The decadent brioche of this great blanc de blancs is balanced by the incredible verve and electricity of the 2013 vintage. If you love a toasty style of tete de cuvee with a tiny bead, and a clean, but not at all austere finish, this is a must try. The October harvest in 2013 is the only one of my nearly 30 years in the champagne business, and there are no others in the pipeline. A great champagne to drink, and for the cellar.

Whoa. The 2013 Taittinger "Comtes de Champagne" a wine of seismic proportion. The nose is incredibly expressive, with tropical mango and passion fruit, baked green apple, lemon curd, and buttery, freshly baked croissant all leaping from the glass. The palate is equally open and intense, with layer upon layer of complexity. Tropical fruits shift into citrus before that buttery brioche croissant unfolds and is joined by baked apple and pear. Then, before you can take the next sip, the flavors rebound and unfurl all over again. Really very good.

Taittinger ferments 95% of their Comtes de Champagne in stainless steel tanks and 5% in small oak barrels. They let the wine age in the oak barrels for four months before blending. This champagne is the only one in their portfolio that has oak influence and it sets it apart from their other offerings. The 2013 continues a long tradition of excellence. The name translates to, "Counts of Champagne," who ruled the Champagne region from 956-1284 (before it became a permanent part of France). The region and its Counts were more wealthy and powerful than the Kings of France, which, ironically, were being crowned in Reims. Based in Troyes, the capital of Champagne until the French Revolution, the Counts built a luxurious residence in Reims to attend the coronations. Champagne Taittinger has owned the Count's residence since its founding in 1932 and every bottle of their champagne is stamped with Count Thibault IV's seal (1201-1253), connecting the modern champagne house to Champagne's storied history (along with the purchase of historic Champagne house Forest-Fourneaux, which was established in 1734). As you would expect from a prestige cuvee, it's a knockout worthy of the Counts! All Grand Cru first run press Chardonnay from the Cote de Blancs and aged on the lees for 10 years, the 2013 has a backbone of minerality that can only come from the villages of Avize, Cramant, Oger, Le Mensil-dur-Oger, and Chouilly and a toasty profile that can only come from patience and age. Elegant, ethereal, with layers of finesse and beauty, its ready for your next celebration or cellar!