Champagne Delamotte 2012 Vintage Release

CHAMPAGNE DELAMOTTE LE MESNIL-SUR-OGER BLANC DE BLANCS 2012

2012 - VINTAGE RELEASE EXCLUSIVE TO CORNEY & BARROW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Delamotte House & Cellars - Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Photo Credit Hamza Djenat

“Le Champagne est un élixir de jeunesse.

Alors à 260 ans, tout commence.”

“Champagne is the elixir of youth.

In Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, life begins at 260.”

DIDIER DEPOND President, Champagne Delamotte & Champagne Salon

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Didier Depond & Vive et me ama at Delamotte. Photo Credit Mathieu Garรงon

INTRODUCTION For Champagne Delamotte, 2020 is a special year, marking its 260th anniversary.

So it seemed only right to release an exceptional vintage - Delamotte’s Blanc de Blancs 2012 - to celebrate.

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.

Today, it is Didier Depond, President 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 gallic shrug and a twinkle in his eye. ‘We have spent 260 years in pursuit of excellence, it’s becoming a bit of a habit’.

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.

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.

The Delamotte ethos is founded in the concept that a great champagne is first and foremost a great wine. 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 Francois 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.

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’.

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Parcel Delamotte Les Roses in Le Mesnil. Photo Credit Romain Guittet

THE TALE OF CHAMPAGNE DELAMOTTE 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 Ay 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-Baptise accepted. After Nicolas Louis died in 1837, his widow Marie-Pierrette and Jean-Baptiste co-managed the company, trading under the name Veuve DelamotteBarrachin.

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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.

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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 Laurent-Perrier 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 MarieLouise de Nonancourt and her sons Charles and Bernard.

Today, one man carries that mantel, 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, hardworking and high-achieving, Didier continues to forge the reputation and image of Champagne Salon and Champagne Delamotte worldwide.

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Didier Depond et ses chardonnays: Luc Monnet

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Delamotte CĂ´te des Blancs. Photo Credit Hamza Djenat

2012 VINTAGE NOTES 2012 will be remembered as one of the champagne region’s most challenging growing seasons. While the champenois are well-versed in the caprices of a marginal viticultural climate, this was a year when Mère Nature – or rather her diabolical twin sister – seemed hellbent on showing who is boss.

From January to June, the vignerons found themselves under siege as virtually every single one of the region’s most feared climatic events was unleashed upon them.

Winter frost, Spring frost, in fact any type of frost would do, as long as it was well and truly bad. Rollercoaster temperatures: too warm too early, too cool too late.

Downpours of Biblical proportions. Throw in a hailstorm and make it wild! Then, as if this weren’t enough, a cruel sharp slap of cold compromised flowering and fruit set.

‘Natural pruning’ sounds far more pleasant than reality.

Merci maman, ça suffit.

Finally, after so much turbulence, July brought calm, resetting the defaults. The skies cleared and temperatures rose, to the relief – albeit cautious - of the beleaguered growers, still jumpy after the torture of a six-month tarantella on eggshells. Resplendent sunshine and warm, dry days helped accelerate the ripening process, while brisk breezes and fresh nighttime temperatures preserved bright acids.

These beautiful, luminous conditions continued until harvest, which in the Côte des Blancs began on 17th September. Unsurprisingly, this did not take long - crop levels were significantly lower than usual, a factor of the difficult growing season. Despite such low yields, and no doubt a factor of them, the quality of Delamotte’s chardonnays looked exceptional, in every single cru.

The grapes were harvested in pristine condition, the fruit and acidities in perfect balance, not seen since the great 2008 vintage.

REBECCA PALMER September, 2020

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WINEMAKING For the only the second time in its 260-year history, Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2012 brings together six legendary grands crus, drawing on Delamotte’s best vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger as well as those of a number of selected growers in the Côte des Blancs, long-term suppliers to Delamotte.

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Each grand cru brings its own specific characteristics to the cuvée. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (20%) is the unmistakable heart of the blend, bringing its hallmark chalky acidity, long-line mineral purity, and hint of saline. While Avize (20%) confers balance and structure to Oger’s rich, generous fruit (20%), Cramant weaves in a certain smoky minerality. The final two crus were introduced to the Delamotte vintage blend from 2008: Chouilly adds structure and length, Oiry a sense of curve offset by bright acids. While the final blend remains a secret, composed over many trials, the stylistic objective of this and every Delamotte vintage remains unchanged: to create a wine with depth but lightness, richness and grace.

The grapes from each separate parcel were pressed gently in a Willmes press, and only the finest fractions used. Vinification took place as always at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks, completing malolactic fermentation prior to the prise de mousse. The resulting wines were then kept in Delamotte’s cellars sur lattes (on their lees) for over years, to allow the wines to mellow and gain in structural and aromatic complexity from the long, slow, developmental process of autolysis.

To prepare the bottles for release, the riddling process (remuage) was carried out over many weeks and months, by hand as always, culminating in final disgorgement and bottling in October 2019. After its extensive lees ageing, the wine required just a small dosage of 6.5g/L at bottling.

Drinking beautifully now, the wine will continue to develop and refine in bottle for 10-15+ years after bottling.

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Harvest at Delamotte. Photo Credit Luc Monnet

“Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2012 est un funambule. Son fil s’étend le long des grands crus de la Côte des Blancs créant la symbiose de ces terroirs.”

“Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2012 is a tightrope walker, treading the finest of lines where the grands crus of the Côte des Blancs meet and meld.”

DIDIER DEPOND

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TASTING NOTE DELAMOTTE BLANC DE BLANCS 2012 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2012 is an exercise in refinement. Graceful yet vivacious after six and a half years on its lees, and almost a year on cork (at time of writing in late September 2020), the wine bears the classic Delamotte signatures - the evocative scent, longline palate and textural precision. The nose is redolent of white flowers, somehow both innocent and exotic, with hints of fresh ginger and orange peel. Gentle but full-flavoured in the mouth, with incisive chalky acids, the wine has a fine, silky texture formed of tiny, precise golden bubbles. The finish is clean, saline. Still young, but drinking beautifully now, the wine will continue to develop and hold for at least 10-15 years, stored in optimal conditions.

Corney & Barrow Score 18.5+ Recommended drinking from 2020 - 2032+ £260/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

Tasting Guide 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.

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