2014 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France (750ml)

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: 

Aromas of toasted brioche and pastries flavored with lemon meringue, hazelnut and almond. On the palate, the bubbles leave a gentle caress with a hint of zest and passion. This Comtes de Champagne 2014 offers a superb, mouthwatering freshness, an excellent structure and a long finish.

Pair with scallop carpaccio, blue lobster, salmon roe, sole meunière Brillat-Savarin cheese and spice-roasted apple/pear.

TASTING NOTES: 

Apricots, hazelnuts, lemons, white flowers, sliced almonds and hints of licorice on the nose. It's creamy and layered, with soft, rounded bubbles that spread across the palate. Lovely balance of breadth, ripeness and freshness, with delicious wildflower honey and nut notes lingering. 100% grand cru chardonnay from Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Cramant and Chouilly. Drink or hold.

- James Suckling, 97 pts. 

Closed in style and character like the 2013, Taittinger's 2014 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne reveals aromas of ripe orchard fruit, confit citrus, dried flowers, herbs, spring blossoms and mirabelle mingled with customary autolytic notes. Full-bodied, seamless and enrobing, it has a delicate, elegant, fleshy core of fruit and racy acids, all enhanced by a saline, fresh and penetrating finish marked by finesse and elegance. This refined, chalky-inflected Comtes de Champagne has the potential to age gracefully over the next 30-40 years.

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 pts. 

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.

- Vinous, 97 pts. 

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.

- Wine Spectator, 96 pts.