive-fast kind of experience at the moment. If you wear large sunglasses, have a bushy mustache that curls back up into your nostrils, and drive a convertible Aston Martin through the streets of Monaco, then pop this bad boy today.
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3/22/2023 - fussyeater Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beat the Dom Perignon 2012 (Medlar, London SW10): Single blind. Seems a little reduced on the nose and showing lemony notes with good midpalate energy (similar to the preceding Krug 168) but charming all the same, and at the time I thought it was very decent hence score given and bronze place finish as #3 WOTN. From Jancis.
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3/22/2023 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine: 94 Points
Single blind. Pale yellow colour. Delicious! Drinking really well. Clearly a bdb and I was confident it was the 04 comtes. Was surprised to see it was my 08 instead as it was definitely more rounded/mature than other bottles a few months ago. My 3rd favourite and the group's equal 1st.
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3/22/2023 - NickA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beat the DP 2012? (Medlar, Chelsea): Pale straw. Some custard on the nose, and a clean feel - definitely a BdB. Lemon/lime on the palate, and a touch of richer pineapple. Long, tangy finish. I found this a bit dry and undemonstrative.
Given #7 seemed younger than this I guessed Comtes 04, but it turned out to be the 08. That had been my pre-match favourite based on trying it last year, and the general acclaim, but it was actually my least favourite on the night apart from the Ruinart NV. That said, the group still voted it joint WOTN.
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3/20/2023 - Neecies wrote: flawed
CORKED.
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3/17/2023 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
semiblind, Tasting of 16 big 2008's
5th wine and not only for me in the Top 3 (with Clos du Mesnil and Selosse). I was thinking about CdM and CdC. fresh, elegant, some honey and a touch of waffles. Brilliantly balanced. 98-99 Wow
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3/15/2023 - llink wrote: 96 Points
Brioche, lemon, limestone and chalky minerals. Beautiful texture, lightly creamy with a mild mousse and a lemon peel flavor profile. Acidic finish that fans out on the palate. Awesome paired with fried chicken from 99 Chicken.
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3/12/2023 - Tree512 wrote: 93 Points
Classic Comtes that’s way too young. Lots of taut white and yellow fruit. I wouldn’t touch this before 2030.
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3/3/2023 - sh6k Likes this wine: 97 Points
Finally a 2008 that’s ready to drink. This is beautiful, totally open and full-flavored and feels 6 months old. All the tropical and stone fruits, some reductive notes especially before it aired out. No malo or toast or oak or anything remotely hinting of age. Shades of a ripe white burgundy. Maybe a little chalk? Maybe.
Anyway: it’s totally open now, which is awesome, and it’s full of big fruit flavors. And like all 2008s it’s completely precise and elegant and finesse-ful — there’s nothing sloppy or uncontrolled, just a perfect beautiful bouquet of fruits.
And… I’d love to have it in another 10 years when there are some age notes as a counterpoint to the big rich fruit. Damnit. I wanted to start drinking my 2008s.
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3/3/2023 - Srenix wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful champagne that stood out most of a prestige tasting. WOTN.
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2/26/2023 - maxima wrote: 94 Points
WOW...des bulles de course ici!
Super franc, bien sec et net et surtout
d'une vinosité exceptionnelle.
Un peu cher, mais c'est plus que du bonbon.
Vraiment EXTRA!
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2/17/2023 - danchaq Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. Salty lemon brioche, but so much more. Perfect little bubbles, layers of flavour, intense yet subtle and very long. Good with food but better contemplated on its own.
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2/1/2023 - Aurelio_AVB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very fresh, citrus notes on the nose. On the palate fine bubbles, great acidity, and some brioche.
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1/26/2023 - burginner Likes this wine: 93 Points
magnum
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1/1/2023 - Rezy13 wrote:
2023 New Year's Day Blind Tasting (Marietta, GA): Challenging to put this up against something unique like the Ulysse Collin Maillons, this is very pure with driving acids, fresh, green apples and cream, very good but subtler, chalky, a bit linear now in its youth but great things down the line.
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12/20/2022 - jamesabdavis wrote:
Rather muted but very fine bubbles.
Fresh intense and complex nose with baked apple, ginger and other spices, orange peel.
Lovely energy and focus on the palate with intense acidity and a lovely creaminess on the finish.
Delicious but still a baby.
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12/17/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): Walkaround tasting. So much orchard fruit throughout with amazing depth and complexity already. but the best is yet to come. My first time tasting this wine, and alas I only bought three bottles for the cellar.
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12/3/2022 - cct wrote: 97 Points
2007 Barolo and one Barbaresco in Tucson (Ciabot Tucker): Beautiful but closed nose at first. Chalk, toast, citrus, and some nuttiness. One the palate, it's chiseled and powerful yet with filigree fine detail and a sense of intensity coupled with grace. A vibrant, animated youthful wine that gives you chills thinking about its potential. Chevalier Montrachet with bubbles. Wonderful 97+
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12/2/2022 - bbq_grandcru Likes this wine: 93 Points
Appealing pale yellow color, fine bubbles. Beautiful balance and crispness. A touch of light brioche.
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11/24/2022 - SeattlePaul Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very fresh, great acid structure and white fruit notes.
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11/23/2022 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
Tasted double blind. A brilliant wine and the best bottle I‘ve had since the first one right after release thanks to a touch more expression. While good today, this will be fantastic in 10 years.
TN: Medium+ expressive toffee and brioche nose with some fine citrus notes. On the palate again fine bakery, brioche, toffee notes, some herbs, citrus. All quite sharp, but medium complexity only. The wine is very fresh, laser sharp acidity, light with just the right amount of creamy texture. Drinks very well already.
TN: Not decanted, no extensive decanting needed.
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11/19/2022 - Mag357 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Acker JK 51st birthday in NYC. Pastry butter, pear and chalk on the nose, no reduction, this is obviouly made in an old school way rather than in the reductive way (Salon) Nevetheless, there are exquisitely fine bubbles, that support the excellent depth of complex flavors mixing white summer fruits, and which end in a long and perfumed finish. While it does not have the level complexity of Salon, this was miles above Dom Perigon 08 served aside, a very fine juice that can age effortlessly.
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11/12/2022 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light airy fresh and clean with a wet mineral and biscuit aromas. Great Stoney white fruit with serious depth of concentration. Firmness points to long life ahead. Yum.
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11/12/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 97 Points
During a blind tasting dinner. Discrete nose of lemon peel, minerals, then on the palate some toasty notes, especially on the long finish. The palate here is very precise, racy, chalky. A very grand Blanc de Blanc.
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11/11/2022 - thewiz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sthlm Food & Wine Champagne-tastings (Älvsjömässan, Stockholm): (Disgorged in July 2019, 100% Chardonnay mainly from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger but also some from Cramant, Oger and Chouilly, dosage 9 gr/l)
Still a light yellow colour with a greenish hue and a very youthful, but expressive nose showing chalk, gunpowder and lime citrus flowers in a lovely way. Filled with energy on the palate filled with chalk, candied lemons and a green apples acidity before a delicious creaminess takes over that lasts into the lengthy finish..
(Best 2023-2048)
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11/11/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 98 Points
Tasted blind. Layered with a plethora of fruit as well as buttery and bakery notes. The palate simultaneously explodes aromatically but comes across settled and calm. A knock-out-of-the-park kind of sparkler that in this tasting bested Dom Ruinard, Rare and DP P2 2002.
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11/11/2022 - Frank Murray III wrote:
When this was first poured after opening, it had a distinct toast and matchstick aroma, but with air (seemed like about 20 mins), that pretty much blew off. What then emerged was a pretty cool floral aromatic, reminding me of honeysuckle. Within the core of the wine, lemon oil and anise, with a concentration and richness. And when I let it go still (suing a pour later into the evening), it was pretty nice. I can really see why people are digging this version of the wine. It's very good, but in thinking about comparators, I still prefer and think Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee beats this wine on price, acidity and farming.
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11/9/2022 - BradE wrote:
BBM in Atlanta: A champagne I like, but this bottle was tight as a drum. More a flaw in our schedule that evening (hurried) and it likely would have opened up nicely given more time.
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11/5/2022 - melvinyeowq wrote: 91 Points
Champagne night: Brought by a generous friend. Creamier and rounder, together with more exotic fruit compared to the 2007 alongside. Must admit after reading all the great reviews this didn't seem to be showing as well as I thought it would be. Guessed it was from a lower-acid vintage like 2006.
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10/17/2022 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:
Man did I mess up with this bottle. So I took it to dinner with my family and parents (Bricolage's patio) and tried to drink it from my Conterno Sensory - much too wide. I had a few sips from a Zalto Universal that I brought for my dad, and it was much better, but didn't get a note. so I tried to force a (different) cork back in to take the rest home. Tried it again the next night and it was totally flat because the cork didn't have a good seal. So this note is an attempt to reconstruct the experience from night 1 where it was still pretty wound from a too-wide glass and night 2 where it was open but flat.
The nose is intoxicating with notes of lemon, tangerine, orange blossom, sweet biscuits, flint, gunpowder, almond creme, green apple, white flowers. It's crisp and lively but has a wonderful creaminess and depth in the background. The palate is very much like the nose.
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9/24/2022 - jviz wrote: 96 Points
So this was beautiful, with richness on the nose and palate, lovely intensity of fruit, fine mousse, energetic acidity, but not strikingly so - that is, I've had plenty of 08s that are more acid driven than this wine, which instead comes across to me as balanced and rich, rather than linear and shrill. A wonderful tete de cuvee to hold that should develop harmoniously over the years. Right now, I'd rather drink the 06 or 07, but this showed marvelously tonight.
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9/24/2022 - Nutty08 wrote:
Rather fat on the palate and quite lush, with an intriguing nose. Strong mouse. Excellent.
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9/24/2022 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
As good a young Taittinger as I've tasted, this sports a perfect balance of crisp acidity and depth of lemony fruit with excellent intensity and refinement. The finish is already complex with wonderful notes of yeasty bread and chalky minerals. Surprisingly drinkable already but this should develop along the lines of the '96 with perhaps better balance. 95+
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9/22/2022 - kr522 wrote: 92 Points
Bright and fresh with lemon and sourdough notes, there is depth to the fruit but it is tight and much more linear than other champagnes I have had recently the same vintage (Cristal, Dom Rose, Krug). Will probably improve with time but I dont think it will reach the same heights
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9/17/2022 - GuanYu wrote: flawed
This bottle was slightly corked. We still finished the bottle. Interestingly, the restaurant sommelier preferred this tainted bottle over a splendid Dom Perignon 2010.
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9/13/2022 - shifter Likes this wine: 97 Points
Audouze for 2 hours. Immediately expressive with sourdough, lemon curd. Palate is singing with bright citrus, white flowers, brioche and sourdough. Such depth of flavor with a backbone of acidity. The finish goes on and on and on. Top 5 Champers for sure. My earlier note said 95 pt potential, but that was proven conservative.
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9/8/2022 - dhp. Likes this wine: 94 Points
insane potential but still too young. Flinty on the nose like a white burg, incredibly intense and taut on the palate. My score is very conservative compared to what lies in store.
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9/2/2022 - crazywineguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big Bottle Lunch: So tight and finely cut - rapier like. Felt very fresh and young with all of its apogee ahead of itself. Clearly a decade to go. Extremely enjoyable now of course but if you can, stash some away.
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8/27/2022 - dpolzien Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking so well right now, not much more I can say that hasn't already been said. Took on a bit of a smoky note after pairing with a hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano, which made for a fun experience.
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8/17/2022 - Cliff Booth Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP; Jordnaer DK; truly captivating; bright lemon and subtle almond aromas; ethereal mid palate with creamy citrus notes; not as dense and dynamic as I remembered. This seems to have lost some of its youthful weightiness and tension that I enjoyed.
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8/6/2022 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
The most special of special occasion wines to mark a great day in Banff NP and later at dinner tonight at The Crazy Weed restaurant in Canmore. A fabulous local Asian infused cheffy restaurant with a lovely patio to boot! The Comte paired fantastic w/ all of our dishes. A stunning Champagne. Lacy weightless intensity. Such delicacy & intrigue with every sniff & sip!. My first of 4. Wonderful wine in an amazing place. So so many peaks in every direction and the most glaciers I’ve ever scene! Ah....! Contentment! 95+
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8/6/2022 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
This was great on release but razor sharp and tight. It is just starting to crack open. It is like Roulot Perrieres put through a Sodastream. There’s fine citrus and blossom and fabulous weight without heaviness. It has brilliant mineral cut, is so fine and expansive and persistent.
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8/3/2022 - Song103 Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is as amazing as the CT score is indicating. I can’t express it better than CAILLES’ note
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7/25/2022 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine:
Another dynamite bottle consistent with my impressions on release. Thanks A+B. This one was poured after an '08 Sir Winston, which was solid, but transitioning over to this one was like flipping on the stadium lights. I am always a little afraid to go back to a wine that jazzes me the way this one did. At that level it's tough to pass the replication test. This one did. A glass's worth left in the bottle was even great sans fizz two days later tasting like a cross between Vatan and Raveneau, i.e., pure Kimmeridgian soil-to-glass-transfer bliss.
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7/24/2022 - UFGators wrote:
Another fantastic bottle. Really comes alive with some air. I was sure to not allow the bottle to become too cold. Opened and consumed over 2 hours. Will become even better with time but so good now!
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7/17/2022 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
No notes taken. The highlights are the broad aromatic complexity, beautiful precision and overall seamless composition from an expressive nose to the quite long finish. Compared to the DP 08 and the Cristal 08, this might have more immediate charm but will it live as long as the DP? The acidity could be more pronounced at this stage and the mousse is so finely laced that it will probably have disappeared completely too early. Still a great, hedonistic Champagne to drink today.
Decanting: This needs a bit of air. Got better, more expressive with time in the glass.
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7/16/2022 - Alex Novak Likes this wine: 96 Points
Sleek, elegant. Young but oh so enticing. Citrus and apple.
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7/15/2022 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 93 Points
Champagne Evening (Beverly-Bietigheim): Glass: Zalto Universal
Tasted blind, but I immediately detected my Comtes. Clear, pale golden color. Very fine and precise, mineral and citrus driven nose.
On the palate very precise with lasersharp acidity, lots of citrus, great mineral core. Very good pressure and tension, extremly fresh and youthful, good length. Far from beeing at its peak unfortunately, so it got a bit lost in this lineup. Give it a few more years to fully shine or a looong aeration. 93-94++
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7/12/2022 - hajoha wrote: 96 Points
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2008.
Vakker og forførende med nydelig dybde.
Svært ung vin av skyhøy kvalitet.
Ikke helt sado å drikke nå, men man gjør nok lurt i å spare noen år.
En stor fremtid foran seg.
Rå konsentrasjon, friskhet og dybde.
Topp druemateriale.
Ekstremt lang med sublim mineralitet.
En råtass av en Champagne. 96p
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7/4/2022 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine: 97 Points
Finally opened this to see what all the fuss is about…
Super complex aroma — citrus zest, yeast, vanilla and almond pastries. Light and fresh flavor with lots of lemon, tangerine, vanilla and yeast. Extremely fine mousse with lots of minerality on the finish. Well balanced. Great acidity.
Clearly has the backbone to age for decades, but it’s pretty extraordinary right now — particularly if you prefer a fresh fruit profile.
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7/2/2022 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wins not for ostentation but for the real package.
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6/24/2022 - mjrobson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Effortless drinking. Nice nose of citrus vanilla and almond/nut. Very light on the pallet with a delicate mousse with minerality and acidity.
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6/18/2022 - drjb Likes this wine: 96 Points
At Shunsai, East Brisbane. This wine is a sparkling Chevalier Montrachet with lots of drive and a gripping persistent mineral and acid finish that goes on and on. There is lovely authority on the palate balancing the fine orchard fruits, lemon rind and yuzu that provide the fruit complexity and tons of matiere that suggest this is a wine for the ages.
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6/15/2022 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Fantastic melange of yellow fruits that changed every five minutes, bright and creamy at the same time, opulent texture. I could go on all day but to sum it up quickly: this is one of the best champagnes I've ever had.
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6/2/2022 - Mario17 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superbe vin, fruits blancs, des bulles fines et crémeuses, acidité et rondeur, finesse et équilibre, grande longueur et superbe bouteille. 95-96
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5/30/2022 - Frijole wrote:
medium gold, lots of clarity, lots of small bubbles
Nose: apples, pears, peaches, citrus oil, yeast, brioche, musk
Pal: green apples, unripe peaches, pears, tangerine oil, yeast, brioche, marzipan, toasted almonds, nougat, musk, touch smoke
Feel: medium, full, hefty
Finish: medium, long
TC10
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5/22/2022 - geoffreychambertin Likes this wine:
It's fine.
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5/9/2022 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
An opulent CdC for sure, the weight texture and bound up complexity is striking, suffering slightly from a bit warm temp this opened up quickly to show the brioche, lemon, green apples, creamy texture, smoke with graphite and coffee emerging, almost a bit decadent and what seemed like a generous dosage to really match the food today, this is one hell of a way to start off lunch!
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5/7/2022 - adnorthup wrote:
First bottle of this. High acid as expected but the purity of fruit and creamy texture is phenomenal. Delicious now but potentially incredible future ahead.
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5/3/2022 - millej Likes this wine:
Finally had a chance to try this out.
Brilliant nose, melange of citrus, just a hint of brioche, some oyster shell
on the palate it is equally compelling, long, great acidity, some ripe peach. as good as it is now IMO it will benefit from another decade in bottle.
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4/30/2022 - jmoon Likes this wine: 96 Points
Brilliant from first pour. Excellent cut, great fresh line and length. Wonderful fizz at peak stage. No rush though - but gorgeous now, especially if you value freshness over complexity.
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4/28/2022 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote: 95 Points
Excellent choice for bday champagne. Nice acidity, hint of soy/umami that made for great pairings w Japanese dishes
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4/20/2022 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
My first try, and can't quite get the overwhelming excitement this wine has generated. Already rich and fairly mature on the nose: rather yeasty, some dusky flowers, and a stoniness - definitely attractive, but not a knockout. There's still some tightness to the attack and through the midpalate, but not on the finish, which seemed to be the wine's most attractive feature at this stage - extremely long and biscuity, mmm. Acidity was lower than for some 2008s, which made the wine more approachable than I had expected but isn't necessarily a good thing for its long-term prospects. I have 15 bottles, might sell some of them...
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4/19/2022 - Chris Davies Likes this wine: 90 Points
Thought it was 06 but turned out to be 08! Lovely, a bit of toastiness and a good dollop of lemon crème brûlée but fresh. Long and concentrated. 4+
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4/5/2022 - cephomer Likes this wine: 96 Points
Brought to Kindlers at PB, and drank at Cafe L'Europe. Lots of brioche, as well as citrus, both on the nose and palate. Started out a bit too cold but as the wine warmed, it really opened up showing notes of lime, apple, mousse and toast. Very creamy, but still with lots of wet stone minerality, and very precise on the attach. Wonderfully long, dry finish. Great bottle of bubbly!
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3/24/2022 - MarshallLi Likes this wine: 98 Points
Awesome Blancs de Blancs, very nice depth, complexity, clean.
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3/5/2022 - PKim Likes this wine: 99 Points
This is just amazing.
Beautiful Blanc de blancs. Enormous depth and just amazing as a white wine but just with bubbles.
Best champagne of the recent Taste Champagne in Sydney.
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2/9/2022 - beatles wrote: 98 Points
Has not moved. This is out this world in terms of balance, the generousity, charm and sexyness of the Comtes, - oh, the butter, the citrus, hints of vanilla, ginger - this year is combined with a firm concentration, that leaves you almost speechless. Still very young and crisp, as a truly great wine this is approachable young.
#FormelB#Roberto
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2/6/2022 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine: 98 Points
First bottle of the case. Best to keep the other five a few more years.
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12/31/2021 - Iskama wrote:
Difficult to evaluate right now. Smells like rocks, tastes like lemon drenched rocks. Creamy texture with an endless minutes-long finish. Pretty obviously closed down, but you have to give credit to 13 year old juice that tastes like it was bottled yesterday.
Will it be monumental in time? Probably. Would I just pony up another $75 for 08 Cristal instead? Probably. But (budget notwithstanding) I’d drink that wine anytime, this one I’d give 10 years minimum in the cellar and probably longer. It could very well be legendary, but I just don’t have enough experience with young champagnes that became legends to say this is a done deal. To me it’s very different from the 06 and 07 and clearly built much more for the long haul.
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12/23/2021 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Terrific bubbles, great complexity, well worth the price of admission
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12/19/2021 - wdcwineguys Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of the best bottles of Champagne I’ve ever had. This was for the opening course of an eight course dinner. Incredible balance, fine bubbles, hint of grapefruit, fresh bread, granite. Spectacular.
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12/19/2021 - Dale M wrote:
I loved this.
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12/14/2021 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
Early dinner gathering (Capital Grille, DC): Absolutely gorgeous nose displaying elegant yet concentrated yellow and white fruit, lemon curd, granny smith, cinnamon, caramel, and wet stone. Perfectly integrated palate, beautifully layered concentrated yellow fruit, fluid and weightless without losing intensity, unbelievably fine medium generous mousse, bright acidity and strong wet stone mineral, and a seamless long sweet yellow fruit driven finish with cinnamon and caramel at the end. This is a great example of the 08 vintage, incredibly elegant, energetic and fresh but also concentrated and intense. This bottle shows medium generous mousse which is surprising. If this is a correct bottle, there may not be much bubble two decades from now. For now, this is showing incredibly well.
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12/5/2021 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
SLDS Decadence 2021: Orange, oyster shell, citrus and pear. Layered, tense and with lovely power but control on the palate. Persistence paired with depth and balance. Delightful.
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11/19/2021 - thewiz Likes this wine: 95 Points
(Disgorged in July 2019, 100% Chardonnay mainly from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger but also some from Cramant, Oger and Chouilly, dosage 9 gr/l)
Delicious and seductive nose showing butterscotch, freshly baked bread and minerals. Opens up with a touch of hazelnuts as well. Very nice and creamy palate focused on lemon acidity and with some ginger as well. Nice and smooth with a nuttiness on the lengthy finish combined with a pleasant lemon juicy note.
(Best 2023-2048)
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11/13/2021 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner with friends (Waldhotel Sonnora, Dreis, Germany): Quick note from memory:
Needs some temperature to fully unfold. Very precise, lean and mineral with time and air. Bone dry. Fine Mousseux, some fresh apple and lime notes. Long, refreshing finish. Still very young. 94+
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11/12/2021 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
Lovely and inviting nose. Body a little tight still.
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11/10/2021 - FransS wrote: 96 Points
Five wine friends and two guests (Restaurant Olivijn (Michelin star) Haarlem, The Netherlands): Like concrete, but you can already lick it; very concentrated, a severe, but very convincing and ripe citrus, very pure, très chardonnay. This champagne needs, in my opinion, another 10 years to blossom fully (and to gain more points).
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11/7/2021 - Wino133 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Maybe it didnt quite get the same air time as my previous bottle, but its an impressive champagne. So much body, development... The hardest part is to give it enough cellar time to develop!
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11/7/2021 - cnichelson Likes this wine: 98 Points
Open, and ready for business. But I believe it will only get better and better and better .... Brioche without being yeasty. Lemon curd, cinnamon (?), warm peach pie. Amaaazing! Best experience I've had with it (two or three bottles.)
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11/2/2021 - cephomer Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank with the Antigua crew last nite. Such a lovely champagne. Nose is quite toasty, with a small hint of vanilla. Bright, fresh and active on the palate. There’s lots of toasty goodness, a bit of nuttiness, and a fair amount of citrus up front. Mid palate and finish is all smoothness and finesse where the wine exudes creaminess and mousse. There’s some minerality there as well, and a solid acid core, of course. Delicious wine that always pleases, and this is a particularly solid vintage. Several excellent tastings ahead.
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10/25/2021 - llink wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Deep lemony goodness with a leesey nose. Aggressive mousse with a citrus core and a chalky mineral laden texture. Got better with the last glass at the end of the evening showing a more mellow vinous side to the fruit.
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10/24/2021 - MWiking wrote: 96 Points
mycket bättre än senast, har öppnat upp och man får de där klassiska Comtes vibbarna av vinet. kommer bara växa.
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10/16/2021 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 97 Points
WB Boys Weekend; 10/14/2021-10/17/2021 (Highlands NC): A thing of beauty to be sure! This was Kane’s wine. This is bright and juicy, and just utterly delicious!! It has all kinds of tart and juicy citrus fruit. It has a strong backbone of crushed rock mineral. There were spices, and a pretty hint of ginger. It’s hard to describe how the fruit and mineral were wound so tight, but at the same time so gorgeous, giving, and generous! I love this wine!
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10/15/2021 - A&C Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was a lovely, well-made champagne, with toast notes, vanilla and a crisp finish. I love the way champagne tastes when it is aged, and this bottle had that magic aged quality that I really enjoy in champagne. A wonderful treat.
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10/15/2021 - zimmy07 Likes this wine:
This is way too young. I knew it would be young but wanted to check current status. Razors, chalk, and some crisp apple. Overly aggressive on the palate. This was much better at 2 hours of air, but I will have no issues holding off on this as it needs time, 5 years minimum. By far more closed down than the 2008 Cristal, Dom, and Bollinger GA that I also have.
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10/9/2021 - eschuldt wrote: 95 Points
Really nice but needs some additional time to soften
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10/8/2021 - blanquito wrote:
I was very disappointed how much I liked the 08 Taittinger Comtes. Even though my pour was too warm for my preferences and I drank it before it had had much air, I was pretty blown away by this champagne. Such depth, power, length, intensity, all in a style I prefer (brighter/chalkier). I like Taittinger a lot, with the 95 and 96 being two of my favorite bubblies, but multiple bottles of the 06 and 07 Comtes in recent years have been head scratchers (closed?). Not the 08, which unfortunately seems tot deserve of all the hype.
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10/3/2021 - lwolffl Likes this wine:
Smagt mod 2011
Smagt efter smagning af Voirin-Jumel 2012-1993
Fantastisk dejlig duft
Frisk, rund, mineralitet, træ, rund syre, slikket
Fantastisk champagne
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10/1/2021 - paul195 wrote: 95 Points
6 of 18 The last bottle was so delicious I grabbed another for Friday afternoon road trip to Bigelows in Rockville Center…. Perfect with piles of perfectly fried clams, oyster and scallops
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9/18/2021 - paul195 wrote: 95 Points
5 of 18 First bottle in new place. Great way to celebrate, clean white fruits, still retains 2008 energy, nice acidity, balance on point, starting to show more complexity with 30 minutes of air. Just delicious
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9/14/2021 - Ghoulardi wrote:
Pale, straw gold.
Sharp bubbles. Wowza, that's a lot of citrus! Lemon+lime, a bit of pear (harry + David!), Japanese milk bread, some marzipan. Rich and luscious.
For me, I'm not sure if this lived up to the hype. But it sure is damn fine, and I hope I get to taste it again.
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9/6/2021 - Libbidog Likes this wine: 95 Points
Appearance
The wine is pale lemon.
Nose
The wine exhibits medium, developing aromas of lemon, lime, pear, green apple, wet stones and brioche.
Palate
The wine is dry with a medium body, high acid, medium alcohol offering pronounced flavors of pear, apple, lemon, lime, fresh parsley, wet stones, and toasted bread.
Conclusion
The quality of this wine is outstanding. Extremely refreshing under the hot Big Sur sun. Life and wine are good!
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9/2/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 97 Points
I had another bottle alone. This one told the story of why this wine is so special. If you like toast, almonds, brioche, warm croissant, this is for you baby!
A note to self: Just because a bottle has a year stamp on it doesn't make it good! Dont waste your money on "vintage" Champagne unless it speaks French!!! Please!
The 08 is ooh la la'ing already...Im definitely in collection mode on this. HOLD
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8/24/2021 - lesz Likes this wine: 92 Points
drinking very well and so were a number of 08’s including cristal.
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8/22/2021 - ubercuvee wrote:
First try of this much hyped wine. It's a different beast to almost any Comtes I can remember on release (I was too young for 95 & 96) - the lightest coloured comtes at this stage? on the palate it's in line with the talk - very structured, very backwards, still showing a hint of dosage. Frankly it's an enormous waste to drink this now - if you want a Comtes to enjoy now the '06 is a much more complete experience today. The 2008 will be legendary in 10-20 years (and will comfortably surpass the '06 and indeed every Comtes of the decade when it hits maturity)
To drink now: 93 points, potential in 10 years: 98-100.
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8/21/2021 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 95 Points
Les Trois garcons chez Lukas: Initially a little bit closed but with time a broad and complex nose with lemon, orange, a touch of red berries, cantaloupe melon, straw and fresh bread. With additional time coffee, fudge and candied orange peel. On the palate fine mousse, at first a bit angular with some bitterness but gradually gaining balance and complexity. Similar impressions as for the nose. Good acidity, iron and chalk minerality, very good lenght. A clear step up from last bottle, probably ’cause we gave it more time and attention. Best young Comtes I’ve had and good upside as well. With luck, this could approach perfection in 8-10 years time.
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8/21/2021 - Kirk Grant wrote: 97 Points
This is my second bottle in 90 days and it's such a lovely wine. I really want more. There's a balance and intensity to this wine that is epic. This has a wonderful warmth and open-knit character about it already, with scents of brioche, citrus, and a long, long finish. In a word...Extraordinary!
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8/14/2021 - thewiz Likes this wine: 95 Points
(Disgorged in fall of 2020, 100% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs Grand Cru villages Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger, dosage 9 gr/l)
Light yellow colour with a greenish hue and with a very fine stream of tiny bubbles. Lovely youthful nose showing an intense chalk and flint note and more light notes of lime flowers and wild strawberries in a delicious way. Palate showing crisp green apples acidity with a smooth and creamy mid before the intense lime zest bitterness takes over on the lengthy finish. Wow, so young and so fresh and so delicious in its youth I really need to have a lot of bottles to be able to enjoy them both now and when mature..
(Probably best 2028-2048)
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8/8/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 95 Points
This is cleary a great wine and one of elegance, energy, and length. Super long, super dry. This will be great in the future, but needs at least 7 years of sleep. I like the balance of this far more than Dom and once again, this is in line with the Comtes style, yet in a higher level of elegance vs. richness. HOLD
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8/8/2021 - Rgentile wrote: 96 Points
Nose: lemon rind and a chalky minerals.
Palate: a chalky, yeasty delight, chiseled acidity with some suave orchard fruit coating the palate.
She is such a baby but already fantastic! Wow. The wine can live for a very long time but I think in another 3-5yrs it may be in its prime window for my taste. Enjoy!
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8/6/2021 - jrmpco1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely balanced Champagne. Just starting to show the nuttiness and cream of age. Lovely now, but clearly would benefit from aging. Very enjoyable.
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8/5/2021 - Panta rei C2H5OH wrote: 91 Points
BdB of GC grapes.
Medium nose of apples with a lot of autoytic scents like butter, croissant.
Complex and big on the palate.
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7/20/2021 - UFGators Likes this wine: 96 Points
96-98. The battle of the 2008s. This more than holds its own against the 2008 cristal, dom and pol roger. I really would need to try them all side by side but I would put this one behind the cristal but but not by much. This one is is similar to the cristal in that it drinks beautifully now and can be aged. Both the pol and dom need some time. Can definitely benefit from age but will be super hard to keep my hands off it.
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7/7/2021 - RayOB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank at 67
The 08's are truly amazing but some of them are beginning to show signs of closing down
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7/2/2021 - novie1234 wrote: 97 Points
Definitely lives up to the hype. Amazing.
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7/1/2021 - beatles wrote: 98 Points
Among the best champagnes, I've ever tasted, this is already complete in it's presence. Nervous, tight, deep, excellent acidity and just a hint of the tell-tale Comtes boudoir-style at the end. I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet, alas these are hard to come by.
#Ib
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6/26/2021 - felixp Likes this wine: 99 Points
wait 10 years. Fabulous wine but opening now is, sadly, not much more than a glimpse of what will come.
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6/17/2021 - Kim Gerner wrote: 94 Points
2008 top champagnes - horisontal wine tasting dinner (Rest PG (kg arr)): For me Comtes was - together with Dom Perignon and Winston Churchill ´08 - the evening's no. 3. Light intensity on the nose. Acidity is high+, but not quite as high as Cristal '08. Delicate mousse. Aromas of citrus, green and red apple (but not overripe) and blossom. A little bitterness.
My rating is based on performance right now so it an drink now but will undoubtedly develop more complex and tertiary notes in the coming years. I look forward to following the development in my other btls. - If I only had one btl. I would definitely wait at least 5 years.
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6/17/2021 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
bright young champagne color, when first opened quite restrained but showing far better balance that a bottle opened late last fall at release, I never made a note for that bottle because it was so disjointed that I felt the wine needed more time and a second chance, that is a rare need- but then again 2008 is a singular vintage and even the clear superstars like Dom Perignon and Cristal have shown enormous change and movement during their first few years, but now all is as it should be- though note this is going to be a rather singular vintage for this wine, after 4 hours it is brooding, a great mass of pure Chardonnay fruit and cream, toasty lemons on the nose, a good deal of sweetness yet to be resolved, this second tasting a few months after release offers much reassurance, but for me personally it does not quite persuade, this will be a great wine in time- but I also think sweeter and more full-bodied than I would expect from Taittinger, this is not a bad thing- but one key takeaway, especially given the recent price increase and the frankly annoying manner in which the wine is being dribbled out (not sure where that directive is coming from- so no way to lay blame)- if you really like the big sweet vintages like 2002 and 2006- then I think you will love this wine, if you do not have any strong preferences along the sweetness and power spectra- odds are you will love this wine, but if you share my strong preference for the leaner and lighter ways of champagne then I would strongly suggest trying this before buying, it is going to be a very fine Comtes in time, but sufficiently outside the norm that it is worth the up front investment in a tasting bottle to be sure it will ideally match your tastes.
(*****), a long wait ahead- 2033++
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6/13/2021 - Kirk Grant wrote: 98 Points
I just can't imagine Champagne getting much better than this. It's a really, really special wine. I have to imagine this might have been what the 1996 was like on release, there's all this energy that's coiled up, but there is also this purity of fruit and a crushed chalk note that adds a bit of complexity, tension, and depth to this. I can't imagine I will be able to hold off on drinking these...but I would love to age one of these at least another 10-15 years from now.
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6/12/2021 - NYC_Maenad Likes this wine:
Opened after dinner based on recent reports that it is showing well young. Served on the colder side and allowed to warm in the glass (GGGs), drank over about 2 hours. I swear I could smell the wine as JR was pouring it into the glasses as he sat at the other end of the couch. Just phenomenal, powerful and compelling nose, citrus driven, some floral elements, fresh baked pastry crust brushed with butter, maybe a little honey. It might as well have been a perfect lemon bar from the nose. On the palate the concentration is off the charts, amazing, firmly coilled but softly not tight. Like a perfect little package of cat when they tuck in all paws, head and tail. Plenty of taught acidity keeping everything firmly in place, reverberates across the tongue. There's still a good amount of baby fat, as one would expect, that I expect will retreat and reveal more delineation. I believe this was the best young CdCs I've had, and perhaps the best young champagne period, though that's less certain. I think this could have the bones and the beauty to give the great 1995 a run for its money in time, and that is my favorite vintage of my lifetime. Gorgeous and exciting and deeply, deeply satisfying. Great wine.
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6/12/2021 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Blew the '07 off the table. Intense, compact, rich and contained. The purest of white peach fruit with a squeeze of lemon. It has spice and brioche notes and such great intensity and drive. Bead is super-fine and it finishes with fabulous cut. Despite how tight it is, it offers pleasure now, but the best is yet to come.
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6/9/2021 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
3 of 18 ....First time @ King Restaurant, outdoor table on a hot night demanded something refreshing and crisp.... this bottle more than hit the spot.
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5/30/2021 - paul195 wrote: 94 Points
2 of 18... just delicious, great energy,
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5/30/2021 - Wino133 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Hard for me to score, as I havent had masses of top end champagne in the past beyond DP and a bit of Krug.
Drunk over the course of 90 minutes:
First glass was clean, very mineral-y, moussey bubbles. Nice. Bit of yeast perhaps?
Second and third glass (chilled a few degrees in the ice bucket) were much bettter. More of a honey after taste, bit of apple?, finished lasted minutes, moussey bubbles were consistent throughout. A bit more expressive, chalky/mineral/yeast. Maybe a shade of Lemon? (30+ min after opening, no decanting at suggestion of the somm)
Glass 4 and 5 perhaps were a little too chilled in the ice bucket. Still tasted great but regressed a bit because of the temperature. It was cold enough at this point to get a bit of condensation on the glass.
If you like your champagnes cold, definitely let this warm up a couple of degrees.
Absolutely beautiful, and the finish is lingering even 20+ min after I had the last glass. Will be a real treat in a decade or two's time - no brioche/toast/butter notes yet. Potential to integrate better but this is clearly a world class champagne already.
Keep it for another few years before you crack open another bottle. I can imagine this will be divine in a decade's time.
The only way I personally can imagine this improving is the aged notes, which will undoubtedly come with time. The bubble structure is the right sort (as far as I know) for this to manifest beautifully in due course
Revisiting this, I'd be tempted to get it quite cold, decant for 15 min (and let it slowly warm up) and drink over the next hour from there.
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5/22/2021 - uncorked.fr Likes this wine:
I felt a bit naughty opening this so young but it is already fantastic and it's my birthday so I figure I'm allowed. :) That being said, this will absolutely improve massively in the coming years so if you have some and you can resist temptation, you will surely be handsomely rewarded.
A few additional notes: A little aeration goes a long way with this champagne, as it gains greatly in aromatic complexity after just a few minutes. In other words, patience is a virtue even in the short term. The finish is CRAZY long and I found the dosage to be beautifully balanced (which is something I rarely say about brut champagnes; I usually prefer extra-brut/brut nature).
APPEARANCE:
Color & intensity: pale gold
NOSE:
Intensity: medium (+)
Aromas: toasted almond, mirabelle plum, lime, toast, apple, white flowers, wet chalk, hint of white pepper
Development: developing
PALATE:
Sweetness: dry
Acidity: medium (+)
Alcohol: medium
Body: medium (+)
Mousse: delicate
Intensity: medium (+)
Flavors: apple, brioche, grapefruit, lemon zest, mirabelle plum, crushed chalk, hint of salt
Finish: long
CONCLUSIONS:
Quality level: outstanding
Potential for ageing: can drink now (although it is still a bit too young for our personal tastes), with excellent potential for ageing
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5/18/2021 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous young Comte. Utterly approachable now: dense intense delicate, a wow wine. And it will get better. Stunning.
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5/18/2021 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with the wine group (Millbrae, CA): Greenish golden; high intensity aromatics, white fruit, very slight brioche, much more citrusy and fresh; palate is medium bodied, superb mousse, dosage is perfect and not at all sweet like young Comtes typically is, lemon-lime, excellent length; finish is medium-plus length. Superb but young. 95
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5/17/2021 - B Paul wrote:
Really good with better potential. Somewhat tight and compact right now but the underlying material is strong.
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4/18/2021 - scamhi wrote:
another great showing of this champagne
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4/15/2021 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Pale yellow. Terrific lemon lime citrus but on top of already rich and toasty aromas of green and yellow apple. I don’t find this overwhelmingly lemony and am pleased with the brioche already showing. Purity on the nose. Higher chalk and mineral right now but not offensively / unapproachably so. A sort of melon fruit medley. Already expressive. Even has some glimpses of Blanc de Blanc creaminess showing through the primary notes. Powerful but not offputtingly intense. Obviously super youthful and best showings are years ahead but this isn’t something that is undrinkable right now. Has a wonderful warmth and open-knit character about it already in the same sort of way that ‘08 DP is so inviting even in its infancy, if to a slightly lesser extent. Pretty excited. 93 at the moment with 94+ ahead shortly.
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3/9/2021 - Vietty Likes this wine:
My favorite wine I've had this year. Such a joyous wine, like a sun beam through the window warming up your face. Very generous bright fruit with beautiful texture and finish.
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3/4/2021 - HoostineFL Likes this wine: 99 Points
I don’t remember my last “profound” wine ... a wine that truly reminds me why I love this hobby. This was one of those wines for me. This was incredibly generous without being hedonistic or silly. I’m honestly lost for words - hope to remember and come back to update this note when I can compose my thoughts.
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2/23/2021 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still young but already very approachable. Very Comtes in style and sure will be much better in 5-10 years. Very elegant at the moment.
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2/15/2021 - gouldcampbell77 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mid yellow in the glass. Very foamy to start with, settling down to a slow lazy bead. It has all the B de B attributes such as freshness and elegance with flavours of fresh lemon, grapefruit and green apples. But it's the texture that sets this apart from other Blancs de Blancs. There is excellent concentration as you'd expect while the mousse is mouth filling and rich, coating every corner of the palate - like a cat purring on your tongue. Reminds me of DP in a way in its subtlety and completeness. There is quite a bit of crunchy acidity still suggesting that this needs to be kept another couple of years at least but if you bought a case, by no means a wasted bottle checking in on these now.
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2/7/2021 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
Consistently one of the most reliable tete de cuvees of any big Champagne house, and of course 2008 was a knockout vintage. So no surprise here it is excellent. Tasty though it was, I suspect there's a lot in reserve -- probably hits a higher peak in 5 years or so.
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2/6/2021 - shifter Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots of honey and cream on the palate. Elegant mouthfeel and extremely balanced. Not as much minerality or acidity as I prefer. A little bland that got worse with air. May just be closed down right now. Will revisit the rest of the bottle tomorrow.
Second day much more expressive. Showing lemon peel and green apple framed by a zesty but understated acidity. This is much more what I would expect from this cuvée, albeit very primary. "Tastes like champagne" as some other tasters have opined. Time will tell but if the balance and elegance can meld with the flavor and acidity, could be very special one day. 95 pt potential.
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2/1/2021 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 100 Points
Not to be tacky or anything but I've had just about every hyped Champagne and bling Champagne to have been released in the last two decades and frankly it's pretty rare for them to provoke any reaction in me beyond, "Yeah, pretty good, tastes like Champagne" and then I find myself scratching my head wondering what is making everyone swoon other than the price tag or the fancy packaging. This is an exception so dramatic that the first sip just leaves me standing there, stupefied. The effect is positively transporting. Outside it's a miserable winter night and then with a sip of this, the fruit turns the inside of your mouth into Katrina & the Waves' "Walking on Sunshine" and the bubbles rain on the palate with the gentle patter of a light summer sunshower. Owing to its sheer glowing uranium-like vibrancy, the refreshment value is off the charts, but there is plenty more packed into the fruit beneath this, as it's fleshed out with thicker, more candied lemony flavors starting to pick up some of the honeyed character of age and which give it a very Salon-like profile, which isn't so strange considering the Mesnil part of the blend. It finishes with a sensation of metal shavings and a finely serrated cut followed by a sustained echo of that bright, thirst-quenching fruit, but not so quenching that you don't feel immediately compelled to grab another sip. 750ml is a cruelly inadequate serving size. Comtes de Champagne is always a treat to drink although it tends to require a few years for me to get past the aforementioned "pretty good, tastes like Champagne" stage - this one requires no such patience. I can't say whether it's unusually precocious this year or if the winemaking somehow stepped up to the next level (really, stepped up to the very top level), or both, but you just can't ask for or expect any more from a Champagne of this age. Champagne just doesn't get any better without there being actual nymphs to serve it to you.
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1/31/2021 - MWiking wrote: 95 Points
fortfarande för ung. kommer spara mina flaskor ett tag till, väldigt lätt snygg och lätt gräddig.
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1/30/2021 - Ramberg wrote: 95 Points
First bottle of the CdC - 08.
And what a start!
Nose is shy , white flowers lemons, lime, green apple, rubber, pepper and chalky minerals.
Palate is also a bit closed, comes along with more time (but it was not given enough time, since I had to drink it) lemons and lime, green apples, a touch of zest.
Creamy chalky minerals and high acidity - long finish.
To early imo, tight and closed at this stage, undeveloped and will require more time, but excellent material - this will come around and turn into a classic.
(95 - 97)
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1/25/2021 - Ricktavi76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mineral, acidic, dry. Great as an aperitif. Great with a salty and creamy caviar.
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1/15/2021 - MarcelloW Likes this wine:
I love CdC. 2008 is a great vintage and thats why you need to be patient. At the moment it’s quite closed and very bubbly. 2007 (for much less money) makes fun and is the better value at the moment.
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1/14/2021 - atbarbar Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine seems to have enormous potential. This said, it seems quite muted right now and expressing 20% of its potential. Mineral, flowers and citrus, very balanced, nice acidity. Admittedly a poor tasting note of mine, also reflecting the difficulty in judging it right now. Needs few additional months in the bottle. Consume the 2007 for the time being.
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1/7/2021 - Vino Me wrote: 96 Points
Opened by Allred. Straw yellow color. Very bright and lively. Notes of brioche toast and very yeasty with citrus and stone fruit. Will have a long life. The best Comtes I have had (the others being the 1995 and 2006). 96 points.
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12/31/2020 - Puteljen! wrote: 93 Points
Tight and closed. With rising temp we get toast, grass, cream, lemon and yellow fruit. Some minerals but would have liked more. Piercing acidity, very good lenght. Needs time. Probably good upside.
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12/31/2020 - AllRed wrote: 97 Points
Light golden yellow with an aggressive mousse that lingers for a bit. The bouquet is rich and toasty, with loads of orchard fruit, as well as biscuit and yeasty elements. More of the same on the palate, along with marshmallow and cashew tones. Hints of citrus and toasted ginger underneath. Absolutely legit and worth seeking out; a must-have for any Champagne lover.
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12/30/2020 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
At first this was a bit muted but with the right amount of air it blossomed into a nicely expressive and seductive Champagne full of the signature toasty and bready aromas. It is already quite approachable and round with an impressive concentration. Not as good as a bottle two months ago (97) which showed even more harmonious and more complex. In a good first drinking phase right now!
TN: With a bit of air the nose shows bready, brioche and toast aromas along some citrus fruit. Medium intense and with a good precision. Intense on the palate with the same aromas along some additional apple aromas. Already round and very harmonious with fine (but not ultra fine) bubbles and a well (but not perfectly) integrated acidity. Good, long finish.
Decanting: Not decanted, needed some air in the glass.
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12/24/2020 - bill00 wrote: 96 Points
Really excited to try this for the first time and it doesn't disappoint. Fantastic young Comtes. Really youthful and full of energy. Needs a few years to soften up and fill out, at which point I imagine it will be even better. 96+
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12/24/2020 - Ibetian wrote:
I prefer the style of the 2008 DP.
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12/24/2020 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
not blind
Superb elegant Comtes. Less vanilla and toast than usually but more lemon zest and not so sweet as the previous vintages. It will age for decades. Would be nice to drink it together with Cristal 08. 95(99)
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12/20/2020 - Bakerbd Likes this wine: 94 Points
White flowers, bread dough, golden delicious apples, lemon zest, bright acidity. Still feels like it's holding something back
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12/14/2020 - Ltim BE Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very fine, lovely delicate aroma’s and precision but clearly too young. Give it at least 5 more years.
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12/12/2020 - tcarter Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic showing, though this wine could definitely use a few more years in the bottle. All the potential is there for an epic Comtes vintage though. Excited to try the next bottle(s) in a few years....
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12/6/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Fine toast, bread dough, a bit of wood, citrus, green apple, Provence herbs and steely mineral notes. On the palate mineral and predominantly citric initially. Quite heavy on the acidity at this point. Not overly expressive at first, but this improved over time, building a more commanding presence. Also clearly showing off great refinement and detail, especially on the toasty notes. Venturing a guess here I would say the 2008 is likely to out-shine the 2006 over time, but the latter is currently in a better spot. Looking elsewhere among the 2008s not quite at the level of Cristal, DP, La Grande Année, Pol Roger or Egly-Ouriet – again for the time being.
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12/5/2020 - SARED Likes this wine: 96 Points
96+. I don't drink much Champagne, but I could not find a fault in this wine. I loved it, and my wife loved it. Unfortunately I did have an allergic reaction and cannot have more than a glass of this nectar.
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11/29/2020 - paul195 wrote: 95 Points
First bottle .... fine voluminous mousse, white flowers and fruits, mouth filling texture, exciting finish .... delicious fun
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11/28/2020 - thewiz Likes this wine: 95 Points
(Disgorged in July 2019, 100% Chardonnay mainly from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, but also some from Cramant, Oger and Chouilly, dosage 9 gr/l)
Youthful light yellow almost greenish colour with intense streams of tiny bubbles bursting on the surface. The nose is an explosion of chalk, flint and lime flowers and wild strawberries in a delicious way. The creaminess on the palate combined with the crisp green apples acidity is just wonderful and the finish is very lengthy with a nice lime zest bitterness that curls the tongue. Wow! This was a delight to drink right now, but should keep for a number of decades if wanted...
(Probably best 2028-2048)
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11/24/2020 - SARED Likes this wine: 95 Points
I think my order for the big 2008s are #1 Cristal, #2 Comtes, #3 DP
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11/19/2020 - Jammy Wine wrote: 90 Points
The newly released 2008 Comtes de Champagne Taittinger is high toned and nervy. Intense array of pure Chardonnay fruits, ripe lemons and white peach. Medium bodied. Creamy mouthfeel and fine chalk texture. Stern with sharp acidity. Drink from 2022 to 2038. (90+/100)
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11/17/2020 - llink wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Lively nose, showing brioche, chalk and apple. The palate is creamy and lemony with a nicely acidic texture and medium volume. Really tasty.
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11/16/2020 - Oscaro Likes this wine: 94 Points
Prövades blint med 14 andra 08.
Första doften drar en direkt till Dom Perignon med sin reduktiva krutiga stil. Doftar krut, citrus och kakao, smörstekt bröd.
Fin reduktiv stil med härlig smak av persika och kaffe med lite påbörjad mognad, fin längd med mycket krut. Gissade att detta var en prestige och det är tillsammans med Dom Perignon den bästa 08 jag prövat hittills. Den har åren framför sig och kommer nog sjunga om 5-10 år.
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11/13/2020 - champagne99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Provades halvblint på en stor 2008-provning med 15 flaskor.
Rätt ljus i färgen med små långsamma bubblor. Trevlig doft av någon krydda som jag inte kan sätta fingret på. Första zippen skriker syra, ett rejält bett i gommen. Sedan händer nånting väldigt fort för andra zippen så har det redan lugnat ner sig och den blir bara bättre under tiden vi provar. Citrus, äpplen, fin och elegant.
Det var mycket snack runt bordet om att 6an och 8an (Dompa) var lika varandra i stil och att någon av dem måste vara Dompa.
Omdömen som kom upp från andra: doft av svavel, jäst, rostat bröd, knäck, kaffe, lite krut, kolatoner och reduktion. Vinös i smaken, rostad och medicinal. Hus. Bra för alla.
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11/12/2020 - nphase Likes this wine: 94 Points
This has crazy good upside. Shame the price is 50% higher than the prior vintages.
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11/7/2020 - cct wrote: 97 Points
Drunk on an auspicious day to celebrate hope for the future.
Bright fruit, chalk, subtle toast, white florals on the nose. Chalky and chiseled on the palate with a fine bead and a sense of intensity with simultaneous lightness. The dosage is less evident than in the 06 or 07 and this has a level of detail that is well beyond these two most recent bottlings. This has crystalline purity and tremendous depth coupled with incredible focus and an effortless sense power without weight. A tremendous BdB. Chevalier Montrachet with bubbles. Youthful, with incredible promise. 97+
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11/7/2020 - winecoffee wrote: 92 Points
Nose and palate both have green apple. Crisp citrusy and sharp champagne. The crispness is what so good about this one.
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11/7/2020 - BradE wrote:
First crack at this, and yes, the quality is there. Fantastic and IMHO fairly priced.
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11/3/2020 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
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.
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11/1/2020 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 95 Points
The nose was nicely perfumed with lemon, sea breeze, white flowers, and a hint of toasted nuts. On the palate, the wine was intense with a rich, creamy texture, with apple fruit, lemon, and again just a hint of toasted, buttery nuts, ending in a long finish highlighting the nutty, lemony, and saline flavors of the wine. Acidity is high and the wine is full of energy and freshness. It's very drinkable today for the sheer power of the wine, but unsurprisingly I imagine the best days in terms of complexity are well in the future.
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10/25/2020 - 5laton wrote:
Solid and classically proportioned in terms of concentration and acid, but this bottle showed all of the sins of young Taittinger Comtes: vapid 7Up fruit, sickly-sweet sugar, vanilla. Like other vintages it will sort itself out in time but it is not at all pleasant to me currently.
Didn't really show any positive development until day 4, but even then it was merely nice. On the basis of this bottle, hard hold.
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10/20/2020 - larsth wrote: 97 Points
Our group tasted a couple of bottles at a restaurant. It is very young but still a great experience now with a huge upside potential as it will evolve over the coming years. Utterly harmonious and balanced already. Lemon core, brioche richness, apple and apricot flavours. It will definitely be a standout in the future and it has a long future in front of it indeed.
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10/18/2020 - Cliff Booth Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great minerality, palpable tension and elegant BdB finish; this is very young champagne; next bottle 2022.
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10/16/2020 - bortender wrote:
Disgorged after 10 years maturation on the lees, the 100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs cuvée is created using only first-press juice from Grand Cru-classified grapes sourced from Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger, and Mesnil-sur-Oger. Five percent of the blend is aged in oak barrels, adding flavor complexity as well as textural finesse to the finished wine. Grower Champagnes have been attracting lots of attention among Champagne-savvy groups and there are certainly impressive examples from this under-the-radar set; that said, the region’s most iconic houses remain instrumental in upholding the reputation of this esteemed sparkling wine style. These maisons have access to the best grapes, largest libraries of back vintages, and have centuries of winemaking know-how—their prestige cuvées are untouchable in terms of quality and complexity. Taittinger ‘Comtes de Champagne’ is the finest example of the Taittinger style and the 2008 release is one of the most impressive to date.
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10/14/2020 - Cailles wrote: 97 Points
First taste of the much lauded 2008 vintage and it is a bomb! There is so much aromatic intensity, super seductive brioche and bakery aromatics, several other layers peaking through and all in all already quite round and harmonious. It’s such an inviting and intriguing crowd pleaser, yet it is complex enough to satisfy intellectually. I would definitely start drinking this wine today, no need to wait another 5 or 10 years. Still, this will certainly develop even more complexity and become softer over the coming two decades. In my opinion, this is definitely one or two steps above the 2006 and 2002. One to stock up.
TN: Intense nose full of very precise bakery, buttery, brioche and toast aromas along some yellow fruit and citrus. The same intense aromas on the palate with additional layers of sweet yellow fruit, some hints apple, more citrus, some crushed rocks. Very expressive and super precise, high energy yet already superbly harmonious and round (with more upside on that front). Long brioche and yellow fruit driven finish.
Decanting: No decanting needed.
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9/26/2020 - robertek wrote: 95 Points
This is great today but will be so much better in 10 years. See if I have any bottles left by then...
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