Thinking-Drinking
  • Blog
  • Erin
  • Index
  • Articles
  • News
  • Podcast
  • Contact

Delamotte Champagne (Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, France)

10/30/2012

5 Comments

 
I recently got to try these lovely Champagnes from Delamotte, one of the oldest Champagne houses in existence (since 1760), and the sister Champagne house to Salon. In 2012, they celebrated their 250th anniversary. 

History
The house was founded in 1760 by François Delamotte, most likely under the influence of his father-in-law, Antoine Burgundy, who was a Champagne producer in Ay. The house passed to his son, Nicolas Louis Delamotte, and then passed to Nicolas' widow.  The French Revolution (circa 1789) caused some of the wealthy farmers in the region to flee into exile, and Jean-Baptiste Lanson was one such man. He returned to France to run Delamotte in 1854. Things changed in the early 1920s when Marie Louise Lanson inherited Delamotte and purchased Laurent-Perrier at the same time. Her son Charles managed the house until 1988, when Charles' older brother, Bernard de Nonancourt, bought Delamotte and brought it fully into the Laurent-Perrier group. At the same time, he bought Salon, and ever since Delamotte and Salon have been marketed as sister Champagne houses. 

Wines
Delamotte owns only Grand Cru chardonnay vineyards, their estate fruit is about 70% of production, and chardonnay really defines their style. 
Picture
Picture
Delamotte Brut Rosé 

Though Delamotte Champagne house has been producing since 1760, they have only been making this brut rosé since 1988. 

This rosé is: 
80% pinot noir
20% chardonnay

Interestingly, these varieties are co-macerated together-- a technique used by relatively few producers. Co-maceration gives the winemaker less control over the final product, but it also gives the wine a special congruent, integrated flavor that is almost impossible to achieve with post-ferment blending.

The rosé has a lovely, light salmon color (see the first photo in this post for an extreme close-up). 

Picture
Delamotte Brut

50% chardonnay
30% pinot noir (added for texture)
20% pinot meunier (added for flavor complexity)

At Delamotte they believe that to really express itself, chardonnay needs 6-10 years of aging. In this Brut, the chardonnay doesn't quite get that old, so the pinot noir & meunier are added to enhance the complexity of the younger chardonnay. 

Picture
Delamotte Brut, Blanc de Blancs

This is the good stuff. Their chardonnay-- being the nucleus of their entire estate production-- receives much love and care from the company. To make this cuvée they blend together 4 villages (Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize, Cramant) in the Côte des Blancs-- all Grand Cru fruit. It spends 5 years on the lees, and is pretty ridiculous to drink, especially with seafood. 

Champagne? Surely, you must....

5 Comments
E-champagne.fr link
10/30/2012 06:44:15 pm

nice & light taste, clapclap !

Reply
diablus
3/22/2013 12:38:48 am

Delimited it's ok
There are a lot of better champagne....

Reply
diablus
3/22/2013 12:44:56 am

Sorry
I meant delamotte

Reply
diablus
3/22/2013 12:43:26 am

Sorry
I meant delamotte

Reply
diablus
3/22/2013 12:43:55 am

Sorry
I meant delamotte

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    _

    Follow @ErinBScala
    Instagram

    Erin

    I’m Erin, and this is my wine blog. Here, you'll find information about wines from around the world, and Virginia.  


    Top Posts

    Elizabeth Bird
    Sommelier History
    Stars & Terroir
    Dry German Wine
    1962 NYC Wine List

      Want to subscribe?

    Submit

    Archives

    December 2021
    May 2021
    June 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    January 2016
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    RSS Feed

    Picture