Delamotte Blanc De Blancs Champagne 2014

With a history of more than 250 years, Delamotte is the 5th oldest champagne house in the world. Since 1988 it became the sister house to the legendary Salon estate under the Laurent-Pierrer group. Like Salon, Delamotte is a chardonnay specialist. Whilst its NV and Roses do contain pinot, it’s its Blanc de Blancs that are the real stars of this champagne house.

When Salon does not declare a vintage, the wines go to Delamotte, Salon’s sister property and neighbor. Because of that, the Delamotte Champagnes are often mentioned as an after thought. That is a shame, because the Delamotte Champagnes deserve to be appreciated on their own terms. This is what we’ll demonstrate with this fantastic 2012 vintage.

Stylistically, the two houses produce very different champagnes. Whilst Salon tends to make very austere champagnes made for ageing for decades, Delamotte tends to be more approachable as its made from grapes sourced across several grand cru villages of Cote de Blanc - Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize and Cramant. Unlike Salon, Delamotte sees full malolactic fermentation, which softens the edges and gives it the creaminess to drink well with minimal cellaring.

To each his own style. At Mesnil-sur-Oger (20%), acidity, purity and chalky minerality. In Avize (20%), balance and structure. In Oger (20%), warmth, scale and generosity. In Cramant, the smoky minerality. In Chouilly, the frame and the length. Finally in Oiry, acidity and roundness. Each stronghold has its score which, performed in concert, transcends this Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2014 champagne. It will have aged on the lees for six long years. That's not much compared to the power of this wine. Its richness is only equaled by its concentration and yet it is airy. We even discover it generous... Supreme elegance of a wine for keeping!

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