Taittinger Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne 2012

99 points James Suckling: "This is a fantastic and refined Blanc de Blancs. So layered and complex, with lemon curd, chalk, hazelnuts, pastries, baked apples and almond croissants. Structured and tightly wound, with almost imperceptible bubbles. Delicious salty notes at the end. Beautiful. Drink or hold. (9/6/22)"

99 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Bright straw color, silver reflections, very fine and persistent mousse. Nuances of yellow tropical fruit such as mango, peach notes, white flowers, lime zest, almonds, multi-faceted bouquet with a hint of fresh biscuit. Complex on the palate, densely woven, silky texture, conveys fruity fullness without any opulence, finesse-rich structure, very animating and balanced, white pome fruit on the finish, mineral-salty touch on the finish, great harmony and length, secure ageing potential, a great promise for the future. Problem: This 2012 is already so perfect that it's hard to keep one's hands off it. (10/11/22)"

98 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(tasted in 2022 in 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). The essence of 2012 is a dramatic contrast between ripe fruit concentration and the tension of crystalline acidity and Comtes is an exemplar of this captivating juxtaposition. Projecting a brilliant, pale straw hue, this is a luminous beacon for the grandeur of the grand crus of the Côte des Blancs. Racy lemon and grapefruit coalesces with the succulence of white peach and the crunch of beurre bosc pear. The toasty vanillin nuance of a touch of barrel maturation is inimitable and unmissable, uniting with a decade of maturity to bring a silky allure and creamy finesse to a long finish that does not dip its gaze for 40 seconds. Above all, it is the dramatic chalk minerality of its fabled crus that sets apart another benchmark of the world of blanc de blancs, setting a pure chalk foundation that surges long and strong, uniting with the impeccably ripe yet vigorous and energetic acidity of 2012 to mark out a long future—yet this is also a Comtes ready to allure on release—another wonderful trait of this great vintage. (Edition VII; 2024)"

98 points Bettane & Desseauve Guide (2024).

97-98 points Essi Avellan, MW: "As usual, the 2012 Comtes de Champagne is a classic blend of the five Côte des Blancs grands crus Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. This is as classic a recipe as it gets, and it works like a dream. Right upon launch now, it holds back plenty but also gives generously, promising a lot. It's rich and expressive on the nose, with gorgeous toast-lined fruit of the utmost purity. Comtes de Champagne's hallmark toasty layers are already there and increasing. The palate is intense and structured, coming with fine nervosity and tension. Refined, linear and long. This is sheer perfection already, but it's greatly ageworthy. Despite the small yields of the year, an average good volume of Comtes was produced. (Aug 2022)"

97 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2012 vintage of Comtes de Champagne is one of the finest young examples of this iconic bottling I have had the pleasure to taste, though it will be a long distance runner and really is not even close to read to drink at nine years of age. As has been customary for several vintages now, about five percent of the vins clairs were barrel-fermented and aged in cask. The wine was given fully a decade aging sur latte and finished with a dosage of nine grams per liter. The bouquet is deep, pure and nascently complex, wafting from the glass in a mix of pear, apple, brioche, a beautiful base of chalky minerality, almond, honeysuckle, a whisper of buttery oak and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with a brisk girdle of acidity, superb focus and grip, utterly refined mousse and a long, complex and impeccably balanced finish. Tuck this away in the cellar for at least the next six of seven years and allow it to blossom fully! 2030-2080. (May/Jun 2023)"

96 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2012 Comtes de Champagne is gorgeous. Warm and resonant in the glass, the 2012 Comtes shows all the allure that makes this vintage so appealing. The combination of bright citrus, mineral and floral notes typical of Comtes, enhanced by the soft contours of the vintage, makes for an inviting, open-knit Champagne that is quite showy right out of the gate. Light tropical accents on the finish add an exotic flair. Usually I recommend cellaring just-released Comtes, but that won’t be necessary here. Drink: 2022-2042. (May 2022)"

96 points Wine Spectator: "A gorgeous blond bombshell of a Champagne, fragrant with roasted hazelnut, vanilla and smoke notes that waft through layers of poached pear and quince, pastry cream, pain d'épices and candied ginger. This is sculpted by a vibrant acidity that's seamlessly knit to the plush, silky mousse and chalky underpinning. Drink now through 2033. (3/31/23)"

96 points Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com): "From the Grand Crus of Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Oger, the 2012 Champagne Blanc De Blancs Comtes De Champagne comes back swinging after last year's release and assumes a more noble and layered profile. Displaying a bright golden yellow hue, it has fantastic aromatic complexity, with wonderful custardy and classic aromas of lemon curd, crème brûlée, shortbread, and honeysuckle. The nose is hard to resist, and on the palate, it’s full-bodied, with a refined and pillowy mousse and a delicate warmth on the finish. It hits a lot of the right marks in this vintage, offering plenty of purity and balance, and will certainly provide a very wide drinking window for enjoyment. It’s just such a pleasurable wine, 2012 marks an exceptional return for this cuvée, which will have another 2-3 decades of life ahead. Drink: 2023-2053. (11/17/23)"

96 points Jasper Morris, MW (Inside Burgundy): "The 2012 is a gorgeous wine. Immensely "gluggable," it possesses purity, depth, freshness, and such showy aromatics that many will consume their quota early in the wine's lifecycle. The nose is a melange of lemon zest and chalky minerality, finessed with autolytic, flowery nuances. The palate is broad and succulent, with acidity providing some cut and linearity. Underlying richness strikes an intriguing counterpoint to the apparent tension. What is not to like here? It has aromatic density and is polished with that gorgeous floral bouquet that the 2012s often possess—a great long-term prospect. Drink from 2025-2045. Tasted: 15-Jun-23. (Dec 2023)" -Steve Pritchard

96 points Sarah Mayo (The Wine Independent): "Taittinger elegantly captures the power and generosity of the 2012 vintage in the Comte de Champagne Blanc de Blanc 2012. Rich and seductive, the nose is replete with ripe yellow apple, lemon tart, buttered warm brioche and honeycomb. Medium to full-bodied, the ample and generous palate brims with notes of lemon curd, honey and toast enlivened by a spirited acidity and mouthwatering salinity to add considerable finesse to the long finish. Delightful and refreshing throughout, the bottle tasted was disgorted in January 2023 and finished with a nine gram per liter dosage. Alcohol 12.5%. Drink: 2023-2035. (11/8/23)"

96 points Wine Enthusiast: "[$225 list] Mature and beautifully textured, this magnificent Champagne is just right. The wine's minerality is tempered with acidity and touches of white fruits. This great wine is toasty and balanced, ready to drink. (Sep 2023)"

95+ points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "The 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is showing beautifully out of the gates, offering up demonstrative aromas of sweet golden orchard fruit, buttery croissants, peach and hazelnuts. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and enveloping, it's a rich, textural, vinous Comtes somewhat reminiscent of the brilliant 2002. If it gains in tension and cut (as the 2002 did and as I suspect the 2012 will) with more time on cork, it will make this initial rating seem conservative. Drink: 2024-2055. (Oct 2022)"

95 points Tom Hewson (TimAtkin.com): "100% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs Grand Crus. Comtes 2012 captures the compressed ripeness and brightness of 2012 perfectly, with its luscious preserved citrus, hazelnut and yellow stone fruit just starting to move into delicious, creamy, charry complexity. An immediate hit of silky, peach flesh fruitiness lands the palate in welcome territory, with plenty of zesty persistence through its texture of silky meringue. A much more classically aligned Comtes than 2011, luxurious rather than tense, saline or daring, yet shaped with considerable precision. If I had to take a guess at a peak it would fall between 2030-35. (Dec 2022)"

95 points Yohan Castaing (Decanter): "From the very first whiff, this expresses energy, depth and complexity. Aeration reinforces this impression, while also revealing scents of orchard fruit, like apricot, but also exotic fruit, as well as hazelnut and delicate autolytic notes - pastry in particular. On the palate, it is rich and full-bodied, with satisfying sapidity on the long finish. Five to eight years of further cellaring would be ideal, and even more for aficionados of Champagne with marked bottle maturity. Alcohol 12.5%. Drinking Window: 2023-2040. (Nov 2022)"