Taittinger Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne 2002

98 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "The 2002 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is beginning to drink very well, wafting from the glass with a brilliant bouquet that mingles aromas of pear, citrus confit and dried fruits with notions of marzipan, brioche, oyster shell and smoke. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and textural, with a layered and multidimensional core, considerable concentration and a long, penetrating finish. Racy and precise though the wine is, this is a somewhat broader, richer rendition of Comtes than the compelling 2008 that preceded it in this tasting, but it's hard to choose between the two in terms of quality. Drink: 2019-2040. (Aug 2019)"

98 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2002 Comtes has been a legend in the making since its first release, and at age twelve, the wine is starting to really stretch its wings and aim for the stars. The utterly brilliant nose is still a tad on the reticent side, but as the wine warms up in the glass, it offers up a stellar constellation of pear, delicious apples, complex chalkiness, brioche, apple blossoms, incipient notes of pastry cream, plenty of smokiness and a topnote of lemon peel. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and utterly seamless, with stunning focus and balance, unrepentant refinement, elegant mousse, zesty acids and stunning cut and grip on the endless and dancing finish. I am hard-pressed to think of a finer young vintage of Comtes de Champagne that has ever crossed my path! It seems to me that it is still infanticide to be drinking this wine today, as there is so much more to unfold with more bottle age, and I would not touch a bottle until it starts to close in on its twentieth birthday. Chapeau! 2020-2075. (Sep/Oct 2014)"

98 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "We started with a sensational 2002 Taittinger Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. My word, this is exquisite, representing everything I adore in champagne. Limpid gold in hue, it has a compelling bouquet of walnut, smoke, dried honey and shucked oyster shells that I found utterly entrancing. The palate does not disappoint, displaying an irresistible rounded texture and perfectly pitched acidity that cuts through the flavors of lemon curd, orange pith and crushed stone. It was as if this champagne tries to give you everything you desire, and does it with such aplomb that you cannot help but be smitten. I have no doubt that it will cruise at a high altitude for many years. Drink: 2020-2040. (Aug 2020)"

98 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(disgorged February 2012). Comtes de Champagne tames the high-tensile and energetic paradox of the splendid 2002 vintage like no other blanc de blancs in all of Champagne, upholding the essence of the season in tremendous concentration and bracing structure. After more than a decade in Taittinger's cold chalk pits, it retains an icy brightness to its pale hue, dazzling purity of lemon and lime blossom, and stunning, beach-fresh acidity. Great concentration of white peach and yellow mirabelle plums meet suggestions of nougat, roast almonds, vanilla pod and gunpowder. Surging chalk minerality erupts from its core in all-pervading texture of sea salt and oyster shell. Seamless line and enduring perseverance declare a very long future for the most arresting Comtes since 1996. (2014-2015)"

97-98 points Essi Avellan, MW: "100% Chardonnay. Upon release: Bright lemon colour. Restrained yet intense nose still holding back. Beautiful underlying depth and gorgeous toasty layers. A warmer feel than in the 2004. Sweet, bright fruitiness with light spiciness, cinnamon. Superb toasty note. Plenty of character, delivering on every front. Superbly elegant. Regrettably a small-sized vintage for Comtes. (May 2023)"

97 points Simon Field, MW (The World of Fine Wine): "(100% C; original disgorgement; dosage 9g/l). The essence of an elegant blanc de blancs; toasty and generous on the one hand, pure, sculpted, and disciplined on the other. Petrified by brilliance. (Issue 78; 2022)"

97 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "Taittinger’s 2002 Comtes de Champagne is a great way to kick things off. Rich, radiant and lush, with all of the exotic ripeness of the year in evidence, the 2002 Comtes delivers the goods. This bottle is perhaps a bit more forward than others have been, but it is nevertheless very fine. Drink: 2017-2037. (Mar 2018)"

95 points (18.5/20) Richard Juhlin (Decanter): "Though very dumb when tasted soon after disgorgement, just three months later you could already taste the grandeur and concentration. There were just 35,000 bottles made in this vintage, 100,000 fewer than normal, so there will be fighting over these dense, lime-scented beauties when the wine finally awakens. Drink: 2020-2040. Alcohol 12%. (Jan 2016)"

95 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "Light, bright gold. A heady, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes lemon curd, pear skin, iodine, honeysuckle and toasty lees, with notes of ginger and honey emerging with air. Strikes an impressive balance of power and restraint, opening slowly to offer vibrant citrus and orchard fruit flavors, along with intense floral and spice nuances. Clings with superb tenacity on the gently smoky finish, which features zesty orange pith and mineral qualities. (Nov/Dec 2012)"