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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

In one paragraphDelamotte Brut is a non-vintage Champagne from the Le Mesnil-sur-Oger grand cru in the Côte des Blancs, blending Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (roughly 55/35/10) at 12% ABV. Founded in Reims in 1760 by François Delamotte, it's Champagne's sixth-oldest house, and since 1988 has shared its Le Mesnil-sur-Oger headquarters with sister house Salon under the Laurent-Perrier group — in years Salon doesn't declare a vintage, grapes from the same vineyards go into Delamotte instead. On Vivino, 14,308 ratings average 3.9, and 35 listed critic scores range 81–93, mostly clustered in the 88–93 band. The nose leads with citrus and lemon (875 mentions), followed by green apple and apple (812), and brioche and toast (672). Structure: acidity 4.2/5, fizziness 4.2 — both very high. I scored it 4.5 on 4 January 2020. Price: US$54 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026).

At a glance

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.

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.

Vivino community data

NV vintage rating distribution (14308 ratings, average 3.9)

Most-mentioned aromas

Structure: Acidity 4.2/5 · Intensity 3.7/5 · Fizziness 4.2/5

Average by vintage (all vintages: 14308 ratings, average 3.9)

My original note (Vivino, 2020-01-04)

Frequently asked questions

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