Champagne connoisseur/detective needed

[writerbob]

Recently rec'd gift. Would like to know about it: value, quality, etc. Details---
-- From Label (near bottom of bottle):
TAITTINGER Collection
Champagne Brut 1982
Reims
Tiny # at bottom of label -- NM-162-001
-- From little label at bottom of BACK of bottle: Imported by Kobrand Corporation, NY
Sole United States Importers
But no luck on Net locating Kobrand in NY or elsewhere. (Since it's '82 vintage, co. could be long gone.)
-- Entire bottle covered by teal-colored plastic shell with what looks and feels like handpainted art. Most prominent is gold snow-covered mountain peak.
-- Below and to side of gold peak is black signature(approximately)"Andre Farson."
Rest of bottle has abstract flowers and what may be two flying figures in white with red hearts. Also some red lines on side and, below them in red, either a signature or undecipherable characters.
-- Pressed into plastic shell at neck of bottle is seal: knight on horseback with Latin words circling it. Just below looks like stylized version of gold sun or similar symbol.

Does this bottle ring a bell w/ anyone? It came from wine cellar @ Rio Hotel/Casino, claims to be best cellar in Vegas (tho' that's probably changed thanx to new Bellagio).
Would sure appreciate any info re this unusual package.

PS: Should this bottle be constantly refrigerated? I plan to pop it next New Years to help ring in Y2K.
For anyone wishing to reply:
writerbob@earthlink.net

[Bucko]

Taittinger is a nice Champagne house. 1982 was an excellent vintage. It is ready to drink, so I would keep it cool but it does not need to be refrigerated. Don't worry about the worth - enjoy it!

Bucko

[Jerry D Mead]

I've always liked the bottle design better than the wine inside on this particular series. Taittinger has other cuvees I prefer...but 18 year old Champagne (and one would assume that Rio would not be selling something unless it had been properly stored) is just about right for my taste...I like old Champagne. And very often age develops wines I'm not crazy about into real delights. I wouldn't keep it any longer than next year, and I wouldn't chill it either until just before drinking...just put it back in the corner of a dark closet.

And that bottle will look great in your wine rack or over the fireplace even after it's empty.

[tomstevenson]

With the exception of the first two vintages (1978 and 1981), the wine inside Taittinger's Collection Series is exactly the same as Taittinger's regular vintage, so the premium charged (around 40% in the UK) does not buy you a better wine, merely the plastic cladding. Mind you, Taittinger's 1982 is a lovely, soft, mellow toasty Champagne that has been drinking nicely for a few years now (if it's been well cellared), but should not get much better, so the Millennium is good timing. As Jerry says, don't refrigerate it (until you want to drink it, that is) and avoid fluctuating temperatures (although the plastic cladding provides some insulation advantage over a naked bottle).