1990 Taittinger Comtes De Champagne Blanc De Blancs

Taittinger, founded in 1734, is one of the few remaining family-owned and operated Champagne houses. Based in Reims, the house is currently led by Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger and his children, Vitalie and Clovis. Taittinger owns 288 hectares of vineyards, making it the second largest domaine in Champagne, with holdings in the best crus of the Champagne region. The house is particularly known for its Chardonnay-dominant style, with its prestige cuvée, Comtes de Champagne, being a blanc de blancs made entirely from Chardonnay.

Taittinger's vineyards are spread across the Champagne region, with significant holdings in the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims. The Champagne region, located approximately 150 kilometers east of Paris, is France's most northerly wine region. It comprises five main growing areas: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, and Aube. Each of these sub-regions contributes unique characteristics to the grapes grown there, allowing Taittinger to create complex and balanced blends that reflect the diversity of Champagne's terroir.

The terroir of Champagne is distinguished by its chalky subsoil, which provides excellent drainage and heat retention - crucial elements in the region's cool climate. This chalk base is often overlaid with varying amounts of clay, sand, and limestone, creating a diverse range of soil compositions. The region's gently rolling hills, ranging from 90 to 300 meters in elevation, offer varied exposures that influence grape ripening. Champagne's semi-continental climate, characterized by cold winters and warm summers, combined with its northerly latitude, results in a long, slow ripening period. This unique combination of soil and climate produces grapes with high acidity and subtle flavors, essential for creating Taittinger's elegant and refined champagnes, particularly their Chardonnay-focused cuvées.