Winemaker Notes
The nose of this 2016 vintage expresses beautiful complexity. There are floral aromas of hawthorn and pleasant notes of pear, kumquat, verbena, gingerbread and white flowers, underpinned by a subtle minty note. On the palate, it releases superb energy; a fresh and dynamic attack with floral tones such as honeysuckle combined with delightful notes of peach and citrus fruits. The finish is subtle with lovely long-lasting aromas on top of pleasingly bitter orange peel. There is a charming complementarity between the elegance of the chalky soils of the Côte des Blancs and the broader shoulders of the Pinots Noirs from the Montagne de Reims. It is the perfect confluence of terroir, year, climate and Taittinger's House style.
Blend: 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Outstanding elegance and finesse pervade this exceptional wine with its well-honed toasty sourdough, gunflint and grilled citrus notes, razor sharp acidity and mouth-filling mousse. Brilliantly poised and brimming with potential, the long and zesty finish runs and runs.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Mostly grand cru as well as 30% from Villers-Marmery and Trepail, I love the nose of the 2016 Champagne Millesime Brut, which is very pretty and offers lots of pleasure and decadence. It has more Chardonnay character at this tasting, with lemon custard, a long, pillowy mousse, and a lovely, balanced feel on the finish.
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James Suckling
I like the toastiness of this savory, flavorful Champagne, showing dried flower, gingerbread, brioche, berry and oyster shell aromas. A hint of pralines, too. It's layered with a medium body, fine bubbles and a long, silky finish. 50% pinot noir and 50% chardonnay.
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Wine Spectator
This toasty Champagne features flavors of lemon curd, brioche, glazed apricot and vanilla-infused pastry cream riding a fine, lively mousse. Well-meshed and creamy, animated by vibrant acidity through the spiced finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Disgorged in September 2024 with a dosage of nine grams per liter, Taittinger’s 2016 Brut Mille´sime´ is showing very well, offering aromas of white peach, nashi pear, brioche and burnt buttered toast. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, racy and precise, with an inviting core of fruit and a long, saline finish that will delight the house’s admirers. It is sourced from Mailly-Champagne, Ambonnay, Hautvillers, Écueil, Trépail, Vertus, Avize and Le Mesnil and is an equal blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Rating: 91+
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’