Open-knit and lively, with ripe yellow plum, white cherry fruit, almond skin and candied lemon zest flavors, underscored by minerally smoke and chalk accents. Offers a clean-cut, lacy finish.

The nonvintage Taittinger cuvée, with its lively mousse, is soft and creamily fruity. While the bottle tasted was young, it had enough ripe white fruits and lime-juice flavors to balance out the freshness. Typically for Taittinger, Chardonnay is an important element in the blend, giving the wine its final mineral tautness.

Taittinger's Brut Réserve is the signature cuvée of the house and represents a large volume. It is an assemblage of 45% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier; the recent disgorgement (dosage is pretty sweet with nine grams) is based on vintage 2011 and contains 30-35% reserve wines. It is a pretty intense Champagne with good body and structure, refreshing mineral tension and good grip in the finish.