Champagne Taittinger has been named Sparkling Wine Producer Of The Year 2020 at the Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) – for the second consecutive year.
Producer of the Year titles are awarded to category producers with the highest achievements. Champagne Taittinger has picked up an impressive nine medals this year, with five of these being Gold.
“…Last year’s performance by Taittinger was the best we’d seen from a sparkling wine – or, indeed, any wine in SWA. But somehow, incredibly, it topped it this year…”
The SWA website summarises how the family-owned Champagne House has triumphed at the competition: “Last year’s performance by Taittinger was the best we’d seen from a sparkling wine – or, indeed, any wine in SWA. But somehow, incredibly, it topped it this year. It’s not that it enters hundreds of wines, either – just that what it does send in rises to the top every year. In a blind tasting, with an unforgiving group of tasters, results like this two years on the trot are an impressive testament to the House’s quality. OK, you might expect the two Comtes to stand out (and at over £100 a bottle they should be good) but the other medals were fighting in the heart of NV and rosé champagne – one of the most competitive areas of SWA. The big question is, can it be our first ever producer to win six individual Golds next year?”
Taittinger – SWA GOLD MEDALS 2020
Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs, Brut 2008
‘A great vintage Champagne with some elegant aromas of citrus and Danish pastry, and an elegant palate with a gentle structure.’ Lionel Periner, team leader
Comtes de Champagne, Brut Rosé 2007
‘A complex wine with intense dried orange peel and apricots, and good balance between acidity, body and alcohol, all leading to a long finish of lemon with a hint of green apple.’ Elisa Soggia, Trivet
Les Folies de la Marquetterie, Brut NV
‘A really drinkable Champagne with good complexity, and some gentle and elegant bubbles. Great for fatty and complex food.’ Mattia Mazzi, Cornerstone
Nocturne Rosé, Sec NV
‘There’s a good balance of citrus and toast here. This is a refreshing and crisp style, but with some good weight in the mouth too.’ Sam Weatherill, Etch. by Steven Edwards
Nocturne, Sec NV
‘Candied citrus and fresh apricot on the nose, a delicate mousse and a clean finish make this a good match for lemon tart.’ Filippo Pastorini, consultant.
As the UK’s only on-trade wine competition, the SWA competition focuses on wines aimed at the on-trade. The judges include Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine who all serve or buy wine for their venues or are leading consultants developing wine lists.
