DelamotteLe Mesnil-sur-Oger, Côte des Blancs

Producer profile
TyS 6/10. Sister house and "effectively the second label" of Salon, Delamotte receives Salon's grapes when Salon doesn't declare vintage, or about 2 in every 5 years recently. All of those grapes go into Delamotte Blanc de Blancs NV. Otherwise, half of Delamotte grapes are purchased and half comes from 35 hectares of their own vineyards, primarily in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Unlike Salon, Delamotte allows malolactic. Fermentation occurs in tanks only, there is no oak and the house president maintains that "the taste of wood is nonsense in champagne". Similarly direct on dosage: "zero dosage is like a recipe without salt." Today both Salon and Delamotte are owned by Laurent Perrier but Delamotte house itself is over 260 years old. Blancs de blancs cuvées are Delamotte's "soaring highlights." Corks carry the disgorgement info: "the letter is the trimester and the year is inverted." ToS 89 "value", "sixth-oldest house in Champagne and the true origin of Lanson (the cross on every bottle of Champagne Lanson is in fact Nicolas Louis Delamotte's cross of the Knight of the Order of Malta)." Delamotte was purchased by Laurent Perrier in 1988 and today it creates and ages its wines at LP facilities. Salon's grapes are a "great asset": look for Delamotte vintage Blanc de Blancs from a vintage when Salon was not made (recent Salon vintages are 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012). "Pure style, fresh and elegant wines of fantastic value."

Tasting notes

Blanc de Blancs NV. Disgorgement marked as "D" 2017 on the cork. Pretty beige plaque de muselet and a restrained traditional label with a satiny sheen. Bright yellow-green in hue, very crisp in appearance, with something confectionary about it. Nose a little alcoholic at first, maybe served too warm, then settles in with a hint of lemon. Tastes quite sweet! Then tastes dry in a succession of opposite impressions. Good acidity, balanced fruit, and a satisfying thirst-quenching quality. A pleasant bitterness at the base of the flavor, not overly autolytic but feels well-developed and somehow "house style". Associations with a dry Aligoté, damp campfire smoke, hot metal surface, and warm honey. Contradictory, variable, and entertaining. Enjoyed from Zalto Champagne and White Wine glasses. Purchased at Federal Wine in spring 2020 for $63. ⭐⭐

Blanc de Blancs 2008. Cork is stamped C81LY donc disgorged in the 3rd quarter of 2018(?) Whiff of the cellar. Quite sweet upfront but with good acidity. Not entirely clean-tasting and that's a disappointment. The cork is pristine. Why am I sensing the impossible oak? Beautiful effervescence. Oaky and slightly dusty from Jancis. A suggestion of funk from Universal, a no-no for the elegant house.. Pecans from Zalto Champagne, the best-suited glass for this wine. Subtle funk persists but beautiful dark caramelization emerges to save the impression. 2 days later I still taste oak but also apple, concord grape, and buttery caramel. Like it sometimes happens, this champagne tastes richer and creamier with food like bread than naked. No stars because I don't think it showed its true colors. Purchased at Apple Jack's in autumn 2020 for $110, ouch.