Today, as part of a series of articles on Champagne Houses of France, we will talk about one of the few Champagne houses that remains in family ownership - Maison Taittinger. The Taittinger family's style, commitment to experimentation, and deep love of winemaking in the hearts of the Taittinger family allow this champagne brand to rank among the best.
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A bit of history
Taittinger is one of the oldest houses in Champagne. Thus, the history of this House goes back more than 250 years.
It was founded back in 1734 and was called Fourneaux. In 1930 the estate was bought by Pierre-Charles Taittinger and since then the House became a family property, starting to produce champagne under the brand name Taittinger. It is from this moment that the period of active development and growth begins for the company.
It is worth noting that in 1936 Pierre Taittinger noted the great potential of the Chardonnay grape for champagne production: “Chardonnay is a grape from which you can make champagne worthy of the gods”, - he was sure.
Sometime later, namely in the mid-40s, drinks with a dominant note of Chardonnay became a trademark of the Taittinger House. The first bottle of the most valuable champagne, both among connoisseurs and amateurs - Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, saw the world in 1952.
It is noteworthy that the name Comtes de Champagne, literally translated as Count of Champagne, refers to a historical figure, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne Thibault IV.
According to legend, he, returning from the Crusade in 1239, brought to France a vine of a new variety, which became the basis of modern Champagne. This is the reason why all bottles of Taittinger house bear the emblem of the legendary knight and troubadour, and the Chardonnay grape variety dominates in the varietal composition.
It should be noted that in 2005 Taittinger brand was bought by the American company Capital Starwood Capital, but in 2006 Pierre Taittinger's grandson Pierre-Emmanuel bought the company.
Today, Maison Taittinger is one of the few in Champagne that remains under family ownership. “I want our company to remain within the family from generation to generation. So I hope that my children and grandchildren will be able to learn from our experience and pass on Taittinger to the next generation,” says Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger.
Vineyards
Taittinger owns 290 hectares of land in Champagne: 50% of it is Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier. All of them are used to produce their champagne.
On average, the company produces 4-5 million bottles a year. About half of its production needs are covered by its grapes. The other half, according to statements by the House's representatives, Taittinger buys from smaller producers.
“We are the third in Champagne in terms of the size of our vineyards and this allows us to meet our needs by a little more than half. In general, the production of quality grapes is the key to good wine,” believes Ambroise Bobtcheff, director of the Taittinger export department.
Sponsorship
Taittinger, like most Champagne houses, is active in sponsorship. In particular, the company is the official Champagne of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA - The British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards.
It is worth noting that BAFTA is recognized as the most prestigious award in the field of film and television in the UK. It was founded in 1948 by David Lean. As a prize, award winners receive the Golden Mask, which is a symbol of talent, success, and recognition.
“We love working with creative people. Winemaking is also about creativity, which is why we find common ground and interests,” says Taittinger.
“Lineup”
To date, the products of the Taittinger House are represented on the market by the following positions: Taittinger Brut Reserve, Taittinger Demi-Sec, Taittinger Nocturne, Taittinger Prelude Grands Crus, Taittinger Brut Prestige Rose, Taittinger Les Folies de la Marquetterie, Taittinger Brut Millesime, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blanc, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose.
In addition to the above, in the arsenal of the Taittinger House, there is a whole collection of champagne bottles, the labels of which depict works of contemporary art. The idea to “wrap” champagne with paintings belonged to the former head of the House Claude Taittinger. Thus, the history of the collection begins in 1983. Since that year, Taittinger has attracted such artists as Victor Vasarelli, Villiers da Silva, Roy Lichtenstein, Hans Hartung, as well as some others. Notably, all of the wines in the collection are Millesime Brut made from grapes from Grand Cru classification vineyards.