Taittinger Champagne Collection 1981 Arman 750ml

Winespectator.com, web-only, 1987.
Distinctively spicy with hints of licorice and pear, full-bodied with asser tive character but nicely balanced as well. A vibrant, complex wine, but very unusual.

The Taittinger Collection Series was conceived in the late 1970s by Claude Taittinger. Long a patron of the arts, with a passionate interest in the modern schools of painting and sculpture, he perceived a natural alliance between the creation of the artist and the art of the great winemaker. Thus, in 1983, Champagne Taittinger introduced the first of its revolutionary Collection Series, uniting art and Champagne in the design of a special bottle with a laser-sealed sheath that visually expresses the artist’s concept of the magic of Champagne.
The Taittinger Collection Series bottles are released only in great vintages, from a selection of the year's finest cuvées. The wines are made from Chardonnay mainly from the Grands Crus of the Côte des Blancs, and Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne vineyards. The fruit is pressed in the vineyards and the first pressing is transported to the winery for fermentation, followed by a second fermentation in the bottle. Aged for five or more years on the lees, the wine acquires complexity and the fine, pinpoint bubbles characteristic of its sparkle.

Seafood, Shellfish, Crab and Lobster