Taittinger
Champagne
In 1734, Jacques Fourneaux, a merchant
of champagne wines, established the company that would
some day become Taittinger.
In that early part of the XVIIIth century, the Benedictine
abbeys of Hautvillers, Pierry, Verzy, and Saint-Nicaise
in Reims, owned the best vineyards in the Champagne
region. They cultivated the vines and pressed the harvest
to produce the first sparkling wines which they either
sold themselves, or through agents in Epernay or Reims.
Jacques Fourneaux therefore joined the great adventure
of the champagne trade...cautiously at first.
The House of the Counts of Champagne
The company prospered throughout the XIXth century and
after the First World War moved to the fine XIIIth century
historical residence located on rue de Tambour: "The
House of the Counts of Champagne". This was the
home of Thibaud IV, known as the Singer, who brought
back from Cyprus the vines which are the ancestors of
today's Chardonnay.
It is at this time that the merger occurred between
the company, which had come to be known as Fourneaux-Forest,
and the Taittinger family, which would ultimately take
control.
Fourneaux-Forest label, 1839 vintage
The Taittinger family had its roots in Lorraine, but
left its native province in 1870 following the Treaty
of Frankfurt and settled in the Paris area in order
to retain its French nationality.
Château de la Marquetterie
In around 1912, Pierre-Charles Taittinger was running
a business involved in the distribution and export of
champagne with one of his brothers-in-law. A young cavalry
officer during the First World War he made his first
visit to the Château de la Marquetterie near Epernay,
at that time the headquarters of General de Castelnau
and Marshal Joffre. He instantly fell in love with this
magnificent property in the purest XVIIIth century style,
anchored to the slope of one of the finest Champagne
hillsides; its vineyards, unusually, planted partly
with white "Chardonnay" grapes and partly
with red "Pinot", giving the vineyards the
appearance of a huge chessboard in the weeks leading
up to the harvest. The vineyards of la Marquetterie
had been run by Friar Oudart, one of the founding fathers
of champagne.
In 1932 Pierre Taittinger succeeded in acquiring the
great residence, which had formerly been home to the
philosopher Cazotte, who was sent to the guillotine
during the French Revolution for his loyalty to King
Louis XVI.
Something of an innovator and visionary, Pierre Taittinger
decided that Chardonnay was to be the dominant grape
for the brand. This has been a wise choice since the
modern consumer enjoys the lightness, finesse and elegance
afforded by this variety. From 1945, François,
the third son of Pierre Taittinger, along with his two
brothers Jean and Claude, oversaw a period of remarkable
growth for the champagne house which for a number of
years had carried their family name and began operation
in the cellars of the Saint-Nicaise monastery, built
in the XIIIth century on magnificent Gallo-Roman chalk
cellars dating from the second century. A tragic car
accident in 1960 cut short his brief but prolific career.
Since then Claude Taittinger has presided over the destiny
of one of the last great champagne houses to bear the
name of the family that runs it, himself overseeing
the quality of its products in line with tradition.
Use the links below to view more information about
each champagne style.
Brut Réserve
Demi-Sec
Brut
Prestige Rosé
Prélude
Brut
Millésimé 1998
Comtes
Blanc 1995
Comtes
Rosé 1996
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