Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1986 – The radiant maturity of a great cuvée
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 1986 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is one such wine. As the Tête de Cuvée of the House of Taittinger, first produced in 1952, the Comtes de Champagne is the epitome of the pure expression of Chardonnay from the Grand Cru vineyards of the Côte des Blancs. 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 described by connoisseurs as ‘good, solid’ and one of remarkable longevity.
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 communes of the Côte des Blancs: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. These vineyards, which rest on a bed 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 ages around 5 per cent of the wine in oak barrels to impart a subtle texture and added complexity. Following 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 1986 vintage: A classic vintage with great structure
The 1986 wine year in Champagne is often described as ‘good and solid’ – not a monumental ‘vintage of the century’ like 1982 or 1990, but one that producedwines with good acidity, structure and remarkable longevity. The weather conditions in the summer and autumn of 1986 allowed for a slow, even ripening of the grapes, which preserved a lively, fresh acidity and a delicate, structured bouquet. For a Chardonnay Champagne such as Comtes de Champagne, this vintage presented a special opportunity: the cool weather prevented overripening and preserved the aromatic precision and mineral tension that characterise the terroir of the Côte des Blancs. The wine was disgorged in the late 1990s – a bottle disgorged in the 1990s is mentioned in CellarTracker’s tasting notes – and has since spent further decades in the bottle, allowing the dosage to integrate fully into the wine’s structure.
The sensory experience: a mosaic of maturity, minerality and autolysis
Tasting a bottle of Taittinger Comte de Champagne 1986 today is an experience of rare depth and complexity. The colour is the first indication of its maturity: the wine presents itself in a deep, luminous amber-gold with an ultra-fine, persistent mousse. This amber hue is typical of a matured Blanc de Blancs and bears witness to decades of development in the cellar.
The nose is the first major revelation of this champagne. It is intense, complex and multi-layered, characterised by ripe yet vibrant aromas. Notes of toasted hazelnuts and almonds dominate the opening, underpinned by brioche and butter biscuits, which bear witness to the long ageing on the lees. Aromas of dried apricots, figs and orange marmalade – with a hint of candied orange peel and dried citrus peel – join in, lending the bouquet a sweet, jam-like depth. With a little air in the glass , tertiary aromas of black truffles, honeycomb, mocha and a hint of tobacco blossom emerge, underlining the wine’s complexity. The mineral note of chalk and flint, so characteristic of the Comtes de Champagne , shimmers through as a cool, salty undertone, anchoring the wine in its terroir.
On the palate, the true greatness of this wine unfolds. The attack is rich, creamy and full-bodied, with a silky, almost cashmere-like texture that envelops the palate. The mousse is fine and velvety, yet the wine is permeated by a lively, invigorating acidity that prevents it from becoming heavy and lends it remarkable freshness and length. The aromas on the nose are echoed on the palate with great precision: toasted nuts, brioche, dried apricots, orange marmalade and a subtle mineral salinity blend into a harmonious whole. The dosage is fully integrated and contributes to the wine’s fullness and roundness without making it seem sweet – Richard Juhlin noted that the dosage in this vintage is ‘somewhat high’, but is perfectly embedded within the wine’s rich structure. 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.
The reviews: a chorus of praise
The reviews for the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1986 reflect its exceptional quality and its ability to win over even seasoned critics. Antonio Galloni of Vinous awarded the wine 95 points, describing it as “rich and creamy” with “layers of lime zest, flowers and oak” and an “exceptionally long, refined finish”. Richard Juhlin, one of the world’s leading champagne experts, awarded 91 points and praised the wine as “creamy and easier to drink than ever before” with a “long finish of almond and honey”. Neal Martin of Vinous also awarded 91 points and described a “balanced” palate with notes of “brioche, Turkish delight, dried orange peel and dried honey”, though he noted that the wine performed better from the magnum bottle than from the standard bottle and that it should be drunk “sooner rather than later”. The Tastingbook platform , which aggregates reviews from numerous professional critics and thousands of users, awards the wine 93 Tb points and lists it amongst the 1,538 best wines in the world. The CellarTracker community, where collectors share their tasting notes, records a median score of 93 points from 18 reviews and describes the wine as “a sweet profile with very good acidity and some carbonation, very fruity, delicious”. This range of high ratings shows that the 1986 Comtes de Champagne is a wine that can be perceived very differently depending on the bottle, storage conditions and personal taste, but which always impresses at the very highest level.
Ageing potential and drinking window: A wine at the peak of its development
The question of when the 1986 Comtes de Champagne is ready to drink is of particular importance today, almost four decades after the harvest. The experts’ recommendations are clear: the wine has reached its optimal drinking window and should be enjoyed in the coming years. Tastingbook specifies a drinking window of ‘now until 2025’. Neal Martin of Vinous advised drinking the wine ‘sooner rather than later’, as it was no longer quite as fresh from the standard bottle as it was from the magnum. The CellarTracker community largely agrees that the wine is ‘in a perfect drinking window’, but ‘isn’t sure whether it will improve any further’ – and that if you appreciate mature champagne with nutty and caramelised notes, you should enjoy it now. The Vinous tasting note from 2010 indicated a drinking window from 2010 to 2020 and noted that whilst the 1986 Comtes ‘is singing today’, it is unlikely to be among the Comtes’ longest-lived vintages. These assessments paint a picture of a wine that is at its peak, or perhaps already slightly past it. It is no longer a youthful powerhouse, but a mature, complex champagne that tells its own story. Anyone lucky enough to own a well-stored bottle should therefore open it in the near future to experience it in its current, complex splendour.
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 quiet contemplation, as a meditation on the passage of time and the enduring power of a great terroir.
Conclusion: The quiet grandeur of a Tête de Cuvée
The Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1986 is not a wine that basks in the limelight. It is not a legendary ‘century vintage’ like 1982 or 1990, nor is it hailed as a legend in every wine magazine. And yet it embodies a virtue that is often overlooked in today’s wine world: the quiet, enduring greatness of a wine born of a good vintage, an exceptional 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 face of challenges. 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.
