100% Chardonnay primarily from 15- to 20-year-old vines in three grand cru villages—Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize and Oger. Only 17 of the more than 300 producing villages in Champagne are grands crus, the highest ranking available. The top layer of soil in these vineyards is composed of sediment from the upper slopes; the next layer is chalky, giving the wine a mineral character, finesse and delicacy. Using modern press and vinification techniques combined with traditional Champagne methods, Delamotte’s winemaking is a simple translation of high-quality fruit and long-aged wines. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged sur lie in bottle for five years. Riddling was done entirely by hand for the 1999 Blanc de Blancs. Delamotte disgorges every three to four months.

Champagne Delamotte was founded in 1760 in Reims by vineyard owner Francois Delamotte. In an act of extraordinary prescience, Francois’ son, Alexandre Delamotte, moved the winery at the end of the 18th century into a mansion in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Cote des Blancs—more than 150 years before the vineyards of Champagne were legally classified. Throughout its 300-plus-year history, Delamotte has remarkably remained under the care of two families, providing rare continuity. In 1828, Alexandre’s brother, Nicolas Louis Delamotte, also known as the Chevalier Delamotte Barrachin, a former Chevalier de Malte and president of the Chamber of Commerce of Reims, assumed management and took a partner, Jean-Baptiste Lanson. Within a decade, Jean-Baptiste’s nephews, Victor-Marie and Henri Lanson, joined the winery. After gaining full ownership when the Delamotte widow passed on, they changed the name. Their sister, Marie-Louise de Nonancourt, then acquired the Delamotte marquee. In 1927, Marie-Louise’s son Charles de Nonancourt took the reins. It was Charles who created the golden rules for the business: ensure a consistent quality by purposefully limiting production and maintain at least three harvests in the cellars at all times.

In 1988, Marie’s son Bernard de Nonancourt purchased Delamotte from Charles. One year later, Bernard purchased Champagne Salon. Coincidentally, Charles was married to the niece of Eugene-Aime Salon, the founder of Salon. Bernard restored the houses of Salon and Delamotte to their former splendor.

In 1997, Didier Depond was appointed managing director of Delamotte. A native of the Loire, he is a man of passion and compassion. With a long-time history of working with Bernard, Didier is uniquely qualified to preserve the continuity of the de Nonancourt family ownership of Delamotte. Delamotte wines are made by chef de cave Michel Fauconnet, who assumed his role in 2004 after working as an assistant to Alain Terrier for 20 years. Michel also makes the wine for Salon.

Considered a “petite maison,” or “small house,” Delamotte benefits from the advantages both the bigger Champagne houses and grower Champagnes enjoy. It is able to focus on expressing the terroir of specific vineyards, from which it has sourced grapes for several decades, while gaining complexity from the assemblage of the best wines produced from these vineyards. It also has the resources for cellaring wines for several years, a luxury few growers can afford. Champagne Delamotte is considered small among the smaller houses, due to its low production of only three cuvees totaling only 300,000 bottles per year.