–A sparkling wine associated with joy and regarded as a symbol of luxury, typically made in the Champagne region of Reims, France.
Champagne. Let the word roll off of your tongue–maybe practice and perfect your French accent while you’re at it. Allow it to incite your own personal reaction and pique all of your five senses in a rare and perfect symphony— even how one pronounces the word champagne, or the wine region and the vineyards from which it originates Reims (pronounced by the natives like some nasalization of Ranse which rhymes oh so exquisitely with France) matters.
It all matters, so take it in.
Whether you are walking the ancient and naturally chilled salt caves where champagne is stored till maturity or exploring the champagne grape vineyards themselves, heady with the fragrance of its sweet fruit, champagne is an experience for all of the senses – color, aroma, texture, and flavor. Oh, and the sound of a cork popping—
—Pure celebration.
In the name of tried and true, there are some brands of Champagne that rise above the rest to the extraordinary. For us at Gladys, Champagne Taittinger sweeps in and simply steals the show.
About Champagne Taittinger
In the city of Reims, France, Champagne Taittinger is the largest family-owned Champagne house and continues the tradition of creating its fine wines just as it has since 1932 when Pierre Taittinger founded the brand. In 2005, the house was bought by Starwood Capital, an American investment company. After a few years, Taittinger was sold to Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, grandson of the original founder. (A small portion owned by bank Crédit Agricole). Vitalie Taittinger joined Champagne Taittinger when her father bought back the company and is now its Artistic Director. A source of creative flair for advertising campaigns and a Taittinger ambassadress, she is a fine representative of the values of elegance and generosity that is what this company is all about, at the heart of it all. Lovely and vibrant, Vitalie was recently appointed as Champagne Taittinger’s Global Ambassador and can be seen in advertisements all around the world.
Champagne Taittinger is one of the last remaining major marquee Champagne houses that is actively owned and managed by the Taittinger family. Their Champagnes are dominated by Chardonnay giving them a signature elegance and delicacy. Currently, Champagne Taittinger is distributed globally in 140 countries.
About an hour’s drive from Paris through France’s scenic countryside, the grand Château de la Marquetterie is where it all began for Champagne Taittinger over 80 years ago. At the two houses in Reims, the complex and vast history of the Gallo-Roman is recollected via chalk pits that were constructed in the fourth century and used as a place of refuge by thousands of people during World War I. The maze of passages at Pommery also housed a hospital, a school, and a post office. The Chalk Mine headquarters are located on Reim’s Butte Saint-Nicaise, a site with more than eighteen centuries of history. Descend the stairs to the underground and experience the old world created in Gallo-Roman times in the 13th century. The site was abandoned for 150 years and resurrected in the 1920s with the arrival of a Champagne House. After the war, Taittinger bought the site and moved its headquarters there. The building’s original art-deco style has been meticulously preserved and it shows. Stroll the cavernous space, its nooks and crannies, and allow your senses to dictate the experience.
Today, Taittinger‘s Champagne house produces approximately 400,000 cases a year of Champagne cuvee, Brut Reserve, vintage wines, and sublime Blancs de Blancs prestige cuvee Comtes de Champagne, matched by an equally exquisite and rare rose type. Taittinger makes a Brut Réserve every year which is recognized all over the world. Produced with a unique proportion of first-press wines, this cuvée is a blend that has a particularly high percentage of Chardonnay (40%) combined with Pinot Noir (35%) and Pinot Meunier (25%), which come from more than 35 different crus and harvest upon harvest. After aging three to four years in their cellars (over twice the legal requirement, it reaches a maturity packed with flavor. The color is a bright golden straw yellow. The nose is very expressive, with aromas of fruit and a robust brioche note. There are also hints of peach, white flowers, and vanilla. On the palate, the “attack” is fresh and lively, expressing delicate flavors of fruit and honey. The finish offers a slight hint of grapefruit.
Champagne Taittinger’s portfolio consists of Brut La Francaise NV, Prestige Rose NV, Prelude Grands Crus NV, Brut Millesime 2012, Blancs De Blancs 2006, Rose 2006, Nocturne NV, and Nocturne Rose NV.
