Preview: Comtes de Champagne 2008

The medieval Counts of Champagne pre-dated the Dukes of Burgundy by a century or so; theirs was a world of chivalry and affluence, the trade fairs at Troyes underwriting an age of prosperity for the region which has only recently been equalled with the global success of the modern Champagne trade. Fitting then that one of the greatest wines of the region should acknowledge this great heritage in its name, and all the more so when it sets out to celebrate what is now recognised as the greatest Champagne vintage in living memory, 2008.

And who better, who more essentially French than the Taittinger family to act as custodians for the region? Few names are as redolent of Gallic temperament and savoir faire as Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger and his children, Clovis and Vitalie.

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