About Taittinger Champagne
Founded in 1734, Taittinger is another Champagne house, with a long and noble history, spanning over two and a half centuries. Taittinger is known in the UK for its fine, and elegant style of Champagne, with great breeding and class. Sponsor of the BAFTA awards, it’s seen at many A list parties, and is a firm favourite, because of its slightly more delicate, creamy style, a result of the high proportion of Chardonnay that is in the blend. It now occupies 7th position in the hierarchy of top 10 Champagne brands in the UK.
A highly awarded and acclaimed range of Champagnes, Taittinger differs from its peers in style, due to the minimum 40% of Chardonnay that it uses in its blends, produced from some of the top Chardonnay vineyards in the region. Taittinger now owns over 288 ha of vines, and is one of the top 2 Champagne houses in terms of self-supply, with over 50% of the wines produced from grapes grown on the company’s own vineyards.
What's The Background To Taittinger?
The Champagne house that was to become Taittinger was founded in 1734 by Jacques Fourneaux, who built the basis of the business. In 1931, the company was bought by Pierre Taittinger, who had been based at the property owned by the Fourneaux company, the beautiful Chateau de la Marquetterie, during the First World War. He fell in love with the chateau and the region, purchased the company and renamed it.
Today it is one of relatively few Champagne houses still retaining the name of the owner. With over 288 ha of vines, the Taittinger house owns vineyards across the Champagne region, the majority of them, Grand Crus or Premier Crus, but the company is based above the thick chalk, 4th century Roman cellars, that once belonged to the Benedictine monks of the abbey of Sainte Nicaise.
It is also one of the few Champagne houses, who base their house style on the Chardonnay grape variety, the one of the 3 grapes that has the fewest plantings in the region, with over 27% of total production.
What Styles Of Wine Does Taittinger Make?
Taittinger Brut Reserve NV - a delicate, fresh, creamy blend, made with a minimum of 40% Chardonnay, double that of the standard NV blend; elegant, crisp, and livelier than many.
Taittinger Rose NV - a similar style than the NV brut, with a pretty, strawberry-scented style. Made with the addition of still red wine from the local areas of Ambonnay and Bouzy, it is richer, more flavoursome and more complex in style than many Rose Champagnes.
Taittinger Vintage - with longer ageing and a very high proportion of wines from grand crus and premier crus vineyards, but with a similar or greater proportion of Chardonnay, these wines are supremely stylish, restrained and elegant.
Taittinger Prelude Grands Crus - a top quality Champagne, with a fine, nervy, thoroughbred style, produced only from the best Grands Crus vineyards.
Taittinger Nocturne - a richer, off dry Champagne, made with a higher level of ‘dosage’, to create a less dry style.
Taittinger Folies de la Marqueterie - a unique, very fine and poised Champagne, entirely made from grapes produced on this fabulous and historic estate.
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne - a unique and ethereal, yet long-lasting wine, made only in the very best vintages, and 100% from the Chardonnay grape, which is unusual at this high quality level.
Taittinger produce a large quantity of Champagnes in larger sizes, including magnums and jeroboams, and also are well known for their exquisite gift packaging.