Taittinger Champagne

Discover Taittinger Champagne

One of the last great independent family Champagne houses, with roots dating back to 1734. Taittinger is also one of the few great houses to bear the name of the family that still runs it today, a continuity that says it all about the commitment of four generations to a unique style: to create a champagne whose main ambition is to resemble no other, except itself. Chardonnay is the soul of this house, its common thread from Brut Sans Année to Comtes de Champagne, one of the world's most admired blanc de blancs.

The House of Taittinger

In 1734, Jacques Fourneaux set up a Champagne wine trading house, working with the great Benedictine abbeys, then owners of the finest Champagne vineyards. In 1932, Pierre Taittinger acquired Château de la Marquetterie, near Épernay, which he had discovered during the First World War and fallen in love with. Before the French Revolution, the Château de la Marquetterie was the residence of the writer Jacques Cazotte, and the scene of country parties where philosophers and men of letters of the Age of Enlightenment met.
François Taittinger, Pierre's third son, took over the reins of the company in 1945 and signed the house's production in the family name, giving birth to the Taittinger brand. Under his direction, the company moved into the cellars of the Saint-Nicaise abbey, built in the 13th century on Gallo-Roman chalk pits dating back to the 4th century. After his accidental death in 1960, Claude Taittinger ran the house from 1960 to 2005, helping to make it one of the great Champagne houses.
In 2006, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger bought the house back, after a brief spell with Starwood Capital, thanks to the support of Crédit Agricole and a collective effort. On January 2, 2020, Vitalie Taittinger became president of the house, accompanied by her brother Clovis in charge of the export division, a fourth generation that embodies both roots in tradition and a resolutely contemporary vision.

Terroir and style of Taittinger champagne

The Taittinger vineyard extends over 288 hectares, spread over 37 different crus, with a predominance of the Chardonnay grape variety. Taittinger is one of the largest landowners in Champagne, supplying around 40% of its grapes. The vineyards cover plots in every Grand Cru of the region, from the slopes of the Côte des Blancs, cradle of the Chardonnay grape, to the Montagne de Reims for the Pinots Noirs of structure.
The cellars are housed in the Gallo-Roman chalk pits of the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise, in Reims, 4 kilometers of which are owned by the house and used to age prestige cuvées. In 2017, the house obtained Viticulture Durable en Champagne and Haute Valeur Environnementale certifications. The Taittinger signature is based on lightness, finesse and aromatic precision, three qualities directly linked to the dominant place given to Chardonnay in all blends.

Taittinger cuvées

Brut Réserve

Brut Réserve is the emblematic cuvée, the gateway to the House's universe. A blend of the three Champagne grape varieties (40% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier), from 35 different crus, supplemented by 20% reserve wines and aged for a minimum of three years in our cellars. Light, fresh, with great consistency from one year to the next, this is the Champagne of the house that connoisseurs return to with the same confidence.

Prestige Rosé

Le Prestige Rosé combines velvety smoothness and liveliness, blended from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (70%) and Chardonnay (30%), with a fraction of Pinot Noir red wine to give it its lovely pink hue and fresh fruit aromas. Fruity, elegant and luminous, this is one of Champagne's most consistently appreciated non-vintage rosés.

Prélude Grands Crus

A blend of equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from exclusively Grands Crus, the Prélude Grands Crus is aged for five years before release. With notes of white flowers, cinnamon and white peach, this is a serious cuvée with good ageing potential, often too discreet in the range despite its critically acclaimed excellence.

Les Folies de la Marquetterie

The house's first terroir champagne: Les Folies de la Marquetterie. A blend of 45% Chardonnay and 55% Pinot Noir made exclusively from grapes grown in the Folies vineyard overlooking Château de la Marquetterie, the Taittinger family's Champagne cradle. Partially vinified in oak casks, characterized by fullness and harmony, with aromas of peach and apricot compote, touches of brioche and a lightly woody finish. Rich, complex and generous, this is a champagne for the table, made for gastronomy.

Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs

Le Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is the absolute jewel of the house. 100% Chardonnay from the five villages classified as Grands Crus for this grape variety: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Only juice from the first press is used. 5% of the blend is aged for four months in new oak barrels to add a touch of toast. The Blanc de Blancs is then aged for up to ten years on lees in the 13th-century chalk pits of the Saint-Nicaise abbey, before delivering an expression of crystalline purity, saline minerality and exceptional length. Since 1952, only 48 cuvées of Comtes de Champagne have been produced, one of the most consistent and admired blanc de blancs in Champagne.

Comtes de Champagne Rosé

The house's rarest cuvée, produced only during exceptional harvests, composed of 70% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and 30% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, with 15% red wine blended for color and structure. With remarkable elegance and depth, the Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a champagne for laying down that can be enjoyed for several decades.

Taittinger Collection

The house publishes a special series entitled Taittinger Collection, with each edition decorated by an international artist or photographer. These limited-edition, vintage bottles constitute one of the longest and most consistent artist champagne series in Champagne.

Did you know?

In Ian Fleming's novels, Taittinger was James Bond's favorite champagne, before Bollinger took its place on the silver screen. But the house's pioneering ambition is not limited to fiction: in 2017, Taittinger became the first Champagne house to plant vines in the UK, on 40 hectares in Chilham, Kent, a bold move that continues the spirit of conquest that has driven the family for four generations.