Winemaker Notes
The wine’s brilliant, pale yellow color with silvery reflections indicates the high proportion of Chardonnay. This Champagne is subtle and fresh on the nose, with mineral aromas that quickly give way to notes of elderflowers and spicy cinnamon. In the mouth, lean mineral Chardonnay notes delicately balance the aromatic strength of Pinot Noir. The lively palate is dominated by fresh citrus and white peaches in syrup. Over time, this Champagne develops to become more full-bodied, round and silky with a rich, lingering finish that bursts with flavor.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
The nose is shy and subtle, though notions of red apple, peppery rye crumb, stone and lemon emerge with more air. Tightly coiled, the palate suggests spicy riches with its insinuations of white pepper and tangerine peel. A lovely interplay of Pinot richness and Chardonnay slinkiness, showing depth, svelteness and elegance. It justs needs air to breathe. Gorgeous.
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James Suckling
Complex and very inviting nose of buttered bread, apricots, orange fruit, crushed chalk and salted almonds. Lovely texture and balance, with layers of fresh salinity and minerality. Medium-bodied.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The NV Champagne Prelude Grands Crus is a blend of equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with about five years of aging. All the Chardonnay is from the five villages of the Côte des Blancs, characterized by full-bodied flavors of ripe peach and nectarine, pastry, orange, and savory toast. Full-bodied, it has a frothy texture with powdery length and a note of brioche.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The newest release of Taittinger’s NV Prélude Grands Crus, drawn entirely from the 2017 vintage and disgorged in June 2024 with a dosage of nine grams per liter, offers up aromas of toasted bread, pear, peach and almond paste, subtly framed by gentle reduction. Medium- to full-bodied, muscular and broad-shouldered, the wine possesses a rich core of fruit yet remains lively structured around racy acids, culminating in an enveloping finish. Sourced—as ever—from six grand cru villages (Mailly-Champagne, Verzenay, Ambonnay, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger), it is a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, though there is no question that 2017 favored Chardonnay, as red varieties faced considerable disease pressure throughout the region.
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Wine Enthusiast
There is some fine maturity to this rich Champagne. Its fruitiness shows balance with acidity and tastiness.
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Wine Spectator
Firm and lightly smoky, showing a snappy acidic frame meshed with flavors of crunchy white peach, crushed almond, fleur de sel and preserved lemon. Vivacious, spiced finish. Drink now through 2022. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 5,000 cases made, 300 cases imported.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
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.’