Delamotte Blanc de Blanc Champagne 2014
(Champagne, France) - [TWI 94+] [JD 94+] [WA 94] [VM 94] [DM 94] [JS 94] [WE 93] [WS 92]

About the Winery:
Delamotte, founded in 1760, is one of the oldest houses in Champagne. The two neighbors Salon and Delamotte became part of Bernard Hinault's Laurent-Perrier group in 1986 and were joined under the same winemaking team in 1988, thus making Delamotte the "little sister" of cult Champagne Salon. According to Forbes Magazine, "The unofficial second label of the super-prestige marquee, Salon, in that Delamotte has first rights to any grapes from Salon’s prized 50 year old vineyards in the premier Chardonnay village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger that its neighbor doesn’t need for its own Champagne."

Notes from the Winemaker:
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! Its pale gold colour, glinting with emerald, illuminates the fine necklace of bubbles rising to the 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, to stray off the beaten track, try this astonishing pairing as an aperitif: a few savoury veal sweetbreads 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 its iodine notes, a pairing as light as it is airy. The wine will awaken tasty beef agnolotti – that specialty of the Italian Piedmont – and, in combination with Parmigiano Reggiano, explodes with savoury umami flavours, moreish in the extreme. The most daring will be tempted by a Wagyu beef tartare with Tarbouriech oysters, an unusual surf and turf combination, in which this vintage can unfurl its amazing versatility.

About The Vintage: 2014