Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2005

White peach, baked apple and toasted brioche open with real authority, backed by a deep chalky undercurrent that speaks to the Côte des Blancs at its best. Years on lees have built extraordinary concentration here — this is a dense, layered wine that earns every comparison to great white Burgundy. Persistent fine bubbles carry citrus peel, ginger and a briny oyster-shell edge through a finish that simply won't quit.