So HMF has 'Comtes des Champagne' and 'Comte des Champagne.' Both wrong unfortunately. It's named after Taittinger's best champagne, Comtes de Champagne. Below is a photo of the label.
Thanks for the quick alteration but, alas, it's still wrong. Taittinger's line of champagne is called after the counts of Champagne, plural. There were thirteen or so of them. Thus Comtes de Champagne. David Austin has blurred this in "The English Roses" (Conran Octopus 2005 page 202) by focussing on the count who supposedly brought Rosa gallica to France from the Crusades. But Austin still names the rose 'Comtes de Champagne', no doubt following his contract with Taittinger. Yes, it's true the David Austin website refers to this rose as 'Comte de Champagne', but then the entry is riddled with errors.
Has anyone grown this rose in the Los Angeles area? Catalogues describe it as relatively small, but Austin roses tend to get pretty big here. I'd like to find an appropriate spot in my garden for it--but I don't have room for another one the size of Graham Thomas or or Golden Celebration.
