Taittinger Brut la Française

Smoke and toast accents lace crushed raspberry, candied lemon zest and apple blossom notes in this firm, aperitif-style Champagne. Lively.

The deliciously delicate Taittinger NV Brut La Francaise is strikingly buoyant and dominated by subtle scents of yeast-tinged flowers and foliage - honeysuckle and mint immediately come to mind - that allude to its roughly one-quarter Meunier component, with a luscious matrix of lime-drenched honeydew melon and apple well-supported by discreet residual sugar leading to a sustained and refreshing finish. Hints of toasted almond and vanilla-tinged cookie dough lend a faintly confectionary cast that manages to harmonize with the dominant fruitiness and florality, while piquancy of apple and lime pit serve for counterpoint. That Taittinger's standard-bearing cuvees (outside the U.S., the cuvee in question is called "Brut Reserve") are relatively short on Pinot Noir by standards of that genre is obvious on tasting.