Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger: The Taittinger moment, the magic of quality Champagne

Winegrowers’ portraits Reims

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger

The Taittinger Moment, the magic of quality Champagne

The Champagne brings a sparkle to the eye, a blush to the cheek and … a tendency to reach for a refill. For more than half a century, the Taittinger Moment has been working its magic. Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, the current President and CEO, shares the keys to his success, without demystifying the Champagne.

Champagne Taittinger is a ma­jor, family-run Champagne House established at three legendary Champagne locations: Saint-Nicaise Abbey, which houses the head office and whose cellars are eligible for inclusion on the list of World Heritage sites; the Demeure des Comtes de Champagne, a mansion house typical of the Middle Ages, in the centre of Reims; and the Château de la Marqueterie, located in the heart of the vineyard.
“The Chardonnay varietal is the signature of Taittinger Champagnes. The Comtes de Champagne cuvée, composed of 100% Chardonnay Grands Crus, wines obtained exclusively from the first pressing of the grapes, aged for ten years in the wine cellar, is the flagship vintage! The Brut Réserve, admirably consistent, is the House's calling card, its honour”, Pierre-Emmanuel explains.
He continues: “To evaluate the wines of a House, we must run through the harvest logs and identify the origin of the Crus, peripheral or Grands and Premiers, as in our supply. I work in the same way as my grandfather Pierre and my uncle Claude, and demand impeccable quality raw ma­terial. Our House owns 290 hectares of vineyard maintained in integrated viti­culture with great care, of which 230 ha benefit from particularly exacting tillage methods (under-vine weeding, ploughing...).
On occasion we have even foregone the production of the appellation. Our grapes come from around fifty growing areas, and our contract growers supply us with grapes from these same crus. Quality is not something that can be dictated – it arises from the taste. A fourth ‘variety’ is included in our blends: the time factor (three to four years for the Brut Réserve, nine to ten years for the millésimes and Comtes de Champagne). Our predominantly Chardonnay cuvées retain their youthful freshness for a long time, and that is just how I like them. I am obsessive about minimising the wine coming into contact with oxygen.


The duo Nocturne.

The President of the Taittinger Champagne House shows his fine white grapes, a raw material of exceptional quality.

Champagne is an invitation to the realm of magic and revealing the minutest de­tails of our winemaking process would seriously tarnish its aura! When you choose a Hermès scarf, the President explains, you don't get the traceability of the most beautiful silk in the world. When you go to the theatre, you don't take a look back­stage before the performance… Let us not demystify the wine of Kings!
If the Taittinger Brut Réserve cuvée was a car, it would be an Audi; a luxury brand that is accessible. My family is originally from Austria and instilled in me a sense of earnestness, method and Germanic regularity. I try to infuse my life with soul, and place the humane at the heart of our corporate mission”.
This humanist enjoys fine events such as the Aviation Fair at Le Bourget where he admired the lightning ascent of the Rafales in a horizon blue sky, a glass of chilled Taittinger in hand. He also loves music and art in general, and this evening is attending a concert of Puccini's Messa at Saint Rémy Church. “I live in emotion, and place technique at the service of the emotion. I don't compare a Champagne wine to Mozart or Rimbaud. The wine served with a good meal is an element of well-being, of French art-de-vivre.
Having bought back the family business in 2006, I surrounded myself with young people between the ages of 30 - 40, including my children Clovis, Export Director, and Vitalie in marketing, who are sharing the adventure. All the men and women of the House are important to me, starting with the housekeeper, for when a House is well-kept, everything else falls into place”.
Like the Fathers of Saint-Joseph Jesuit College in Reims who watched over his youth, Pierre-Emmanuel “believes in people, in his team” and lets it be known!
Marie-Caroline Bourrellis
Crédit photos: Dominique Cabrelli
Champagne Taittinger 9, place Saint-Nicaise
51100 Reims – France
Tél.: +33 (0) 3 26 85 45 35 www.taittinger.com