Champagne Taittinger Collection Imaï 1988
The 1988 Champagne Taittinger Collection Imai is a sparkling white champagne from Champagne, produced by Taittinger and classified as a Grand Cru de Champagne. This cuvée blends equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It belongs to the Taittinger Collection series, whose bottle is illustrated with a creation by Japanese painter Toshimitsu Imai featuring flowers and leaves. The 1988 harvest, carried out at the end of September, benefited from late sunshine and cool nights, promoting a good balance between sugar and acidity as well as increased finesse with aging.
La bouteille proposée
- Size
- Bottle (75cl)
- Packaging
- Gift Box
- Label Condition
- Perfect
- Fill Level
- Perfect
- Capsule Condition
- Perfect
Identité du vin
- Couleur
- Sparkling White
- Pays
- France
- Région
- Champagne
- Producteur / Domaine
- Taittinger
- Cuvée
- Collection Imaï
- Millésime
- 1988
Cépage et assemblage
- Grape Variety
- 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir
Taittinger
Taittinger is a Champagne house based in Reims and owned by the Taittinger family. It cultivates its own vineyard of 288 hectares, spread across 37 crus in the Côte des Blancs, the Marne Valley, the Montagne de Reims and the Aube. Its historical identity is based, in particular, on the prominent role given to Chardonnay in its blends.
- Owner
- Famille Taittinger
- Maître de chais
- Alexandre Ponnavoy
- Surface (ha)
- 288.00 ha
Histoire du domaine
Pierre Taittinger was introduced to the Champagne trade in 1911 whilst working at the Union Champenoise. Deeply impressed by the Château de la Marquetterie during the First World War, he acquired it in 1932 together with his brother-in-law, Paul Evêque. In the same year, they bought the Forest-Fourneaux house, then one of the oldest Champagne houses, which formed the basis of the family business. François Taittinger subsequently developed the brand under the name Taittinger and made Chardonnay a central component of his style. In 1952, he created the Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs cuvée. He also pursued a land acquisition strategy, purchasing 110 hectares of vineyards in 1955. Following his death in 1960, his brother Jean played a part in the house’s continued development and international expansion. The house was sold to the Starwood Capital Group in 2005, before Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger regained control in 2006. Since January 2020, his daughter Vitalie Taittinger has chaired the family business, whilst Alexandre Ponnavoy has been in charge of winemaking as cellar master since 2018.
Collection Imaï
Collection Imaï is the edition created with Toshimitsu Imaï around a 1988 Brut Millésimé. It blends 40% Chardonnay sourced from grands crus of the Côte des Blancs and 60% Pinot Noir. The bottle, decorated with the theme of flowers, leaves, and sacred colors, combines a vintage champagne with an original work of art.
- Origin of the cuvée name
- The name "Imaï" refers to the Japanese painter Toshimitsu Imaï, creator of the artwork for this edition of the Taittinger Collection.
- Cuvée creation year
- 1994
- Style of the cuvée
- Blended vintage brut champagne, dominated by Pinot Noir and complemented by Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs grands crus, aiming for balance, finesse, and aging potential.
- Position within the range
- Rare and limited artistic edition, positioned by Taittinger at the pinnacle of its visual and sensory experience.
Histoire de la cuvée
Claude Taittinger launched the Taittinger Collection in 1983 to bring together major contemporary artists and vintage cuvées. For the 1994 edition, Toshimitsu Imaï designed a decor inspired by Japanese symbols and the beauty of nature, applied to a bottle containing the 1988 Brut Millésimé.
