Taittinger : Comtes de Champagne Rosé 2008

A fresh rosé champagne of great aromatic purity

The estate

The history of the Taittinger Champagne House began at the beginning of the 20th century. Led by Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger and his two children, Clovis and Vitalie, the House of Taittinger has maintained a family spirit through the production of champagnes that highlight the expression of Chardonnay. Since January 1, 2020, Vitalie Taittinger has been President of Champagne Taittinger.

The vineyard

The Champagne Taittinger vineyard covers 288 hectares of vines and includes 37 different plots. In fact, Taittinger boasts the third largest vineyard area in Champagne. The entire vineyard is certified for High Environmental Value.

The wine

An exceptional champagne, the Comtes de Champagne Rosé by Taittinger is produced in the best years only. To be able to declare a rosé vintage of Comtes de Champagne, the harvest must meet very strict qualitative criteria for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The rarest champagne by Maison Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne Rosé belongs to the elite circle of the greatest wines in the world. The dancer-choreographer Rudolf Nureyev said of it, “when I drinkComtes de Champagne Rosé, I no longer dance, I fly…”.

The vintage

2008 was a vintage that offered an ideal expression of Champagne's continental and contrasting climate, marked both by episodes of drought and great freshness. Carried out in beautiful, cool and dry weather, the harvest yielded healthy and high-quality fruit, giving rise to fresh, pure, saline, delicate and aromatic wines.

Vinification and ageing

12% of the Bouzy Pinot Noir grapes were vinified in red with a long fermentation and maceration. This step gave the wines a beautiful structure and intense aromas of red and black fruits. The Comtes de Champagne Rosé 2008 by Taittinger has undergone a long ageing of over 12 years in the magnificent Gallo-Roman chalk cellars of Saint-Nicaise in order to develop all the complexity of its aromas.

The blend

The Comtes de Champagne Rosé 2008 by Taittinger is made from a blend of Pinot Noir from the Grands Crus of the Montagne de Reims (70%) and Chardonnay from the most prestigious terroirs of the Côte de Blancs (30%)

The tasting

Colour

The colour is a bright and beautiful salmon pink, adorned with subtle copper reflections. The effervescence is delicate and creamy.

Nose

Beautifully fresh, the nose exudes delicious fruit fragrances (raspberry, black cherry, lightly stewed peaches and pear) as well as slightly minty notes.

Palate

The delicate attack reveals great tension. The palate seduces with its expression of great limestone terroirs through precise tannins, a chalky acidity and a lovely freshness. Throughout the tasting, aromatic purity mingles with a delicate and persistent salinity.

Food and wine pairings

The Comtes de Champagne Rosé 2008 pairs ideally with white meats, lobster, certain cheeses (old Comté, Chaource) and even desserts (baked pears, sour cherry tart).