Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1990 – The radiant culmination of a legend
There are champagnes that are more than just a drink. They are the epitome of centuries-old craftsmanship, the embodiment of a unique terroir and a time capsule that preserves a specific moment in the history of Champagne. The 1990 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is such a wine – and perhaps even more than that. It is regarded by connoisseurs as one of the greatest vintages of this prestigious Tête de Cuvée of all time, a wine that expresses the elegance and mineral precision of pure Chardonnay from the Grand Cru vineyards of the Côte des Blancs in a manner that borders on perfection. Tasting a bottle of this wine today is no ordinary encounter with a champagne, but a journey into the quiet grandeur of a house that has perfected the art of blending and long ageing for generations – and into a vintage that experts regard as exceptional, yet one that also possesses its own complexities and versatility.
To understand this wine, one must first understand the philosophy behind it. The Comtes de Champagne is made exclusively from 100 per cent Chardonnay, sourced from five of the legendary Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. These vineyards, which rest on a subsoil of Cretaceous chalk, lend the wine its unmistakable mineral character – a salty, chalky vigour that remains perceptible even after decades of ageing. For this cuvée , the House of Taittinger uses exclusively the first-press juice (‘cuvée’) from the grapes and allows a small proportion of the wine to mature in oak barrels – around 5 per cent for five months – to impart a subtle texture and added complexity. After bottle fermentation, the champagne rests on its fine lees for almost a decade in the historic chalk cellars (‘crayères’) beneath Saint-Nicaise Abbey in Reims, before being disgorged. This exceptionally long ageing on the lees is the key to the creamy texture and complex autolysis aromas of brioche, nuts and honey that make the Comtes de Champagne so distinctive. The 1990 vintage – at least in some bottlings – was notdisgorged until 2012, meaning that the wine spent over two decades on the lees before its release, a patience reflected in its exceptional depth and integrity.
The 1990 vintage: a great, yet ever-changing vintage
The 1990 vintage in Champagne is often mentioned in the same breath as the great vintages of 1988 and 1989. As Tastingbook summarises, 1988, 1989 and 1990were three excellent vintages, and initially many considered the 1990 to be the best of the trio, before this reputation later passed to the 1988. The weather in 1990 was characterised by a warm winter and spring, which encouraged early budbreak, followed by a frost in April that left the vines vulnerable. The ensuing summer and autumn allowed the grapes to ripen, resulting in wines of great richness and opulence – characteristics that are also evident in the Comtes de Champagne 1990. However, the wine world agrees that some 1990 champagnes have matured more quickly than expected and that there may be variations from bottle to bottle and from producer to producer. This observation is crucial to understanding this wine: it is not a monolithic entity, but a living entity that can reveal different facets depending on storage conditions, bottle size and provenance.
The sensory experience: a mosaic of maturity, minerality and autolysis
Tasting a bottle of Taittinger Comte de Champagne 1990 today is an experience of rare depth and versatility. The tasting notes compiled over the decades by collectors and critics paint a picture of a wine that has transformed the extremes of its vintage and terroir into a remarkable harmony – and which is constantly evolving in the process.
The colour is the first indication of its maturity: the wine presents itself in a deep, luminous golden yellow with amber hues, bearing witness to decades of development in the cellar. Serena Sutcliffe MW of Sotheby’s described the colour as ‘soutenue’ and ‘bien limpide’, with fine bubbles forming an elegant mousse. The nose is the first major highlight of this Champagne. It is intense, multi-layered and of a beguiling complexity that varies depending on the bottle and how it has been aerated. Serena Sutcliffe MW described the nose as ‘warm boulangerie’ – a warm bakery aroma – which she found ‘very appealing’, underpinned by vanilla, clementines and flowers. Another tasting note, quoted by *The Wine Advocate*, highlights notes of orange marmalade and toasted nuts, beautifully contrasted by a mineral undertone. Richard Juhlin, one of the world’s leading champagne experts, described the nose in the magnum bottle as “almost identical to a Les Clos from Dauvissat” – a remarkable comparison for a champagne that underscores the mineral depth and character of a great white Burgundy. In the standard bottle, by contrast, a ‘riper and sweeter Comtes’ emerges , with a ‘long, rich and toasty oak finish’. This range of descriptions makes it clear that the 1990 Comtes de Champagne is a wine that can display different personalities depending on its format and ageing – a chameleon of the highest calibre.
The true greatness of this wine unfolds on the palate. The attack is rich, creamy and full-bodied, with a silky, almost velvety texture that envelops the palate. Serena Sutcliffe MW described the palate as ‘silky smooth’ with notes of vanillin, clementines and flowers, and praised its ‘elegance and seductiveness’ as well as the ‘finesse of its texture’. Robert Parker of *The Wine Advocate* described this Champagne as “perhaps the sexiest and most voluptuous Champagne on the market” – a description that underlines the opulent, sensual side of this wine. Stephen Tanzer of Vinous highlighted the “extraordinarily chewy texture”, with “ripe acids that give the flavours a great boost”, and unhesitatingly called it a “knockout Champagne”. The mousse is fine and velvety, yet the wine is permeated by a lively, invigorating acidity that prevents it from feeling heavy and lends it remarkable freshness and length. Panos Kakaviatos of The Wine Advocate praised the ‘such finesse on the palate’ with ‘delicate citrus notes, including lemon cake’ and a ‘warmth of the vintage’ that brings to mind‘baked apple’. The dosage is fully integrated and contributes to the wine’s fullness and roundness without making it seem sweet. The finish is exceptionally long and lingering, with a clean aftertaste of fruit, nuts, minerality and a subtle spiciness – a sign of the perfect maturation and the great class of this Champagne. Serena Sutcliffe MW described the finish as a ‘superb hazelnutty/biscuit taste’ with ‘wonderful freshness and brightness’ and a sensation that was‘utterly more-ish’.
The reviews: a chorus of praise
The reviews for the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1990 reflect its exceptional quality and its ability to win over even seasoned critics. Robert Parker Jr. of The Wine Advocate awarded 96 points and described the wine as “fresh and vibrant” with aromas of “fresh dough, bright lemon and butter” and a “lively texture” that propels the aromas into a “lingering finish”. Antonio Galloni of Vinous also awarded 96 points, praising the “notes of orange marmalade and toasted nuts”, which were wonderfully contrasted by a “mineral vein”, as well as the wine’s“freshness and esprit”. Richard Juhlin awarded 96 points and described the wine in the magnum as “young with a clean, dry flavour” and “unmistakable class”. Stephen Tanzer of Vinous awarded 95 points and called it a “knockout”. Serena Sutcliffe MW of Sotheby’s awarded 96 points (WA) and described the wine as “highly successful and a true thoroughbred” that caresses the palate in a “delightful way”. The Tastingbook platform , which aggregates the ratings of numerous professional critics and thousands of users, awards the wine 96 Tb points and lists it amongst the 1,034 best wines in the world. The CellarTracker community, where collectors share their tasting notes, records a median of 93 to 94 points from over 120 reviews, with scores ranging from 88 to 99 points – a reflection of the variability this wine can exhibit depending on the bottle and storage conditions. This range of high ratings demonstrates that the 1990 Comtes de Champagne is a wine that can be perceived very differently depending on the bottle, storage conditions and personal taste, but which consistently impresses at the very highest level.
Ageing potential and drinking maturity: a wine at a crossroads
The question of when the 1990 Comtes de Champagne is ready to drink is of particular significance today, almost four decades after the harvest – and the answer is as fascinating as it is complex. Experts’ recommendations and collectors’ experiences paint a picture of a wine that is at an advanced stage of maturity and reveals different facets depending on the bottle and bottle size. Tastingbook indicates a drinking window from 2020 to 2035, suggesting that the wine can still be enjoyed at a high standard for several more years. However, the CellarTracker community largely agrees that the wine has reached or has already passed its peak. One taster noted in 2025 that the wine was ‘still effervescent’, that the fruit had ‘gained depth’ and that there was a ‘precise note of baked bread’ which had not developed into oxidised sherry notes – ‘this is fantastic now’. Another taster from 2025 found the wine “still very nice but felt it was a bit past its best and highly oxidised compared to the ’96 beside it”. Yet another taster from 2025 described an “oxidative complexity dominated by Oloroso sherry, grilled walnuts, pine honey, salted caramel and burnt toast”, and wished for “more acidity and some dried fruit”. This range of experiences – from ‘fantastic’ to ‘past its prime’ – underlines that the 1990 Comtes de Champagne is a wine that varies from bottle to bottle, and whose enjoyment requires a certain amount of luck and careful storage.
The magnum bottle seems to be the best choice for those who wish to experience the wine in its most youthful and vibrant form. Richard Juhlin noted that the wine in the magnum was ‘young’, whilst the standard bottle revealed a ‘more mature and sweeter Comtes’. Serena Sutcliffe MW tasted the wine from a magnum in 2014 and described a ‘wonderful, classy, reductive/bready nose’ and a ‘superb hazelnut/biscuit flavour’ with ‘finesse of texture and elegance’. Anyone lucky enough to own a well-stored magnum should therefore open it in the coming years to experience the wine at its most radiant. As for standard bottles: ‘Drink up’ – drink it now, don’t wait any longer.
The serving recommendation is clear: the wine should be served at a temperature of 10 to 12 degrees Celsius to bring out its delicate aromas and lively acidity to the full. It is a perfect accompaniment to delicate fish dishes, seafood, white meat and mature hard cheeses – and it is a wine that deserves to be savoured on its own, in tranquillity, as a meditation on time and the enduring power of a great terroir.
Conclusion: The radiant perfection of a great cuvée
The Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1990 is not a wine that takes centre stage. It is not a legendary ‘vintage of the century’ like 1996 or 2008, nor is it hailed in every wine magazine as the greatest Comtes of all time. And yet it embodies a virtue that is often overlooked in today’s wine world: the quiet, enduring greatness of a wine born of an exceptional vintage, a unique terroir and the steadfast craftsmanship of one of Champagne’s most traditional houses. It is the result of a fortunate combination of 100 per cent Chardonnay from five Grand Cru vineyards, nearly ten years’ ageing on the lees in the historic chalk cellars of Reims, and a patience that has paid off. It reminds us that true class is not always expressed through spectacular opulence or a famous vintage, but often through the ability to develop its own subtle and deeply satisfying character in the context of its time. Its greatness lies in its modesty – a quiet triumph of consistency and a worthy ambassador for the House of Taittinger and its Tête de Cuvée, which ranks amongst the most profound wines of Champagne. Anyone lucky enough to open a well-aged bottle – ideally a magnum – should take their time, not only to savour it, but also to reflect on the transience and the enduring fascination of a wine that has stood the test of time.
