The history of a visionary Champagne house since 1912
The birth of Telmont, environmental concerns and high quality champagnes
The Telmont Champagne House was born at the very heart of the Champagne riots. At that time, Henri Lhôpital composed the anthem entitled "Gloire au Champagne", which urges winegrowers to aim for a consistently high quality. Henri Lhôpital, who was very committed to and passionate about the terroirs of Champagne, decided to found his own house and so begins a successful champagne house.
A family heritage in Champagne
Following the passing of his father in 1937, André Lhôpital took over the running of the family estate with the same drive and determination as his father. Ten years later, after a decade spent in the 2nd Cuirassier Regiment, the oldest cavalry in the French army, he returned to his homeland and named his father's house Telmont, as a tribute to one of the estate's most beautiful plots.
In 1983, André Lhôpital's son, Serge, inherited the house and set about perpetuating the legacy of his ancestors. In 1999, his children, Bertrand and Pascale, took over the estate, all while preserving the visionary and passionate spirit that it has always boasted.
A modern era commences at Telmont: Rémy Cointreau joins the house
Since 2020, an important figure in the world of spirits has joined the Telmont family adventure: the French group, Rémy Cointreau, joined the Telmont adventure and the partners share a common ambition that is to preserve the terroirs by practicing organic methods and consolidating a large-scale sustainable project. Bertrand Lhôpital remains both the Cellar Master and vineyard manager
Leonardo DiCaprio was also smitten by the innovative and environmentally friendly approach implemented at Telmont and in 2022 he will join Maison Telmont as a shareholder.
Why is Leonardo DiCaprio investing in Telmont champagne?
In 2022, Leonardo DiCaprio invested in Champagne by joining the Telmont House. What drew his attention is the sustainable approach. In addition to benefiting from the historical know-how of a family of talented winegrowers, Maison Telmont aims to produce a 100% organic champagne from a fully sustainable production cycle by 2031. Among other things, the estate uses only renewable electricity and thus aims to completely reduce its impact on the environment. Thus, the biodiversity of the terroirs is fully preserved on the Telmont lands.
Champagnes made with the utmost respect for the planet
Decision-making in line with organic practices
Since 2017, the Telmont House has been certified as an organic producer for part of its plots. In 2022, the Telmont Champagne House practices organic farming methods on half of its land and produces organic champagnes.
Other measures are taken: the house uses 85% recycled glass for its bottles, which are themselves recyclable, no boxes or gift sets are used in order to reduce the carbon footprint, the house is supplied entirely with renewable electricity, the export prohibits aeroplanes and aims to use only Neoline sailboats...
The estate’s commitment is a promise for the future, which is highlighted by their desire to convert all of the cultivated land, whether on the estate's own land or that of its partners, to organic farming.
Maison Telmont's five environmental commitments
Maison Telmont is guided by five fundamental commitments in favour of the environment which it is eager to respect:
Preserving biodiversity and the terroir
Generalising the eco-design of its products
Favouring green energy sources
Shifting the supply chain towards a more sustainable routing
Ensuring total transparency regarding the production methods
A masterful vinification for refined champagnes
A vinification process based on utter disclosure
The elaboration of Telmont champagnes begins with the harvesting stage. This is done entirely by hand in order to respect the Champagne tradition and to preserve the soil as well as the grape varieties, such as Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Only whole and perfect bunches are harvested by the estate's teams. The grapes are then taken to the cellar where they are pressed slowly and evenly on the day of harvest in order to bring out the freshness and concentration of the fruit. Then, a first fermentation is carried out with the addition of yeast and sugars.
Finally, the all-important blending stage begins, which will give the champagne its identity. Once blended, the wines are bottled and fermented for 6 to 8 weeks. The ageing period lasts at least 3 years for non-vintage champagnes and 6 years for vintage champagnes. Manual riddling takes place over a period of 4 to 6 weeks before disgorgement is carried out. Finally, the Cellar Master chooses the dosage of his champagne which will sign its character: brut, extra brut, etc.
Reading the labels of Telmont champagnes
On the labels of Telmont champagnes, one can sense the house’s desire for transparency. Each bottle is numbered so that the production route can be traced. Also, detailed and thorough information on the production and the composition of the champagnes is also available on the label of each cuvée.
A range of refined and expressive champagnes
The Telmont House offers a very fine range of champagnes that will delight the tastebuds of all champagne lovers. Reserve, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Cuvée Vinothèque, Cuvée confidentielle, Cuvée Bio... these six champagnes offer an array of flavours that reveal the most beautiful nuances of the Telmont signature style.
