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ProducerDelamotte
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Vintage2012
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RegionChampagne
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Sub RegionLe Mesnil sur Oger
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SizeBottle
Delamotte is sister house to the legendary Salon, the latter a super-premium Blanc de Blancs made from a single 1 hectare vineyard in Le Mesnil, plus grapes sourced from 20 other Grand Cru vineyards in the area. Typical production is 8000 cases.
Located in the middle of the Côtes des Blancs in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Delamotte is a small house making only high-quality Champagnes, with a total production of around 50 000 cases annually. Four wines are made: a non-vintage blend, a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs, a Rosé and a vintage Blanc de Blancs. Salon, of course, makes just one wine, a Blanc de Blancs, and only in the best years. Both houses are part of the Laurent-Perrier group.
They’re special Champagnes. Delamotte is thought to be an insider’s Champagne, because people who aren’t in the know never seem to have heard of this house, even though it is one of the very best in the region.
94 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
A worthy successor to the super 2008, Delamotte’s 2012 Blanc de Blancs is performing very well—despite the fact that it was disgorged as recently as June 2019. Opening in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, dried white flowers, smoke and wheat toast, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a bright girdle of acidity, well-integrated dosage and a fine mousse, the muscularity of the vintage rendered with uncommon finesse. While this is quite expressive for such a recently disgorged vintage Delamotte, the rewards of even only a few years’ patience will be considerable.
94 Points Decanter
5g/L dosage. Disgorged October 2019. The first vintage release since 2008, this blend of six Chardonnay grands crus has spent almost seven years on lees in the cellar. This will age gracefully for at least 10 years, but is delicious and surprisingly accessible now, creamy, rich and concentrated with an almost exotic white flower character, and a hint of ginger spice. Would be a heavenly match for Asian seared salmon, or chicken with morels or truffles.
94 Points Antonio Galloni
Delamotte’s 2012 Brut Vintage is rich, creamy and super-expressive. This is only the second vintage (the first was 2008) in which fruit from Oiry rounds out the classic core of Le Mesnil, Oger and Cramant that forms the backbone of the Vintage. Dried pear, white flowers, chamomile and mint are some of the notes that grace this exquisite understated Blanc de Blancs. The 2012 offers terrific depth and textural resonance in a creamy, expressive style that captures the radiant personality of the year and the understated, quiet voice that is such a Delamotte signature.