“Yet another star to light up the glittering constellation of Delamotte”
“Voilà encore une étoile à faire scintiller la constellation Delamotte”
DIDIER DEPOND Président, Champagne Delamotte & Champagne SalonDelamotte Côte des Blancs ©Hamza Djenat
Un grand champagne est d’abord un grand vin. A great champagne is first and foremost a great wine. This is the founding concept that drives and defines the House of Delamotte. The 2014 vintage is the latest release to exemplify this exacting premise.
Champagne Delamotte’s extraordinary yet little-known history is a tale of twists and turns, spanning centuries. It is the story of a name that rose to greatness, then appeared lost forever, only to be revived by one of the champagne world’s greatest all-time legends. After many years and much hard work, this discreet name has quietly reclaimed its position as one of Champagne’s most historic houses of exception.
Delamotte’s home is the village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, for many the greatest grand cru of all. Given its origins, Delamotte’s devotion to the chardonnay grape is unsurprising. In fact, the local in-joke refers to it as ‘the other great blanc de blancs’ – a wink to legendary sister house Champagne Salon, with whom it shares so much DNA, as well as its elegant headquarters, ownership and management team. But Champagne Delamotte needs no starry guarantor, even one as impeccable as Salon, to attest to the quality and refinement of its wines.
Quality is the watchword, rooted in sheer hard work, meticulous and constant attention to detail in the vineyard and the cellar. There is nothing new in this commitment however. In the late 1700s François Delamotte earned a mention in the progressive Encyclopédie of Physiocrates, while later custodian Charles de Nonancourt would restrict yields and retain multiple harvests in the cellar, to maintain stringent standards.
Today, it is Didier Depond, Président of both Champagne Delamotte and Champagne Salon since 1997, who leads Delamotte forward, honouring long-held practices but unafraid to embrace new techniques in pursuit of quality, forging the traditions of the future. ‘C’est normal!’ says Didier, with a faux shrug. ‘After 260 years in pursuit of excellence, it’s becoming a bit of a habit’.
Champagne Delamotte maintains an understated profile, one that might seem unusual for a House of its history, pedigree and absolute quality. But in a world of glitz common to so many commercial champagne brands, this discreet Maison de Champagne has long been the smart choice of those who know – indeed ‘pour ceux qui savent’ might be Delamotte’s marketing strapline, if ever it felt the need to have one.
Great in ambition, small in structure, Delamotte is run by a loyal and tight-knit team: just ten people cover every aspect of the business, and there is a family spirit and dynamism here, more akin in some ways to a start-up. For all the hard graft, there is a sense of joie de vivre that nods to the Delamotte family coat of arms. Presiding over the entrance to Delamotte’s headquarters in Le Mesnil, it bears the Latin inscription ‘Vive Et Me Ama’ (‘Live And Love Me’). To quote Didier: ‘a great champagne – like any great wine – is meant to be appreciated and enjoyed. Read and write about it, savour it academically all you will, but don’t forget to live and love’.
The extraordinary yet little-known history of Champagne Delamotte is a tale of twists and turns spanning centuries. It is the story of a name that became great, then was lost, only to rise again to reclaim its position as one of Champagne’s most historic houses of exception; a celebration of life itself: ‘Vive et me ama’.
Maison Delamotte was founded in 1760 by François Delamotte. Born in 1722 in Reims, he had forged a distinguished career as a military captain and magistrate of considerable standing. He also owned sizeable vineyard holdings in Cumières. Influenced no doubt by his father-in-law, Antoine Bourgongne, a vine-grower in Aÿ who produced champagne under his own name, François decided to do the same, and in 1760 established a House of Vins de Champagne (Wines of Champagne), in a building on the corner of rue Cérès and rue Marmousets, where he lived. The trade name Delamotte Père & Fils was adopted in 1786, when François’ elder son Alexandre joined forces with his father to help develop the now burgeoning family business.
François also had another son, Nicolas Louis Delamotte, born in 1767. A natural leader and gregarious in personality, Nicolas Louis had earned himself the rather impressive title of Knight of the Order of Malta. After the Napoleonic conquest, the Order was dissolved and in 1798, Nicolas returned to the family fold. His arrival led to the creation of Delamotte’s distinctive trademark, incorporating the eight-pointed cross of the Order.
1798 also marked Nicolas Louis’ wedding to MariePierrette Barrachin, whereupon he became known by the name Chevalier Delamotte Barrachin. Successful in business and influential in the wider trade, Nicolas Louis rose to become President of the Chamber of Commerce in Reims. It was in this capacity that he oversaw arrangements for the coronation of Charles X on 29th May 1825. He was subsequently made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.
Nicolas Louis’ friendship with a certain Jean-Baptiste Lanson was to prove significant to the history and evolution of Champagne Delamotte. While the Lanson name is well-known these days in the context of Champagne, few realise its history began with Delamotte.
Jean-Baptiste Lanson was born in 1777 to Claude Henri Lanson and Marie-Nicolas Legros, wealthy farmers in the Ardennes. In the bloody events of 1792-3, the teenage Jean-Baptiste fled over the Rhine and into Germany. During this period, he studied German and the rudiments of commerce. In the early 1800s he was to return to France, got married and started a family, moving to Reims in 1808. He forged a distinguished career as a civil servant, moving through the ranks at Reims City Hall, and becoming a high-profile public figure. Highly respected and sought-after in business and society alike, he held key positions on a number of trade committees and councils and was later to serve as Deputy Mayor of Reims, earning himself the title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour for his contribution to public service.
Moving in similar circles, Nicolas Louis Delamotte and Jean-Baptiste Lanson came to know each other well. In 1828, Nicolas Louis offered his friend a minority partnership in the family business, and Jean-Baptiste accepted. After Nicolas Louis died in 1837, his widow Marie-Pierrette and Jean-Baptiste co-managed the company, trading under the name Veuve DelamotteBarrachin.
As time went on, Jean-Baptiste assumed increasing operational responsibility and in 1856, when MariePierrette died without heir, he assumed full control. Re-establishing the business entirely, he abandoned the Delamotte name in favour of Lanson Père & Fils. Thus, after almost one hundred years, the great Delamotte name seemed lost forever.
Or perhaps not. As so often happens, a woman will arrive on the scene to save the day! Delamotte’s saviour was Marie-Louise de Nonancourt, whose lineage and decisions were to prove instrumental for the future not just of Champagne Delamotte, but also of Champagne Salon and the owner today of both houses: Champagne Laurent-Perrier.
Marie-Louise de Nonancourt was born Lanson, a descendant of Jean-Baptiste himself, and had two brothers Victor and Henri, who were to become key figures in the Lanson business. In 1924, Marie-Louise was widowed prematurely. Facing a precarious financial future, she plunged her energies into the family business. In a moment of serendipity, she was to learn that a small, tumbledown champagne house in Tours-sur-Marne was for sale, its owner having died without heir. Anxious to secure future prosperity for her sons, she seized the opportunity to buy it. The house was called LaurentPerrier. At the same time, Marie-Louise inherited the rights to the House of Delamotte, via the female line.
The business grew, so much so that in 1927, eyeing continuity of supply, Marie-Louise made the decision to transfer the house of Delamotte to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs – an entirely logical move given Delamotte’s predilection for chardonnay. Over the following decade and beyond, Delamotte’s fortunes continued to grow exponentially under the astute and dynamic custodianship of this extraordinary woman. She even kept the operations running through the second World War, though her sons Charles and Bernard then assumed greater roles in the businesses.
For forty years, from 1948 to 1988, Charles de Nonancourt continued to build the House of Delamotte based on the concept of premium quality (today this would no doubt
earn the marketing moniker of ‘boutique operation’), while his older brother Bernard took the reins at Laurent-Perrier. Bernard – a man of enormous charisma, intelligence and phenomenal work ethic - was to transform LaurentPerrier into one of the most important and successful houses in the entire Champagne region. In 1988, Bernard bought Champagne Delamotte and integrated it into the Laurent-Perrier group. Just a few months later, he was able to realise a long-held dream - an emotional milestone that merits a chapter of its own! – in acquiring at long last the tiny Champagne Salon, Delamotte’s neighbour in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.
This is how the destinies of Salon and Delamotte came to be entwined, the story of which is little known and rarely told. Today, these two exceptional producers operate as sister houses, sharing offices and facilities in the very same historic townhouse in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, bought by Marie-Louise de Nonancourt so many years before.
The fact that Champagne Delamotte exists today, is a tribute to the generations of men and women who have upheld a legacy spanning three centuries - François Delamotte and his sons Alexandre and Nicolas Louis; Nicolas’ widow Marie-Pierrette Barrachin and their great friend Jean-Baptiste Lanson; his descendant Marie-Louise de Nonancourt and her sons Charles and Bernard.
Today, one man carries that mantle, and this is Didier Depond, the dynamic Président of Champagne Delamotte and Champagne Salon. Considering Depond’s ancestors were all vine growers, it is perhaps no coincidence that he would come to build a career in the wine world. Having completed commercial studies, in 1986 he joined Laurent-Perrier in a sales role, moving through the ranks to become Head of Marketing in 1994. Just three years later in 1997 he was made Président of both Champagne Delamotte and Champagne Salon. A close mentee of Bernard de Nonancourt for many years, Didier cites the enormous influence of le grand BN (‘the great BN’) on his career. Like him, one of the champagne region’s most passionate advocates, hard-working and high-achieving, Didier continues to forge the reputation and image of Champagne Salon and Champagne Delamotte worldwide.
The life of a vine-grower is not without drama! The 2014 vintage seemed intent on demonstrating this, playing out in four distinct acts that swung from one extreme to another: a warm, wet winter then a hot, dry spring; a miserably sodden mid-summer then redemption at the eleventh hour. And as usual, considerable additional challenges en route.
Autumn 2013 set the scene, with abundant rainfall and mild temperatures continuing through winter. Unfortunately, there was no proper cold snap to encourage dormancy, resulting in a very early budburst.
Spring was warm and dry, dazzling with endless sunshine. Sharp frosts devastated the future crop in some areas, but Delamotte’s mid-slope vineyards were spared. Fine, dry weather provided exceptional conditions for flowering in June, but as one resplendent week rolled into the next, the lack of rainfall was causing concern. As their vines wilted, vignerons prayed for rain.
And rain it did! From drought to deluge, with a few rapid-fire hailstorms thrown in for good measure, the region was awash from mid-July to mid-August. The free-draining, chalky soils of the Côte des Blancs proved a saving grace in the endless downpours, but this period was far from straightforward, as growers faced ongoing battles with mildew.
To a collective sigh of relief, late August saw a welcome return to picture-perfect weather: warm, sunny and dry - ideal ripening conditions. The chardonnays flourished in these crucial days up to harvest, gaining in power while retaining brilliant acids. Largely spared the scourges that affected certain vineyards in the region (and notably, for the first time ever in Champagne, a visitation by the dreaded Suzuki fly during veraison), Delamotte harvested its chardonnays on 11th September in pristine condition.
Didier Depond provides our epilogue: ‘Tout est bien qui finit bien. Au terme d’une année en colère, le chardonnay rayonne’. ‘All’s well that ends well. With this turbulent year at a close, the chardonnays are shining’.
Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2014 is only the third release to draw on all six grands crus of the Côte des Blancs. This new blend, a long-held ambition of Didier Depond, was introduced with the 2008 vintage, when Chouilly and Oiry finally joined the original ensemble of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize, Cramant and Oger.
The blend combines fruit from Delamotte’s precious vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, with those from a handful of small vignerons across the Côte, suppliers to Delamotte for many years. While the proportions used of each grand cru vary subtly from vintage to vintage – and the exact recipe is known only to Delamotte’s technical director and Didier Depond himself - the stylistic objective remains the same: to capture the essence of the Côte des Blancs in all its depth and lightness, richness and grace.
Each grand cru leaves its imprint on this cuvée that transcends the sum of its parts. Unsurprisingly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger takes centre-stage, with its incisive minerals, lissom purity and fine white line of salt. Elegant, upright Avize refines the warm, generous fruit of Oger, while Cramant leaves its diaphanous, chiffon trail of smoke and silk. Chouilly harmonises and lengthens the blend, while Oiry quietly yields its sensuous curve and delicate, lacy acids.
The grapes from each parcel of vines were pressed gently and slowly in a Willmes press, and only the finest fractions selected. Vinification took place as always at carefully controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks, followed by full malolactic fermentation. After the prise de mousse, the wines were held sur lattes in Delamotte’s cellars for over six years, to allow the wines to meld and mellow, gaining aromatic and structural complexity from the long, slow refining process of autolysis.
In the run-up to release, the bottles were riddled by hand over several months, culminating in final disgorgement in early Spring 2021. After prolonged lees ageing, dosage was discreet as always – a judicious 6.5g/l for balance and longevity.
Champagne Delamotte, chardonnay grapes at harvestDelamotte Blanc de Blancs 2014 is expressive and fine. Disgorged in March 2021 after six years on its lees, the wine is drinking beautifully already (at our most recent tasting, September 2021): fresh and coltish (of course!) but also open and harmonious.
This vintage bears all the Delamotte hallmarks: that light but unmistakable perfume hinting at jasmine, ginger, a touch of iodine; the exquisite mousse, its tiny filigree bubbles moving seamlessly, weightlessly across the palate. Approachable yet tensile, the palate layers orchard fruit with delicate crème fraîche, held fast by precise, chalky acids, laser-fine.
For those with the willpower, put away a few cases in the cellar. Stored in favourable conditions, the wine will continue to develop and hold for at least 10-15 years. Didier Depond gives his ‘official’ drinking date to 2040.
Corney & Barrow Score 18.5+ Recommended drinking from 2021-2034+
£295.00/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK £305.00/Case of 3 magnums, in bond UK
Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have also introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection. For the benefit of simplicity, wines are scored out of 20. We will often use a range of scores (e.g. 16.5 to 17) to indicate the potential to achieve a higher mark. When a ‘+’ is shown it adds further to that potential. Wines from lesser vintages will, inevitably, show a lower overall score.
Wines are judged, in a very broad sense, against their peers. Why? Well, you cannot easily compare a Ford with an Aston Martin, other than they are both cars and have wheels. It is not that different with wine. A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes and, as always, speak to our sales team.
“La quintessence de la Côte des Blancs dans un verre.”
“The very essence of the Côte des Blancs in a glass”
DIDIER DEPOND Président, Champagne Delamotte & Champagne Salon
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