Winemaker Notes
Foremost a mineral wine, Delamotte Blanc de Blancs NV has textbook chalkiness; with time in the glass showing its complexity from the lees and white flesh fruit.
On its own, with fresh oysters, elegant saltwater fish or simply with fresh radishes with a touch of fleur de sel, Delamotte Blanc de Blancs is a versatile wine as an aperitif or at the table.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Some beeswax and savory, flinty undertones to the dried citrus fruit aromas. Walnuts, too. It's creamy and flavorful, with sleek bubbles and delicious umami nuances. Delicious finish. Chardonnay from Le Mesnil, Avize and Oger. Based on 2019, with 15% reserve wines from 2018 and 2017.
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Decanter
A benchmark entry-level non-vintage blanc de blancs in an effortlessly crisp, refined frame. Beautifully charred citrus, gunflint and sourdough aromas frame a gently persistent palate of ripe, juicy lemon and pear, drawn with unusual length and finesse. With just 10% reserve wine, the emphasis here is on brightness and energy. This score is for the magnum format. Only a few are made but the added quality represents fantastic value.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A bright silver/yellow color, the NV Champagne Blanc De Blancs Brut is based on the 2020 vintage and was aged for 48 months sur latte. Coming from Avize, Mesnil, and Oger, it has a very pretty and inviting, open feel with notes of green apples, pretty flowers, lemon-lime citrus, and chalky powder. Medium-bodied, it boasts a refined and elegantly rounded mousse, complemented by a clean and saline finish.
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Wine Spectator
A graceful Champagne, with fine length and focus. There’s a creamy plushness to the finely detailed mousse, which carries flavors of baked white cherry, poached apricot, candied lemon peel, brioche and ginger as they expand on the palate and through the well-cut, lasting finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Delamotte’s latest NV Brut Blanc de Blancs is based on the 2019 vintage and complemented by reserve wines from 2018 and 2017. Disgorged in late 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, it emerges from the glass with aromas of lemon confit, candied orange peel and shortbread cookie, mingled with Granny Smith apple. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied and concentrated, fleshy and textural, with a rich core of fruit underpinned by ripe yet racy acids and framed by chalky extract. It will strongly benefit from three to five years of post-disgorgement aging. It is sourced from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize and Oger. Rating: 91+
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’