Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2018

Following record-breaking rainfall, the ground in the Champagne region was soaked with water by late winter. A gift for the Côte des Blancs, where the chalky soil managed to store up some 600 litres of water per cubic metre: a valuable reserve that would prove important for the vineyards during the wine year. Following the late February/early March frosts, cold and snowfall, temperatures slowly but surely crept upwards, stimulating the vines to spectacular growth. Mild weather soon gave way to an early heatwave, spurring the Chardonnay vines to flower by 30 May. Dry weather and high temperatures continued throughout the summer months until drought set in for a period longer than ever seen before in Champagne, longer even than in 2003. The extreme dryness was especially apparent on the surface, while the vines themselves enjoyed a reservoir of life-saving water sustaining their roots throughout the whole season! It was no surprise to see the harvests start as early as 27 August at Mesnil-sur-Oger, yielding ripe grapes from all the plots not only of unparalleled size and weight (175 grammes for Chardonnay bunches!) but of impeccable health and quality… a harvest without precedent. The vintage boasts a potential alcohol volume of above 10%, with low to medium acidity, promising both freshness and elegance. These conditions parallel those of the 1976 vintage, with a bonus of abundant fruits.

From Cramant to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger through Avize and Oger but also Chouilly and Oiry : all are found in the Côte des Blancs. Its location is one of Delamotte’s richest assets. The chalky soil, the flora and the sloping vineyards give the grapes their exceptional character, delivering delicate, consistent champagnes. Championing this exceptional terroir, drawing the best from it while maintaining absolute respect for the vines and the environment – that’s what Delamotte is all about.

Disgorged in its fourth year of cellaring, it continues to boast precocity, eager to reveal itself to the world and driven by its youthful force, this vintage’s charm will immediately prevail.

The wines from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (fine acidity, purity, chalky minerality, salty and mouth-watering, long), Avize (balance and structure), Oger (warmth, fullness, generosity and fruit expression), and then Cramant (minerality with smoky notes), Chouilly (structure and length) and Oiry (a mild acidity and curve) form a sextet of excellence – transcendent altogether in the blend of Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2018.