Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2014

Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2014

Grape varietals : Chardonnay : 100%

The story

Each village has its own style. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (20%): acidity, purity and chalky minerality. Avize (20%): balance and structure. Oger (20%), warmth, body and generosity. Cramant: smoky minerality. Chouilly: robustness and length. And finally, Oiry: acidity and roundness. To reprise the musical analogy, each territory has its own score and, when they are all played together to create Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2014, each one can be heard in its own right. It is left to age over six long years. Not much, given the powerfulness of this wine. Its richness is equalled only by its concentration, and yet it remains light on its feet. It can even be generous…Such is the supreme elegance of a wine with ageing potential!

 

A great champagne is first and foremost a great wine!

A great champagne is first and foremost a great wine!

This is the golden rule in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, where Delamotte was founded in 1760. If Delamotte is one of the five oldest champagne houses, it is because we respect the traditions, we are dedicated to flavour and we craft our wines in the heart of the legendary Côte des Blancs terroir.

Our wines, our terroir

Our wines, our terroir

From Cramant to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, through Avize and Oger but also Chouilly and Oiry: all are found in the Côte des Blancs. Its location is one of Delamotte’s richest assets. The chalky soil, the flora and the sloping vineyards give the grapes their exceptional character, delivering delicate, consistent champagnes. Championing this exceptional terroir, drawing the best from it while maintaining absolute respect for the vines and the environment - that's what Delamotte is all about.

Vintage 2014

Vintage 2014

After a mild autumn and winter, the vines budded very early. The weather in spring wasmagnificent, with record-breaking sunshine and drought. Favourable weather in early Juneproved perfect for flowering. At the same time, it was so dry, everyone was desperate for rain.Then, rain it did! The weather went from one extreme to the other throughout the entire summer: abundantrain and August temperatures that could only be described as ‘autumnal’. We had to wait untilSeptember for a return to warm, sunny weather – and crucially, it was absolutely dry. In short,the ideal conditions for the grapes to ripen. The chardonnay grapes flourished, gaining power right up to harvest, which began on 11thSeptember for the Grands Crus of the Côte des Blancs. Spared any incident of pests ordisease that had developed here and there in the Champagne region, our chardonnays wereharvested in pristine condition. They also presented exceptionally high bunch weights – over150 grams – resulting in a comfortable yield, the ripeness balanced by fine acidity. Howeverdisconcerting the weather during the 2014 season, Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2014 has a fine future ahead.

How to enjoy ?

How to enjoy ?

Chilled but never cold (around 8°C) and served in a tulip-shaped wine glass. 

Its  pale  gold  colour,  glinting  with  emerald,  illuminates  the  fine  necklace  of  bubbles  rising  tothe surface of the disc in the glass. On  the  nose,  the  wine’s  noble  origins  are  unmistakable  in  the  energy  of  its  bouquet:  pure,direct and deep, a strong personality. Its lively attack, palate freshness and mouth-watering minerality are a delight. But it doesn’t end there. The Epicurean will appreciate the supple fruit and notes of brioche that explode, in a dreamy finish.

Enjoy it today before a meal, with some home-made gougeres, still warm from the oven. Or, tostray off the beaten track, try this astonishing pairing as an aperitif: a few savoury vealsweetbreads grilled a la plancha, an absolute knock-out. But it is at table that the wine reveals all the facets of its complexity. A sea urchin will lift itsiodine notes, a pairing as light as it is airy. The wine will awaken tasty beef agnolotti – that speciality of the Italian Piedmont – and, incombination with parmigiano reggiano, explodes with savoury umami flavours, moreish in theextreme. The most daring will be tempted by a Wagyu beef tartare with Tarbouriech oysters, anunusual surf and turf combination, in which this vintage can unfurl its amazing versatility.

Ageing potential : 15 years