96+ John Gilman - View from the Cellar

"The new release of Taittinger’s beautiful Comtes de Champagne is stunning, offering up a deep and youthful nose of pear, apple, brioche, a very complex base of chalky minerality, crème patissière, a touch of iodine and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, young and crisp, with great focus and mid-palate concentration, very elegant mousse, laser-like focus and simply stunning length and grip on the utterly refined and youthful finish. This is so beautifully balanced that it is already a superb glass of bubbly, but I would try to keep it tucked away in the cellar for at least five or six years to allow its secondary layers of complexity to emerge, as this is going to be a brilliant vintage of Comtes de Champagne for long-term cellaring. 2018-2050." (08/13)

96 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

"I am thrilled with the way the 2004 Comtes de Champagne continues to evolve in bottle. A few years ago, the 2004 was quite focused and linear, in the style of the vintage, but more recently, the wine has begun to fill out beautifully. The 2004 remains bright, with a full range of citrus, white flower and mineral nuances that dance on the palate. A brisk, saline-infused finish rounds things out beautifully in a Comtes that impresses for its crystalline purity. I expect the 2004 will always remain a bit cool next to the more opulent 2002, but it is still drop-dead gorgeous."