France · Champagne

Taittinger

Taittinger is one of the few remaining grandes marques of Champagne still owned by its founding family, producing wines across the full spectrum from non-vintage brut to the legendary Comtes de Champagne blanc de blancs. The house was founded in 1932 when Pierre Taittinger acquired the Château de la Marquetterie in Épernay and began building an estate centred on Chardonnay-dominant wines. After a period of corporate ownership under the Starwood group (2005–2006), the family, led by Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, repurchased the house in an act of remarkable commitment to independence. Comtes de Champagne is the jewel: a vintage-only blanc de blancs from grand cru Chardonnay that spends a minimum of eight years on lees and is considered one of the world's great white wines. The regular Prélude Grands Crus and the prestige Nocturne are also excellent. At auction, Comtes de Champagne — particularly older vintages such as 1996, 1999, and 2004 — commands prices that rival Krug and Dom Pérignon, driven by the wine's extraordinary aging potential and the freshness and precision of its pure Chardonnay character.