NV Delamotte Champagne

[TheEngineer]

One of my fav go to. Last year stocked up when price hit an all time low of $28 a bottle...can't beat that. Always an elegant champagne, apples, stone fruits, minerally, toast all in good balance and a nice fresh, lithe persistence and finish.

[Thomas]

That's one I've never tasted. Will have to seek it out, although I don't think I've ever seen it around these parts.

[TheEngineer]

Thomas, From the wiki Delamotte is a sister winery of Salon and gets whatever grapes it does not use (so in some years,...all of it). Laurent-Perrier now owns both of them.

CHAMPAGNE DELAMOTTE is the fifth-oldest Champagne house in the region, founded in 1760, and located in the heart of the Côte des Blancs in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Sister house and contiguous to Champagne Salon, Delamotte produces no more than 50,000 cases annually, ensuring that the vineyards dominate the expression of Delamotte’s wines, defining the house’s elegant, mineral style. Through rough hard work in the vineyards and long aging in the cellars, Champagne Delamotte has come to be recognized as one of the leading Champagne producers in the Côte des Blancs.


THE VINEYARDS All of the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes that go into Delamotte’s non-vintage Brut come from grand cru vineyards. The Chardonnay comes primarily from three villages, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize and Oger. The Pinot Noir is sourced from vineyards on the side of the Marne river in Bouzy, Tours-sur-Marne and Ambonnay. The small percentage of Pinot Meunier that is blended in is from Vallée de la Marne. Delamotte also inherits the wine produced but not used by Salon—in years when a Salon vintage is not declared, this amounts to the entire harvest. Delamotte’s vineyards and those of its suppliers receive special care in order to maintain Delamotte’s high standards. A close cooperation, developed over decades of working together, ensures that all vineyard work is done with the ultimate goal of growing the best grapes possible.


WINEMAKING Using modern press and vinifi cation techniques combined with traditional Champagne methods, Champagne Delamotte’s winemaking is a simple translation of high-quality fruit and long-aged wines. Delamotte’s grapes are hand-harvested and handsorted by people who have been working with the company for years. In order to produce the highest-quality must, Delamotte presses its grapes using the Wilmes compressed air system. Unlike Salon, malolactic fermentation does occur with Delamotte wines. Delamotte disgorges every three to four months.


TECHNICAL INFORMATION VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 50% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier AGING: A minimum of three years sur lie prior to release (the legal minimum for Brut Champagne is only 15 months) CASE PACK: 6/750ml CASES IMPORTED: 4,000 cases ALCOHOL: 12.0% SUGGESTED RETAIL: $52

[Thomas]

Thanks, Engineer.

Next shopping trip will have me look for it, but I have yet to see it in these parts.