Delamotte is the fifth oldest House in Champagne. Founded in 1760 by vineyard owner Francois Delamotte, the winery stayed within the family and was managed by various heirs and relatives of Francois for 70 years. In the 1830s it was sold to Lanson who later started producing a Lanson label. A Lanson heir, Marie Louise de Nonacourt (nee Lanson) acquired the House in the 1920s and, in a transformational decision, moved the operations from their original home in Reims to Mesnil sur Oger where the winery sits today.
Reims is the hub of the Champagne region. Mesnil sur Oger sits south of Reims in the Cotes des Blancs, a region that owns the mantle in most reviewers opinion for producing the best Chardonnay grapes in Champagne. Mesnil sur Oger would be the tenderloin district within the Cotes des Blancs. For over 60 years the de Nonancourt family ran the House of Delamotte and focused on increasing the quality of their Chardonnay-based wines and developing a reputation for consistency. It has become one of the most notable grower Champagnes within the region.
In 1988 Charles de Nonancourt, then proprietor of Delamotte, chose to combine his house with the ultra-recherché House of Salon, which had just been acquired by his brother Bernard, head of the much larger Laurent-Perrier. Salon originally just made Champagne for the consumption of its owner, Eugene Aime Salon and his family and friends, from a single 1 hectare vineyard, the Clos du Mesnil. In 1921 they sold miniscule amounts in their first commercial vintage. Since then they have produced Champagne’s most sought after wine only in exceptional vintages. To date, only 37 vintages have produced grapes of sufficiently high quality for the House of Salon to declare a vintage.
Delamotte shares the same winery and wine-making team with Salon. Salon, if you can get it, will cost you almost ten times as much as a bottle of Delamotte. Delamotte uses only Grand Cru fruit. Chardonnay for Delamotte comes from predominately Mesnil-sur-Oger, with vineyards in Oger, Avize and Cramant supplying grapes as well. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are blended into the NV Brut and the Rose and come only from Grand Cru vineyards in Bouzy, Ambonnay, and Tours-sur-Marne. Delamotte gets first pick of any fruit that Salon does not use in its wine.
Delamotte is definitely a connoisseur’s Champagne, an insider’s Champagne as it is not a highly publicized or well known brand, except by people in the know. Production is 75,000 bottles per year and is spread over the NV Brut, the Rose, the Blanc de Blancs and the Blanc de Blancs Millesime (Vintage).
NV Champagne Delamotte Brut
Pale gold with fine bead. Pear and apple on the nose with a hint of bread dough. Rich, full bodied palate where the pear flavours mix with citrus and background notes of almonds and honey. 7 g/l dosage but it has the body and a syrupiness that would make you think it was more. Smooth and elegant yet powerful at the same time; this lets you know you are drinking a connoisseur’s Champagne. 36 months on the lees and it shows in its pleasantly autolytic character. Ready now but has many years in front of it. Delicious!
Excellent
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