2014 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 6pk 6x750ml

Wonderful aromas of cooked apples, bread dough, meringue, honeysuckle, lilacs and some lavender. Medium-bodied with density and focus, a tight palate and a lovely texture. Creamy mouthfeel. Long and seamless finish. Pure chardonnay. Aged for five or six months on the lees in 228-liter barrels. Disgorged January 2025. 9 g/L dosage. Drink or hold. ~99 James Suckling

The 2014 Comtes de Champagne is pristine. In this tasting, it comes across as a mini-2008, similar in its linear personality, with just a touch more mid-palate creaminess. Readers will find a Comtes that plays in the realm of tension and energy. Citrus confit, white flowers, chalk, mint and chamomile are all finely sketched. Light tropical overtones grace the finish. What an absolute delight. The 2014 can be enjoyed now or cellared. Dosage is 9 grams per liter. ~97 Vinous Media

Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne shines in 2014. It's a vintage that offered crisp yet open and beautifully defined wines from the grand cru Chardonnays of the Côte des Blancs. This is still primary and youthful, its zesty roasted grapefruit, sweet clementine and pineapple flavours meet juicy white peach and gentle ageing flavours of demerara sugar and toasted brioche. It's a little less intense and dynamic than 2013 but equally fine in its restrained, racy energy. With even a short time on cork the classic toasty Comtes richness will start to emerge. ~96 Decanter

Occupying a stylistic middle ground between the incisiveness of the 2013 and the fleshier textures of the 2012, Taittinger’s 2014 Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne—disgorged in July 2024 with a dosage of nine grams per liter—has turned out beautifully. It offers aromas of orange peel, peach, pear and brioche mingled with hazelnut and burnt buttered toast. On the palate, it is full-bodied, ample and textural, with a layered yet crisp core of fruit, considerable tension and a long, chalky finish. Harmonious and racy-fresh though it is, this is a marginally richer rendition than the 2013 tasted alongside it, yet both promise excellent longevity and will make for fascinating comparative tastings in the years to come. ~96 WA

A textbook blanc de blancs Champagne, with a rich waft of toasted hazelnut on the nose, plus a voluptuous range of poached apricot, quince paste, tangerine peel and brioche notes that expand on the finely detailed mousse. Focused by well-cut acidity, this is long and mouthwatering, with fragrant spice, mineral and floral accents on the finish. Drink now through 2040. ~96 WS

The 2014 Champagne Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne pours a bright medium yellow hue and is very pretty, with a graceful floral perfume as well as notes of brioche and lemon curd. Full-bodied but more linear, the mousse is pillow-like, powdery, and perfumed and is followed by a long finish. I love where this is now. It’s quite complete and pretty already, and it’s a great bottle to drink while waiting on the 2012 and 2013. It’s less obvious as a vintage at this stage, but I do see it improving and developing into a very finessed wine. Drink 2025-2050. ~95 JD