Taittinger 2007 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 750ml

Since Taittinger created Comtes de Champagne in 1952, only thirty-five vintages have ever earned the right to carry the name. That is not a marketing figure — it is the literal count of years in more than seven decades that the house has judged worthy of its most exceptional cuvée, a decision made purely by tasting the still base wines before any commitment to production is made. 2007 became one of those thirty-five. The growing season that produced it was long, cold, and damp, with grapes reaching harvest — an unusually early one, in late August — at the very threshold of ripeness. That kind of marginal ripening season can go either way for Chardonnay; here, it produced a Comtes of genuine restraint and precision rather than the more demonstrative richness of vintages like 2006 or 2012.

The wine is, as ever, composed entirely of Chardonnay from the same five Grand Cru villages that have defined Comtes since its creation: Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger providing structure and finesse, Chouilly contributing body, and smaller proportions from Cramant and Oger rounding out the blend. Only the first, gentlest pressing is used. The wine ferments almost entirely in stainless steel, with roughly 5% aged briefly in new oak, before resting for a full decade in the Gallo-Roman chalk quarries beneath Saint-Nicaise Hill — chalk galleries originally carved in the fourth century, later serving as the cellars of a medieval abbey, eighteen metres below Reims.

James Suckling awarded 98 Points at release — scoring it, at the time, higher than any previous Comtes vintage he had reviewed, including the celebrated 2006. Quill & Pad rated it 96 Points, calling it "now and set to improve over the next 20 years," with a bouquet of pear, mocha, and dried flowers mingled with cacao nib, and "a touch of smoky reduction that is more overt in this rendition" than in the vintages that followed it. On the palate: medium-bodied, elegant, and taut, with a crystalline core of fruit, pinpoint mousse, incisive acids, and a precise, long, chalky finish — "a middleweight, more lightly structured Comtes," in the words of one reviewer, "one that may stir a certain nostalgia for the Comtes of bygone years." K&L's Gary Westby, in a separate tasting, went further still, comparing the 2007's limey drive directly to Puligny-Montrachet — the kind of comparison that only the most serious white Burgundy deserves.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs was created in 1952 — Taittinger's answer to the question of what the ultimate expression of the house style could be, made only in years the winemaking team judges worthy through blind tasting of the still base wines. In the more than seventy years since, only thirty-five vintages have ever been released, with 2007 counting among them. Easily recognizable by its distinctive squat bottle, Comtes de Champagne carries a genuine claim to cultural significance as well: in the early years of the Bond film franchise, it was reputedly James Bond's favorite Champagne, an association that helped cement blanc de blancs Champagne's reputation in the American market as the pinnacle of the category.

The wine is composed entirely of Chardonnay sourced from five Grand Cru villages on the Côte des Blancs: Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, which form the structural core of the cuvée, alongside Chouilly, Cramant, and Oger. Much of the fruit comes from vineyards the Taittinger family owns directly, ensuring continuity of quality and style across vintages. Only the first, gentlest pressing — the cuvée — is used; harsher, later pressings are excluded entirely. Fermentation takes place almost entirely in stainless steel, with a small proportion, roughly 5%, aged briefly in new oak barrels to add subtle body and depth without oxidative character. The wine then rests for a decade on its lees, eighteen metres below Reims in Gallo-Roman chalk quarries first carved in the fourth century and later used as the cellars of the Saint-Nicaise abbey — cellars that are today part of why the houses and cellars of Champagne carry UNESCO World Heritage status. The 2007 was disgorged in 2017, with a dosage of nine grams per litre.

Critics Reviews

James Suckling — 98 Points:
Scored higher at release than any previous Comtes de Champagne vintage Suckling had reviewed to that point, including the acclaimed 2006.

Quill & Pad — 96 Points:
"Now and set to improve over the next 20 years."

Wine.com / Neal Martin, house tasting note:
"Disgorged in 2017 with a dosage of nine grams per liter, it reveals a bouquet of pear, mocha and dried flowers mingled with cacao nib, and there's a touch of smoky reduction that is more overt in this rendition than in the 2012–2014 trio. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, elegant and taut, with a crystalline core of fruit, pinpoint mousse, incisive acids and a precise, long, chalky finish. Less demonstrative than both the 2006 and 2012 editions, this is a middleweight, more lightly structured Comtes — one that may stir a certain nostalgia for the Comtes of bygone years."

Wine.com (extended, alternate tasting):
"That typical Chardonnay color is there in all its sparkling, golden glory with shimmers of green coating the constant stream of fine, delicate bubbles. It has a fine and delicate nose which combines white blossom and a certain minerality with general overtones of Anjou light pear and golden raisins. Subtle hints of aniseed and smoky flavors follow this suggestion of fruit. The taste is vibrant, with a combination of lemon and saltiness. This is immediately followed by a sensation of complex, yet mellow freshness creating the perfect balance between ripeness and a full-rounded flavor. It is rounded off by a long-lasting, crisp finish with hints of salted butter. This elegant wine lives up to its reputation with its freshness, strength, minerality and mellow fruitiness."

K&L Wines / Gary Westby:
"Looking back at my notes on the excellent and very well-priced 2007 Taittinger 'Comtes de Champagne', I had compared that vintage to Puligny-Montrachet because of its limey drive."

CellarTracker community — 93 points average (434 reviews)

Jancis Robinson: Reviewed among Taittinger's family-owned house Champagne portfolio.

Tasting Profile

Nose
Sparkling golden color with shimmers of green, coating a constant stream of fine, delicate bubbles. A fine and delicate nose combines white blossom and minerality with overtones of Anjou pear and golden raisins. Pear, mocha, and dried flowers mingle with cacao nib — a more overt touch of smoky reduction than found in the vintages that followed. Subtle hints of aniseed and smoke thread through the fruit.

Palate
Medium-bodied, elegant, and taut — a crystalline core of fruit carried by pinpoint mousse and incisive acids. Vibrant, with a combination of lemon and saltiness giving way to complex, mellow freshness that finds the perfect balance between ripeness and full-rounded flavor. Less demonstrative and more lightly structured than the more powerful 2006 or 2012 vintages — a middleweight, precise expression with genuine limey drive reminiscent of fine Puligny-Montrachet.

Finish
Long-lasting, crisp, and precise, with hints of salted butter and a chalky, mineral close. Freshness, strength, and mellow fruitiness carry through a finish built for decades of continued development — Quill & Pad specifically noted this vintage as "set to improve over the next 20 years."

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Seafood, shellfish, and fish entrées
• Sushi and delicate raw preparations
• Soft, creamy cheeses
• Aperitif, on its own