Champagne Salon and Delamotte: the 2013 Salon release, and a look at the current Delamotte range
Champagne Delamotte is based in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, a grand cru village in the Côte des Blancs. It was founded back in 1760.
Champagne Salon, which is one of the most famous of all Champagnes, released only in certain years, and made from a 20 plots within the village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. It was founded by Aimé Salon, who made his first wine in 1905. In 1911 he bought his first vineyard, a single hectare plot called Le Jardin de Salon, which is still one of the components of the blend. The 2013 is just the 44th release of this wine.
These are considered sister houses, sharing the same winery, management team and winemaker – Didier Depond has been making the wines of both houses since 1997.
In 1988 Bernard de Nonancourt of Laurent Perrier bought Delamotte, and then a few months later bought Salon, a neighbour of Delamotte. So both are now owned by Laurent Perrier, and operate closely together.
THE WINES
Champagne Delamotte Brut NV (magnum)
This is a blend of 60% Chardonnay with 35% Pinot Noir from Tours-sur-Marne, Bouzy and Ambonnay, and 5% Pinot Meunier. Base vintage is 2018, aged on lees for 36 months, disgorged April 2022, dosage 8 g/l. Bright and focused with lovely crystalline lemon fruit and nice purity. Fine and pure, this has a linear character with the focus on the bright citrussy fruit. Finishes fresh and linear: lovely purity and refinement here. Elegant and fine. 93/100
Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV (magnum)
Base vintage is 2017, with a maximum of 10% reserve wine. 48 months on lees, disgorged July 2022 with a dosage of 7 g/l. Great precision here with fine, crystalline lemony fruit. So pure and bright with an almost weightless quality to the fine lemony fruit, with just a hint of pear richness. Understated and fine, with an emphasis on the fruit. So pure. 95/100
Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2014
From six villages: Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (for acidity, purity and chalky minerality), Avize (balance and structure), Oger (warmth, body and generosity), Cramant (smoky minerality), Chouilly (robustness and length.) and Oiry (acidity and roundness). Seven years on lees, disgorged July 2022 with a dosage of 6.5 g/l.There’s some density here with lovely precise lemony fruit and a touch of lemon zest on the nose. The palate is bright and linear, but has some structure too, with good acidity and notes of lemon, pear and lime, with a touch of grapefruit. Shows lovely refinement. 95/100
Champagne Delamotte Rosé Brut NV Grand Cru Le Mesnil-sur-Oger NV
Base vintage is 2019. 88% Chardonnay and 12% Pinot Noir vinified as a red wine. 8 months on lees, disgorged April 2022 with a dosage of 8 g/l. Pale salmon pink in colour. There are some delicate strawberry and cherry characters here, with nice precise citrus fruit (lemon and grapefruit, and a touch of mandarin). Lovely purity and restraint with good acidity and a lovely tapering finish. 93/100
Champagne Salon Grand Cru Le Mesnil-sur-Oger 2013
Aged 10 years on lees, disgorged March 2023, dosage 7 g/l. Fine, complex, linear and toasty. This has real impact. There’s a subtle creaminess under the powerful fruit with some refined baked bread and pastry notes, but the emphasis is on powerful lemon and lime fruit, with keen acidity. There’s structure and intensity here, and it’s still unfurled with some green apple notes on the finish, and a tartness. It’s a beautiful wine with a distinctive cool year character, and should age in very interesting ways. 96/100
UK agent: Corney & Barrow
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