Delamotte : Blanc de Blancs

A particularly good value

A crisp, focused blanc de blancs, offering moderate lemon and pie crust flavors on a firm structure. Drink now. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 500 cases imported.

Based on the Côte des Blancs, the Champagne home of Chardonnay, it's logical that this producer should make a fine Blanc de Blancs. This wine has all the attributes, with crisp apple and a mineral texture that is tightly prominent. This is a fine wine, just hinting at toastiness. Drink now.

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.

This is always an excellent blanc de blancs, with sliced apple, lemon and other citrus fruit, as well as mineral and chalk. It's medium-bodied with lovely density and a fine, creamy texture. Energetic and translucent. 4 years on the yeast and 100% grand cru. Drink or hold.

Mostly 2012 with 25% reserve (2010 and 2011). Wonderfully fragrant – smells white and pure but there are delicate notes of yeasty autolysis and scented lemons and white peach. Perfect balance here, finesse and elegance and no lack of flavour intensity and length. Fine and persistent mousse. (JH)

(8 g/l dosage): Light yellow. Mineral-tinged peach, melon and pear aromas display excellent clarity, picking up a subtle floral quality with aeration. Supple and seamless on the palate, offering vivid honeydew and pit fruit flavors accented by a vibrant lemon zest quality. Finishes very long, silky and precise, with an echo of juicy melon and strong mineral lift.

Pale and young, very young nose with notes of lemon and green apple. The palate is on the lighter side, high freshness and young raw fruit, no maturity or depth, quite short finish.

A brilliant silver/yellow color, the NV Champagne Blanc De Blancs release is based on the 2018 vintage and comes from Avize, Mesnil, and Oger. It boasts a very pretty, very floral perfume, with notes of fresh linen, baby powder, fresh pear, melon, and white flowers. The palate reveals the mineral terroir of the Côte des Blancs, with a chalky and linear feel as well as a note of lime candies. It retains a lovely core and has a good balance throughout. This can be enjoyed now, but its nerve gives it the ability to age over the coming 8-10 years. 7 grams per liter dosage.

Delamotte Blanc de Blancs NV is a Côte de Blancs blend sourced from Le Mesnil, Oger and Avize. Based on the 2018 vintage, it was disgorged in October 2022 and finished with a 6.5-gram-per-liter dosage. Bright yellow-gold in color with delicate, fine bubbles, it shows a very creamy lemon-curd nose with hints of mint, brioche, toast and honey, leading into a light- to medium-bodied palate with a vivid line of acidity wrapping around abundant, concentrated orchard fruit with notes of lemon peel, honey and a toasty touch. Elegant and refreshing, it finishes very long with a chalky grip.

A discreet nose with a profile shaped by this finely reduced Chardonnay, baker’s flour and cereal notes; the aromatic ensemble is deeper. On the palate, the attack is round, and the bubble becomes a backbone, bringing striking definition and lift.

The nose is fruity, offering a touch of juiciness along with a delicate crispness. Notes of juicy, crunchy green apple and juicy vineyard peach come through, with a lighter hint of lemon, joined by small touches of apple blossom, very fine nuances of fresh mandarin and a very discreet hint of meringue. The palate is fruity and balanced, with a juicy, tangy framework, lovely fleshy/juicy fruit, a touch of minerality and a subtle incisive edge. On the palate, this Champagne reveals notes of juicy lemon and crunchy/juicy apple, with a lighter touch of crunchy vineyard peach, alongside small hints of lychee and lime zest, as well as a subtle note of fresh pineapple, crunchy pear, an almost imperceptible touch of nutmeg and an almost imperceptible hint of biscuit in the background. Good length. Fine, lively effervescence.

Pale colour, discreet bubbles. Fruity nose, very ripe and a little simple. A lovely, lively attack on the palate, then the wine becomes smooth, graceful and delicious, with a floral touch. A nice balance between sweetness and freshness. But the finish is of medium length and a little simple. I’d see it as an aperitif. Price: around €41 including VAT.