Taittinger Blanc de Blancs 1996

Winemaker's Notes:

TASTING The colour is very pale yellow. The bubbles, extremely fine and light, form a sublime, active and unending ribbon of mousse. The bouquet is intense, expressive, particularly subtle and complex. It starts out with floral aromas of hawthorn and beeswax giving way to discreet notes of lime and fresh pineapple. On the palate, the wine is very lively and persistent to the finish, with mainly lemony flavours together with very delicate aromas of dried flowers and lime blossoms. In all, a magnificent champagne full of finesse, elegance but also complexity and richness. COMPOSITION This admirable champagne was produced in the cellars of the thirteenth century Saint-Nicaise Abbey in Reims. The greatest care is taken at every stage of production. Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is only produced when all the conditions, essential to its unique style, are met : * The harvest must be of exceptional quality and worthy of vintage champagne. * It is made exclusively from white Chardonnay grapes (100% “Grands Crus”) from the most renowned vineyards of the Côte des Blancs. * Only wines from the first pressing (La Cuvée) are used. This guarantees the wine’s finesse. * 5% of the wines used in the blend are aged in new oak barrels (one third of which are replaced every year), thus enhancing the intrinsic qualities of the final blend. DRINKING SUGGESTIONS This is a wine to be enjoyed at celebrations to highlight special, rare and intense moments. It is also a perfect accompaniment to grilled fish. 1996 VINTAGE Although the seasons were very changeable, it was with some surprise that grapes of remarkable quality and with exceptional characteristics were harvested. We have to go back to 1928 to find a potential alcohol-acidity combination of this level and of this quality. Given the historical reputation of this year, there is every hope that 1996 will be an outstanding vintage.