Empire Merchants
Champagne Taittinger Brut Millesime 2016 750mL
Champagne Taittinger Brut Millesime 2016 750mL
FRANCE : CHAMPAGNE
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
MED-BODIED, HAWTHORN, PEACH, BRIOCHE, CITRUS ZEST, NO OAK
The 2016 vintage in Champagne came close to not existing. April frosts followed by a wet early summer cut the crop by roughly a third. Then August turned dry and sunny, and September extended the run — 25 days of harvest across both ridgelines, enough to coax exceptional ripeness and the razor acidity that makes vintage Champagne worth the wait. Taittinger's Brut Millésimé draws equally on Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs Grands Crus and Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims Grands Crus: 50/50, 70% Grand Cru sites, five-plus years sur lattes in bottle, disgorged September 2024.
Decanter gave it 97 points — "razor sharp acidity and mouth-filling mousse." James Suckling and Jeb Dunnuck each landed at 94. It drinks well now and sits comfortably through the early 2030s.
PAIRINGS :
| Oysters on the half shell | brininess mirrors the wine's gunflint and razor acidity |
| Scallop carpaccio | fine mousse and citrus zest lift the delicate richness |
| Veal with cream and mushrooms | the structure and bubbles cut through cream; the wine holds its weight |
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