Wine Advisor
Delamotte, Blanc de Blancs NV
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Description
Blanc De Blancs, Delamotte, Champagne, White, 2008
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Based on the 2015 vintage and disgorged in 2020, the latest release of Delamotte's emblematic NV Brut Blanc de Blancs wafts from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, mandarin orange, green apple, fresh bread and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vibrant, it's bright and precise, exemplifying the house style.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Another fine mousse. Silver hue with green tints. An intense nose with note of green apple, lemon zest and chalk. Very racy on the palate, sharp acidity with a minerally mid-palate. Perhaps a little straight-laced and reserved, with a linear finish. Fine - I prefer this to the Brut. Tasted July 2006.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs is soft, generous and very pretty in its expression of varietal fruit. Full malolactic fermentation and base of 2002 wine makes this an especially round Blanc de Blancs. This bottling is mostly sourced from vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (2/3) with the rest coming from Avize and Cramant. This wine sees 5 years on the lees instead of 7 for the vintage. The NV Blanc de Blanc is not imported into the US, but is available in other markets. This bottle was disgorged in early 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2011. Delamotte is one of Champagne’s oldest houses. The domaine lies next-door to its sister estate, Salon, which makes one of Champagne’s most iconic wines. Both properties are run by General Manager Didier Depond, and the winemaking is overseen by chef de caves Michel Fauconnet. The wines at both properties are made separately, but in years in which Depond and Fauconnet decide to forgo making Salon, that wine is sometimes added to the Delamotte bottlings. Importer: Wilson Daniels Ltd, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The latest release of Delamotte's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs, the house's emblematic bottling, is once again showing very well, bursting with aromas of citrus zest, freshly baked bread, nougat, crisp stone fruit and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, ample and pillowy, with a fleshy core of fruit, bright acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse, it's a seamless, elegant wine that concludes with a flavorful finish.
Reviewed by: Stephan Reinhardt
Based on 2010, plus 20% reserve wines from 2009 and 2008, the NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru was disgorged in 2015 with a dosage of seven grams; this dosage preserves the freshness and intensity of citrus with elegant acidity. It is clear, chalky, lemony and fresh on the nose, while the palate is pure, straight and mineral. This is a pretty authentic Blanc de Blancs with a nice purity and intensity of fruit, as well as mineral expression in the finish. It has good length, with pineapple aromas and a fine structure. It also has good grip, as if some of it was fermented in oak, but that's not the case; only stainless steel was used.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The latest release of Delamotte's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs is showing well, offering up aromas of citrus oil, crisp green orchard fruit, hazelnuts and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, round and charming, this is a soft, delicately fleshy wine that's extremely pleasant and pleasure-bent, but it can't match the cut or concentration of the last few years' renditions.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The latest rendition of Delamotte's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs is drinking very well out of the gates, offering up aromas of crisp orchard fruit and citrus zest mingled with hints of fresh bread and wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and precise, with bright acids and chalky grip, concluding with a dry finish, this is a classy, seamless wine that will offer a broad drinking window.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Disgorged in June 2018, the latest rendition of Delamotte's NV Blanc de Blancs is showing just as well as its immediate predecessor, offering up a classy bouquet of crisp green apple, citrus oil, brioche, toasted nuts and dried white flowers. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, fine-boned and elegant, with a crisp but charming core of fruit, lively acids and a precise, saline finish.
Reviewed by: Stephan Reinhardt
The NV Blanc de Blancs Brut is a 100% stainless steel-fermented Chardonnay sourced in the grand cru villages of Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger and Cramant that spends up to five years on the lees in bottle. This bottling is based on the 2012 vintage (plus 10% reserve wines) and was disgorged after almost four years in January 2017 (dosage: 7 grams per liter). It shows deep, clear, fresh and aromatic fruit on the nose, intertwined with chalky flavors typical for this part of the Côte des Blancs. On the palate, this is a round, very elegant, beautifully pure and mineral yet well-concentrated Blanc de Blancs with a stimulatingly fruity and mouth-filling if not succulent finish structured by very fine chalky tannins. This lush and perfectly balanced Brut shows a remarkably fine mousse and drinks perfectly today, but it can be cellared for up to 6 years to gain more complexity. Tasted November 2017.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A particularly good value
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Disgorged in November 2017, this bottle of Delamotte's NV Blanc de Blancs was showing very well, offering up a classy bouquet dominated by aromas of dried white flowers and crushed rock, with hints of green apple, lemon oil and brioche playing a supporting role. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, bright and incisive, marrying structural tension with sufficient charm to make this a decidedly versatile Blanc de Blancs. The finish is pure and chalky.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A particulary good value.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(sourced from the grand cru villages of Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Cramant and Avize): Pale yellow. Fresh citrus fruits, pear skin, quinine and chalk on the incisive nose. Dry, focused and pure, offering intense lemon curd and honeysuckle flavors underscored by crackling minerality. Shows impressive clarity and lift on the finish, which emphatically repeats the mineral and floral notes. There's plenty of power here but the overall impression is one of elegance.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Green-tinged straw. Citrus fruits and white flowers on the assertively perfumed nose and in the mouth, a hint of iodine building with air. Fleshy and broad but dry, with a chalky quality that carries through the long, sappy finish. A smooth marriage of richness and vivacity, with the heft to handle richer foods and the energy to be enjoyed by itself.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(made from fruit grown in the grand crus Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Cramant and Avize): Light, green-tinged gold. High-pitched lemon, lime, talc and quinine aromas show very good clarity. Very dry, but there's impressive heft and body to its juicy orchard fruit and bitter citrus zest flavors. The dry finish displays very good energy and mineral-driven persistence.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Pale color. Vibrant nose combines citrus scents, grass, mint, flowers and a yeasty nuance. Bright, young and concentrated, with excellent richness and extract. Sappy, highly aromatic inner-mouth flavors of orange oil and minerals. A precise midweight, and a great buy.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Very pale greenish-silver color. Extremely fine, precise aromas of talc, mint and fresh herbs. Creamy and round but utterly vibrant; this expands to fill the mouth yet communicates an impression of weightlessness. A blanc de blancs of great delicacy. Finishes very long, youthful and bright.
About the Producer
Founded in 1760 in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, a grand cru village located in la Côte des Blancs, Champagne Delamotte works this enchanting terroir to grow Chardonnay, the only white grape variety used to make champagne. Well-reputed among sommeliers and wine enthusiasts, the champagnes are known for their consistency, delicacy and exceptional character. For over 260 years, they have been developing four different cuvées, a small range that gives amateurs and experts alike a clear understanding of the art of champagne. Their Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Blancs vintage, Brut and Rosé are quintessentiel champagne wines.
