Taittinger Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne 2011

97 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "100% Chardonnay. We served this Champagne during the Connoisseur Week in 2022 also, and the last year has seen it deepen and gather complexity. If you have been holding on to it, I strongly suggest taking another look, as everything has pulled together, with the quince and brioche character more pronounced, along with smoked almonds and bright citrus. A Blanc de Blancs made entirely from Chardonnay grapes sourced from entirely from Grand Cru vineyards in Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. 9 years on the lees, disgorged April 2021, 9 g/l dosage. Alcohol 12.5%. Drink: 2023-2038. (6/13/23)"

97 points James Suckling: "A firm, fresh Comtes with a tight and composed palate. It’s full-bodied with a racy mid-palate. Long and persistent. Very structured with phenolics and acidity. Minerally. Floral, too. Refreshing and energetic. September 2021 release. Drink or hold. (5/5/21)"

96 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(tasted in 2021 and 2022 in France and Australia; 100% grand cru Côte des Blancs chardonnay; 60% Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the pillars of Comtes, for structure and finesse, then Chouilly for body and strength, Oger and a little less than 10% Cramant; 5% from Chouilly aged [not fermented] for 4 months in young oak barrels [new, with one-third renewed each year] to add body and subtle burnt-vanilla and coconut character; 8g/L dosage; just 60,000 bottles). In the most lauded vintages, Comtes is one off the wines of the year. But it is when it achieves this same distinction in the lesser seasons that it truly asserts its stature as one of the great wines of the world. There's an integrity and a confidence on display here that transcend all the not insubstantial challenges of 2011. Chardonnay proved to be the sole hero of the beleaguered 2011 harvest, and only those houses with the tenacity to hold out until after the rain to achieve flavour ripeness produced wines of true greatness. Comtes stands tall among the highlights of the season. A brilliant, pale straw hue hails pristine grapefruit, lemon, beurre bosc pear and apple fruit. The toasty, nutty mood, vanilla nougat and creaminess of both barrel maturation and long lees age are a little more present in this season. There is a subtle vegetal complexity to the finish, but it does nothing to disturb its purity, precision or flow. The minerality of the Côte des Blancs is all-conquering, mouth-filling, frothy and emphatically salt mineral, with the stamina and persistence to blossom over the medium-term. Between the scintillating 2008 and the grandiose 2012, it's to be expected that 2011 is evolving a little more quickly, making this the first that you should drink (followed by the 2012, then 2013, then 2008). Slightly more grainy in structure than all three, 2011 concludes with compelling line and length, riding the pure white cloud of Côte des Blancs chalk mineral texture. (Edition VII; 2024)"

96 points Anne Krebiehl (Falstaff): "Exquisite candied lemon and the first stirrings of blossom honey play on the nose before green apple and freshly toasted white bread appear. The body is slender but concentrated, a shimmering, silvery thread of freshness is woven throughout. The bubbles are creamy and smooth, An intriguing aftertaste of liquorice and subtle chalkiness pervade the zesty, smooth finish. A citric highway of beauty. (11/12/21)"

95 points Charles Curtis, MW (Decanter): "2011 is a year that continues to surprise. Warm and dry conditions from March into May set up an early harvest, but the growing season was cool and wet, dashing grower’s hopes. Despite the dreary summer, however, some lovely wines were made. The Comtes is voluptuous and almost dense, with aromas that blend green apple and nectarine with floral notes and a hint of toast. A slightly lower dosage, fresh acidity, and a touch of bitterness bring balance and length to this wine. Much better than I dared hope. Drinking Window: 2022-2035. (Jan 2022)"

95 points Bettanne & Desseauve (2023).

94 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "After the tightly coiled, hyper-concentrated 2008, Taittinger's 2011 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne represents a more immediate, charming rendition of this cuvée. Bursting from the glass with aromas of orchard and stone fruit mingled with notions of pastry cream, blanched almonds and mandarin, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and fleshy, with a soft and enveloping profile, lively acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse. Readers might think of the 2011 as a somewhat less reductive and less intense stylistic sibling of the 2006, and as it takes on more toasty complexity with bottle age, it will make for immensely seductive drinking. Drink: 2021-2035. (Oct 2021)"

94 points Essi Avellan, MW: "A small-sized harvest from a difficult year with Chardonnay as the only performer. Bright, shiny lemon-green colour. On the charmingly open nose, Comtes's hallmark toasty deliciousness envelops plentiful orchard and stone fruit. With time in the glass, the glorious gunpowdery whiff is enhanced, but a mild vegetal note surfaces alongside it. The palate is joyously playful, with lovely silkiness carrying the lightweight, fresh wine. Long, juicy finish. A great effort for 2011. Dosage 8g/l. (Aug 2022)"

93 points/'Le Coup de Coeur,' La Revue du Vin de France: "Comtes de Champagne 2011... offers itself in a chiseled, sharp style, taut and thirst-quenching. (2023)"

93 points Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com): "The 2011 Champagne Blanc de Blancs Comte de Champagne is from all the Grand Crus of the Côte de Blancs except for Oiry. With a kiss of toasted brioche, caramel apple, and a hint of saline, this wine gets more savory as it opens, although it has a bit of greenness. The palate is full, with a fine mousse and a dusty feel of chalk, as well as fresh and pithy citrus. It has a reasonably long finish, although perhaps not up to par for the tête de cuvée. It is drinking well now but is likely best for relatively early drinking. 2022-2033. (11/7/22)"

93 points Wine Spectator: "[$239 list] A minerally version, with smoke and saline notes deftly meshed with flavors of glazed apple, lemon-infused pastry cream and marzipan. This is fine and softly creamy in texture, with lemony acidity providing good definition through to the lightly toasty finish. Elegant. Drink now through 2030. (4/6/22)"

93 points Jasper Morris, MW (Inside Burgundy): "A better example of the 2011, although from cork, appears to be from a later disgorgement. Classically-lean champagne with a structure and flavour profile with 20th-century resonance. The nervy citrus fruit is long and linear; the mid-palate should fill out over the next few years. But this is undoubtedly a step in the right direction in terms of presentation. Expect some aromatic up-lift and increase in complexity. Good! Tasted: June 2023. (Dec 2023)" -Steve Pritchard

18/20 points Jancis Robinson, MW: "From grand cru vineyards in Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. Aged for nine years in Taittinger's particularly deep cellars. Dosage 9 g/l. Quite a deep greenish primrose yellow. Meaty, substantial, quite savoury evolution on the nose. Bone-dry finish but no shortage of rather captivating fruit before then. Very appetising with good steady bead and no aggressive froth. A very successful Comtes with a deep undertow. This may have been a challenging vintage but the Taittinger team seem to have risen well to the challenges. (Drink between 2021-2029. (10/12/21)"

Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "Taittinger’s flagship Comtes de Champagne holds an enviable position among the very finest blanc de blancs. It is sourced principally from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and to a lesser extent from Oger, Chouilly, Cramant, Vertus and Bergères-lès-Vertus... Avize brings elegance, finesse and balance, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger contributes body and a subtle reduction akin to grilled bread, Chouilly delivers roundness, Cramant grilled almonds, and Oger elegant citrus.’ Just 5% is aged for four months in oak barrels, one-third new, and the rest up to four years old – not for strength, but to bring subtle notes of toast and brioche to the delicacy of chardonnay. Taittinger’s depth of reach into the Côte des Blancs grand crus has made Comtes de Champagne one of Champagne’s most consistent blanc de blancs... (2020-2021)"