Credits: Article and images by Ken Gargett @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/08/14/taittinger-comtes-2013-a-champagne-that-dances/
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So where does 2013 fit into the scheme of things? If you get the chance, open the latest pair next to each other. It is extraordinary how different they are. 2012 is a wine of depth and complexity, of elegance, power and yet finesse. Orange peel notes, stonefruits and so much more.
2013 shows the vintage to be another great year for Chardonnay, and so for this style of champagne. Some very highly respected judges have said that this is the best of its style since the legendary 1982s. It is, I believe, the 40th release of Comtes and I have no doubt that it will, in time, be seen as one of the best.
As is usual with this wine, 5% of the juice spends four months in new oak barrels, which just adds an extra aspect of complexity to the wine. Taittinger used five Grand Crus in sourcing the grapes for the 2013 Comtes – Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Mesnil-sur-Oger.
2013 saw a cold Winter, which continued into Spring, a very wet Spring. Late flowering, and things were looking a bit dire (the year also had the problem of following immediately on from a stellar year, it is aways easy for such a vintage to fall into the shadow of its predecessor). Glorious sun and warmth in Summer saved the day.
The picking of Chardonnay did not begin until October 1st, very late these days. The maturity of the grapes at the time of harvest was described as very good (white florals and citrus with even a hint of tropical fruits was mentioned).
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Credits: Article and images by Ken Gargett @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/08/14/taittinger-comtes-2013-a-champagne-that-dances/