TAITTINGER CHAMPAGNE

We are delighted to have a very close relationship with the Taittinger family who have managed this celebrated Champagne House for nearly a century. Like us, they share the belief that Champagne is a symbol "of happiness, of love, of generosity".

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A little history

Taittinger is the third oldest producer in the Champagne region. Its origins can be traced back to 1734, when Jacques Fourneaux founded the Forest-Fourneaux estate, benefitting from the wine-making expertise of local Benedictine monks. The House’s more recent history starts when Pierre Taittinger was based at the Château de la Marquetterie, located in the heart of the Champagne vineyards, during the First World War, and fell in love with the region. He returned in 1932, when the estate and additional extensive vineyard holdings were purchased by the Taittinger family.

The following decades saw the creation of the cellars in the astonishing crayères of the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise in Reims, and the gradual establishment of Taittinger’s international standing as a Champagne house of the highest distinction by Pierre’s sons, François and Claude. A further expansion into the luxury goods market eventually led to ﬁnancial difficulties, and in 2005 the American owned Starwood Hotel Group bought the Taittinger brand.

The next chapter started when Claude’s charismatic nephew, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, who had always opposed the sale, bought back the family Champagne House in 2006, making Taittinger one of the few remaining independently owned Champagne Houses. He then assembled a highly talented and motivated young team, including his daughter and son, Vitalie and Clovis, to forge the future of the brand. They have preserved Taittinger’s heritage while ensuring its quality and reputation continue to soar.

In the vineyard

Today, the Taittinger estate covers 288 hectares located between the Côte des Blancs, the Vallée de la Marne and the Montagne de Reims.

It is made up of 37% Chardonnay, 48% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier vines, distributed across 37 different vineyards.

The Taittinger estate produces around half of the grapes it needs the remainder coming from partner vineyards, based on long-term commitments and shared cultural philosophies.

Taittinger use the most advanced techniques in responsible viticulture practices, such as adding grass to 90% of its vineyards, regular ploughing between February and July to work the soil, and use of local workers skilled in horse-drawn ploughing.

In respect to its vines, Taittinger is pursuing the mid-term aim of being 100% eco-friendly. They have been using a sustainable approach for 10 years to preserve the biodiversity of the fauna and flora across the terroir and in the vineyards.

In the Cellar

After hand harvesting, the bunches of grapes are gently pressed separately, vineyard by vineyard, grape variety by grape variety, then fermented parcel by parcel in stainless-steel vats, except the Comtes de Champagne and Folies de la Marquetterie musts which are placed in wooden vats made from oak barrels.

The still wines (or ‘vins clairs’) are presented to the tasting panel (Pierre-Emmanuel, Clovis and Vitalie Taittinger, Damien Le Sueur and Vincent Collard) for review and blending.

The philosophy and character behind Taittinger champagnes is that only the best must be retained, in order to find that unique taste. It is the tasting panel at Taittinger which is charged with this important blending task when the wine is still, before any bubbles have formed.

The blended wines are then given time (4 to 10 years, depending on the blend) to develop in bottle in the cool, calm, dark, depths of the St Nicaise chalk cellars.

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THE CUVEES

Taittinger's Brut Reserve NV is the cornerstone of their collection. Perfectly matured 40 % Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier, from over 35 different vineyards produces a light, elegant and balanced champagne. Prelude is another Goedhuis favourite. Made solely from fruit grown in Grand Cru vineyards, it is the epitome of greatness and splendour, but with an extremely tempting price tag.

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COMTES DE CHAMPAGNE

The jewel in Taittinger’s crown, released only in the best years. It is made with Chardonnay grapes from premium plots within the five Grands Crus villages of the Côtes des Blancs: Avize, Cramant, Chouilly, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger, and aged for the best part of a decade in the Saint-Nicaise crayères. Highly collectable, it is one of the most enjoyable prestige cuvée Champagnes. Gorgeous in its youth but with the potential to age beautifully well over decades, and the release price remains determinedly reasonable.