ALEX’s TIPPLE
Highclere & TaiTtinger-an enduring partnership
by Alex Smith
Highclere and Taittinger have built a strong and enduring partnership over the last eighteen years and we are delighted to be able to provide this delicious champagne at many of our events throughout the season. We believe that providing a wine of this quality is very much in keeping with the level of service we aspire to provide to our owners.
While Taittinger’s origins date to 1734, when the original House was founded by Jacques Fourneaux, the true Taittinger story began in 1931, when Pierre Taittinger –stationed in Champagne during World War I – fell under the spell of the historic Château de la Marquetterie. Captivated by its charm, he acquired the estate and began crafting a family legacy that continues today.
Château de la Marquetterie
Now in its fourth generation, Taittinger remains one of the few Champagne Houses owned and run by the family whose name graces every bottle. Pierre's great-grandchildren, Vitalie and Clovis, together honour his vision with a bold, refined the approach to winemaking while championing culture and craft on a global stage.
“Having our family name on every bottle is our signature, it is a big responsibility. We have a duty to respect the history, knowledge and passion from the past whilst looking to the future. Each signature is a commitment to quality.”
– Vitalie Taittinger
Taittinger family left to right: Pierre Emmanuel, Vitalie and Clovis
Taittinger is based in Reims, but their vineyards extend throughout the Champagne region. They are fortunate to own 288ha of vineyards (one of the largest holdings of any of the Grands Marques), which supply 40% of what is needed to make their wines. The balance of fruit comes from long-term contract growers, many of which go back generations.
The house maintains a high degree of control over the grapes which are bought in, which helps them achieve a consistently high quality. The vineyards are located between the Côte des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims and Aube. Holdings include a number of Grands Crus (the best sites for growing grapes): Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger in the Côte des Blancs and Ambonnay, Bouzy, Mailly and Verzenay in the Montagne de Reims.
Taittinger vineyards
Chardonnay accounts for 37% of the plantings (compared with 27% for the whole appellation). The balance is planted with 48% Pinot Noir and 15% Meunier. The ‘Château de la Marquetterie’ in Pierry marks the true beginning of the Taittinger family story but the wines are made a little further north in Reims at the Justice and Clostermann cellars. Reims is also the home of their magnificent 4th century Roman cellars, which were awarded UNESCO status in 2015. Some 18m underground, these cellars form the heart of the business. Taittinger is one of only five Champagne Houses to cellar their wines in the famous ‘Crayères’ of Reims. It is here that their top cuvee Comtes de Champagne is left to gently mature for at least ten years before release.
Stunning cellars
Renowned as one of the most racy and elegant of the Grandes Marques Champagnes (Grand Marque refers to the top-tier houses such as Bollinger, Veuve Cliquot, Moet & Chandon etc), the wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meurnier. The wine is blended from thirty-five different Grand Cru and premier cru parcels, including 30% reserve wine (still wine kept back from previous high quality vintages). The blend for the non vintage is 40% Chardonnay (providing elegance and finesse), 35% Pinot Noir (providing body and depth) and 25% pinot Meunier (providing softness). It is the combination of reserve wines and grapes from the current year that produces a consistent house style, which is the primary objective of every champagne house producing non-vintage champagne. The aim is to be the same-but the best- year in, year out. Vintage champagne is only produced in exceptional years.
As well as the non-vintage, Taittinger produce a rose, vintage and their prestige cuvee Comtes de Champagne (in both white and rose). Made form 100% chardonnay, the most recent vintage of Comtes to be released is the 2014. This is my favourite of all champagnes (retailing at around £125 per bottle I sadly ever get to drink it!) and is all elegance and refinement.
Clovis at the cellar door
But what of the champagne market right now?
Well the picture is not at all rosy! Following the post pandemic highs of 2022 (those heady days seem a long time ago now!!), the market saw a significant (9.2%) decline in 2024 producing 271 million bottles, with a further drop to 266 million bottles in 2025. These are levels seen back in 2019. Despite lower volume, the overall value remains relatively high due to-guess what-price increases. The 20-25% price increases have met with (not surprisingly) consumer resistance. The biggest decline is in France where sales were down 7.2% in 2024. The UK market has shown more resilience (perhaps helped by regular heavily discounted promotions from the supermarkets), but the champagne market faces increasing competition from high quality, lower priced alternatives such as Crémant, Prosecco and English Sparkling Wine-Indeed Taittinger has recently launched a sparkling wine in Kent called Domaine Evremond, where we will visit in May.
We shall continue to do our best to keep consumption up at our events and of course provide you with that delicious bottle for your first winner of the season!