Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blanc 1996

This superb Champagne, produced only in years exceptional enough to declare a vintage, is appropriately presented in an antique-style bottle of XVIIIth century design. Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is the ultimate expression of the Taittinger style, a Champagne of great refinement, elegance and delicacy. The clean, aristocratic Chardonnay fragrance is offset by warm, toasty nuances, which carry onto a palate of finely- balanced, generous white fruit flavors underscored by a fine, crisp acidity and subtle mineral notes. The refined, toasty finish is lasting and complex.

This gets better every time I have it. Even though I have been scoring it in the midnineties since its release, I am beginning to think I have underrated it. 1996 is an exquisite vintage for Champagne, ranking alongside my all time favorite, 1990, only fresher. This marvelous 1996 is loaded with yeasty brioche notes intermixed with honeyed citrus, and a texture reminiscent of a fine white Burgundy.
98 Points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate