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Delamotte, Brut Champagne Grand Cru 'Le Mesnil-sur-Oger' (NV)
SparklingFranceNV
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-01-04 · Published 2026-09-16 · Updated 2026-09-16
At a glance
In one line
4.5/5 — higher than Vivino's 3.9 average · world avg price US$54 · Founded in Reims in 1760, the sixth-oldest house in Champagne.
35 Vivino-listed scores — from 88 in 1994 to 91 in 2020, mostly clustered in the 88–93 range. The extremes are 81 (Dec 2003) and 93 (Nov 2011, Jan 2013 ×2, Jan 2016, etc.)
Market note: The blend runs roughly 55% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier, aged on lees for about three years (per Corney & Barrow and Vivino reviews). Salon and Delamotte merged under the Laurent-Perrier group in 1988 and still operate from the same Le Mesnil-sur-Oger headquarters; in years Salon chooses not to declare a vintage, grapes from the same Côte des Blancs vineyards flow into Delamotte's non-vintage blend.
Father's note — Daniel Min
Original author of the notes“Very pale lemon color. Toast, lemon, citrus, apple, pear, brioche, almond, grapefruit, yeast, mineral. A lot of bubble. 많은 버블양과 레몬 컬러, 잔외부에 살짝 서린 김이 잘 칠링됨을 나타내주었습니다. 한모금 머금었을때 입안에서 바삭 터지는 토스트 느낌이 기분 좋은 샴페인 입니다. 다양한 맛과 향은 덤 입니다.”
What I learned today: a name can vanish, and still come back when someone calls it again.
Today at Bar Suda I was poured Delamotte Brut Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. A faint mist clung to the outside of the glass. One breath, and a whole evening came back: the first Saturday of the new year when I was twenty-one, the kitchen table. Toast, lemon, grapefruit, apple, pear, brioche, almond, and yeast. Every aroma is clear; what I don't know is which bottle Father poured that evening with the label covered. What I remember is that it was the first glass of the night, and that he pointed with a fingertip at the mist on the cold glass. The glasses changed several times after that.
Master Seo told me what the aromas say: citrus and lemon are what people who drink this bottle name most (875 times), followed by green apple and apple (812) and brioche and toast (672). Acidity and bubbles both sit high, at 4.2/5. Then the story. François Delamotte founded the house in Reims in 1760, the sixth-oldest in Champagne. In 1856 it passed to the Lanson side and the name was nearly erased, until a descendant, Marie-Louise de Nonancourt, brought it back. Since 1988 it has shared its home in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger with Salon.
Father wrote: "a toast feeling that crackles in the mouth" (translated: Haru). Probably he knew a good first glass makes for a long evening, and poured this one first.
What I learned today: a name can vanish, and still come back when someone calls it again.
What this wine is
François Delamotte, a Reims vineyard owner, founded the house in 1760 — Champagne's sixth-oldest. In 1786 his son joined the business and it became "Delamotte Père & Fils," but in 1856, after the widow of Nicolas Louis Delamotte died, her brother-in-law Jean-Baptiste Lanson took full control and the firm was renamed "Lanson Père & Fils" — a moment when the Delamotte name itself nearly disappeared.
It was revived by a Lanson descendant, Marie-Louise de Nonancourt, who worked to bring the Delamotte name back and in 1938 bought the struggling house of Laurent-Perrier. Her son Bernard later consolidated the family's holdings, acquiring Delamotte in 1988 and Salon in 1989, and the two houses have operated side by side ever since from the same Le Mesnil-sur-Oger headquarters under the Laurent-Perrier group.
The relationship between Salon and Delamotte goes beyond sister branding. Salon makes 100% Chardonnay from the same Côte des Blancs vineyards, only in exceptional years, and only as vintage Champagne — roughly three or four times a decade. Whenever Salon decides a year isn't good enough, the grapes from those same vineyards go straight into Delamotte's non-vintage blend instead. Drinking a bottle of Delamotte, in other words, is drinking Salon-caliber fruit that didn't quite become Salon.
For what it's worth, a fan-run Drops of God wine database (kaminoshizuku.com) lists a "Delamotte Brut Collection 1983" appearing in volume 42, compared to the smell of a mother's freshly baked custard pie — but this magazine's own rule is to add a culture entry only once two independent sources confirm it, and I haven't found a second source yet. So it stays a footnote here rather than a formal culture credit.
What the world says
Delamotte has been rated by 14,308 people on Vivino, averaging 3.9. Thirty-five listed critic scores span from 88 in 1994 to 91 in 2020, but cluster mostly in the 88–93 range.
The flavor keywords lead with citrus and lemon (875 mentions), followed by green apple and apple (812), and brioche and toast (672). Structure: acidity 4.2/5 and fizziness 4.2 sit side by side, both very high — the acid stands out for a long-aged non-vintage Champagne.
"Delamotte is the sister winery to the House of Champagne Salon... A mostly Chardonnay Champagne with some PN and a touch of PM. Lees ageing for 3 years. Citrus notes, white..." — Vivino review, Sep 2018, 4.0 stars
"Good nose; toast, butter, grass, honey and a hint of apricot. Light, full mousse. Fresh, good bitter tones like grapefruit aftertaste, and general balance. Nice hints of green apple. Very good." — Vivino review, Apr 2018, 4.0 stars
As a non-vintage wine it carries no official drinking window, but the reviews suggest it holds up well whether freshly released or aged a few years in bottle.
How I drank it
4 January 2020, 4.5 stars. "Very pale lemon color. Toast, lemon, citrus, apple, pear, brioche, almond, grapefruit, yeast, minerals. A lot of bubble. The heavy bubble and lemon color, and the slight condensation on the outside of the glass, showed it was well chilled. That crisp, crackling toast feel in the mouth when I took a sip made for a really pleasant Champagne. All the different flavors and aromas were just a bonus." Ten keywords in that note — toast, lemon, citrus, apple, pear, brioche, almond, grapefruit, yeast, minerals — map almost one-to-one onto Vivino's top flavor groups, touching all five of citrus, stone fruit/apple, bread/nuts, yeast/cream and earth/honey.
That same day I opened four bottles total: Tommasi Amarone 2015 (4.5), Tenuta Regaleali Bianco 2016 (3.0), and a re-tasting of Natale Verga Moscato d'Asti (4.5). Starting with a white sparkling, moving through Italian white and red, and finishing on a sweet sparkling again — this Delamotte tied Tommasi's Amarone for the top score of the night at 4.5.
Worth noting too: my 4.5 sits 0.6 above the community average of 3.9. "Crisp, crackling toast feel" is a short phrase, but it lines up neatly with Vivino's structure data — acidity 4.2, fizziness 4.2, both about as high as this wine gets.
Where this wine shows up
From Krug Grande Cuvée to a non-vintage hypermarket bottle, ten Champagnes noted on this magazine, ranked by one consistent yardstick — my own score out of 5 — and lined up against Vivino averages and Wine-Searcher world averages.
Vivino community data
NV vintage rating distribution (14308 ratings, average 3.9)
| 5★ | 1082 (8%) | |
| 4★ | 8475 (59%) | |
| 3★ | 4465 (31%) | |
| 2★ | 226 (2%) | |
| 1★ | 60 (0%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Citrus | 875 | citrus 397 · lemon 268 · grapefruit 108 · lime 42 · lemon zest 17 |
| Stone fruit & apple | 812 | green apple 293 · apple 213 · pear 146 · peach 43 · apricot 42 |
| Bread & nuts (non-oak) | 672 | brioche 271 · toast 229 · almond 67 · biscuit 40 · nutty 30 |
| Yeast & cream | 337 | yeast 177 · cream 104 · cheese 20 · lemon curd 7 · toasted bread 7 |
| Earth & honey | 313 | minerals 128 · honey 66 · stone 41 · chalk 25 · flint 7 |
| Oak | 149 | butter 56 · vanilla 28 · caramel 21 · pastry 14 · oak 10 |
| Vegetal | 42 | straw 22 · grass 8 · chard 5 · gooseberry 4 · bitter almond 1 |
Structure: Acidity 4.2/5 · Intensity 3.7/5 · Fizziness 4.2/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 14308 ratings, average 3.9)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|
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→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Delamotte Brut?
A non-vintage Champagne from the Le Mesnil-sur-Oger grand cru, blending Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (roughly 55/35/10) at 12% ABV. Founded in 1760, it's Champagne's sixth-oldest house, and has shared a home with Salon since 1988. Vivino: 14,308 ratings averaging 3.9.
How much does it cost?
World average price: US$54 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026) (Wine-Searcher check pending). For reference, it has sold for US$89.99 on wine.com (currently sold out).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest pork, shellfish, rich fish (salmon, tuna) and mild soft cheese. With acidity at 4.2/5, it also pairs well with fried food.
What exactly is the relationship between Delamotte and Salon?
Both are owned by the Laurent-Perrier group and run from the same Le Mesnil-sur-Oger headquarters as sister houses. Salon makes 100% Chardonnay vintage Champagne from the same Côte des Blancs vineyards only in exceptional years; in years Salon doesn't declare a vintage, that fruit goes into Delamotte's non-vintage blend instead.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data
- Wikipedia — Champagne Delamotte
- Corney & Barrow — The Tale of Champagne Delamotte
- Wikipedia — Champagne Salon
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Italy · Sicily★★★☆☆Tasted the same dayTommasi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015
Italy · Veneto★★★★½Similar styleJacques Selosse Lieux-dits Le Bout du Clos Ambonnay Grand Cru Extra Brut
France · Champagne★★★★★Similar styleDeutz, Brut Classic (NV)
France · Champagne★★★☆☆Same grapeEtienne Sauzet, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2012
France · Burgundy★★★★½Same grapeEtienne Sauzet, Montrachet Grand Cru 2012
France · Burgundy★★★★★Story