News: Investment in 2012 Comtes de Champagne

"Lots of beauty right from the start, but store for five years yourself in your own cellar and you will be greeted by an even greater wealth."

Richard Juhlin, 96 points

Taittinger is back with a brand-new release of the prestige cuvée Comtes de Champagne. An exceptional blanc de blancs, which with this new release, comes back strongly after the 2011 vintage, which is considered by many as a wine that should never have had the name "Comtes de Champagne".

Comtes de Champagne is another of Champagne's great prestige cuvées from one of Champagne's honorable houses with a rich history - but the story of Comtes de Champagne is also the story quality at a lower price, a strong brand, and strong returns for those who have understood the potential.

Background: The History of Taittinger and Comtes de Champagne

Taittinger is one of Champagne's great and illustrious houses with a history stretching back to the founding of Jacques Fourneaux in 1734. Headquartered in Champagne's capital, Reims, the house is renowned for producing elegant, high-quality Champagnes.

In 1932, Pierre Taittinger bought Chateau de la Marquetterie, which had been the Taittinger family home for over 300 years. The Chateau became the centre of Taittinger's Champagne production and remains so to this day.

In 1952, Pierre Taittinger launched the Champagne Comtes de Champagne, named after the Counts of Champagne, who were among the first to produce sparkling wine in the Champagne region. The Comtes de Champagne brand is made from the finest grapes from the best vineyards in the region and aged for at least seven years before release.

Over the years, Taittinger has built a reputation for producing some of the finest Champagnes in the world, and the wines are enjoyed by connoisseurs, jetsetters, and regular wine lovers alike. In addition to the signature Champagne Comtes de Champagne, the house also produces a range of other Champagnes such as rosé, brut, demi sec in vintage and NV editions.

In 2004, an American investment company bought Taittinger to everyone's astonishment. However, the Taittinger family had second thoughts and just two years later bought the house back in partnership with the French banking group Credit Agricole. This means that today Taittinger is among the few Champagne houses that are still family-owned. Here, they maintain the tradition of producing high-quality Champagnes that reflect Champagne's unique character and discerning followers.

 

"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."

Wine Advocate, 95+ points

Of course, it is important to stress that each of the above has its own characteristics. For while Salon, with a production of around 60,000 bottles, is notoriously rare as a Burgundy wine, the Salon brand is as strong as Dom Pérignon and Cristal - with Dom Pérignon in particular being produced in huge quantities by comparison.

The point, however, is simple: the 2012 Comtes de Champagne delivers strong quality at a price that simply seems too low.

Add to that the fact that Taittinger is estimated to have an annual production of around five million bottles. Of this, just under 10 different NV and vintage Champagnes are produced. The proportion of Comtes de Champagne is estimated to be limited in this perspective.

Strong Investment: 16.9 % Average Annual Return

Comtes de Champagne has been an extremely strong case with strong returns to show for it. For example, today we can recall that at this time three years ago we could offer 2007 Comtes de Champagne for just € 70 per bottle. Those who invested then can today enjoy the fact that the price has since doubled.

In February 2021, we were able to offer investment in the recently released and long-awaited 2008 Comtes de Champagne. Compared to the 2007 vintage, this also came with a price (€ 130) that reflected the towering expectations. The price of this 2008 vintage has increased by more than 80 % since then.

If we take a broader view, the story is the same. According to the UK wine exchange, Liv-ex, the last 10 vintages of Comtes de Champagne that have been on the market for a minimum of five years have, over the last five years, produced an average return of 118.1 %, which equates to an average annual return of 16.9 %.

RareWine Invest's Opinion

The above is exciting in itself from an investment point of view, but on top of that, the 2012 Comtes de Champagne comes at a time when there is every indication that the supply of good Champagne will be scarce in the future, while potential crisis does not seem to be able to suppress demand - something you can read much more about in this analysis.

Taittinger has officially released the latest of its prestige cuvée, giving you the chance to be in from the start. Comtes de Champagne has it all; Top quality, a great brand, a relatively limited production, and a price that, compared to the other big houses' prestige cuvées, seems attractively low. Just like with the 2007 vintage. Just like the 2008 vintage. Now it is the 2012 vintage.