Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2018

Delamotte’s 2018 grand cru Blanc de Blancs, from Salon’s sister house in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger — chalky, generous, precise.

Taste
Williams pear, lemon, vineyard peach, and roasted hazelnut, with hawthorn and a touch of brioche. Chalky, mouthwatering minerality and a smooth, long finish.

Region
From the Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France. Founded in Reims in 1760, Delamotte was re-established in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in 1927 and has been Salon’s sister house since 1988.

About This Wine
Body: Medium body · Acidity: Fresh, mineral · Texture: Fine bead, creamy

Taste Profile

Source: Vivino community taste data (781 member taste ratings, all vintages).

Best For
Seafood dinners, gifting a serious Champagne drinker, vintage Champagne flights, anniversaries, a cellar bottle to hold through 2034

For Who
Blanc de Blancs devotees, Salon admirers curious about its sister house, collectors building a vintage Champagne shelf, hosts pouring Champagne with dinner

Similar To
If you like Pierre Péters, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, or Salon, this is the same Côte des Blancs grand cru Chardonnay register — vintage-dated, chalk-driven, and built for the table.

Pairing
Shellfish dim sum, sea bream ceviche, butter-poached lobster, truffled game pie, aged Comté, Korean haemul-pajeon (seafood scallion pancake), gul-jeon (pan-fried oysters)

Drink Window
Drink 2024–2034. Open now, or store bottles on their side in a cool, dark cellar.

Collector Note
2018 opened with a record-wet winter, then a drought longer than 2003; picking began at Le Mesnil on August 27, and the house compares the year to 1976. The wine aged about four years in the cellar, and Antonio Galloni scored it 91 at Vinous. Buy 2–3: one now, the rest through 2034.

Mood
Luminous, precise, generous, understated

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is Delamotte related to Salon?
A: They are neighbors in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Bernard de Nonancourt brought Delamotte into the Laurent-Perrier group in 1988 and bought Salon that same year; Didier Depond has run both houses since 1997.

Q: How is the 2018 different from Delamotte’s non-vintage Blanc de Blancs?
A: It comes from a single harvest, and the house declares a vintage only when the wines show an exceptional balance of ripeness and acidity. The 2018 blends six grand cru villages — Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize, and Oger make up 20% each — and is built to age.

Q: Should I drink it now or cellar it?
A: Both work. It is open and generous now, and Vinous puts its window through 2034. Serve around 46°F in a tulip glass so the pear and hazelnut notes show.