Champagne Delamotte

Delamotte is a historic Champagne house based in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs region of Champagne, France. Founded in Reims in 1760 by François Delamotte, a vineyard owner, it is described as one of the oldest Champagne houses and has developed a close historical and commercial relationship with Champagne Salon. The two houses are commonly presented as sister properties within the Laurent-Perrier group. The house began as the Delamotte family’s Champagne enterprise in Reims. During the late eighteenth century, Alexandre Delamotte moved the house’s cellars, caves, and offices into a mansion. In 1828, management passed to his brother Nicolas Louis Delamotte, who was also associated with the organization of the coronation of Charles X. The business was sold to the Lanson family in the 1830s; that family later established the Lanson Champagne label. Between the First and Second World Wars, Delamotte was acquired by Marie-Louise de Nonancourt, née Lanson. In 1927, she transferred the house’s activities from Reims to Mesnil-sur-Oger and entrusted management to her youngest son, Charles de Nonancourt. Delamotte’s modern identity was shaped decisively in 1988, when the house joined Champagne Salon under the umbrella of Laurent-Perrier, then led by Bernard de Nonancourt. Delamotte and Salon subsequently operated as sister houses, with Salon occupying the more exclusive position in the relationship. Salon makes vintage Champagne only in years it considers exceptional, while Delamotte provides a broader and more regular range, including non-vintage blended Champagne made from reserve wines held across years. The house’s wines draw on grapes from the Côte des Blancs, a region especially associated with Chardonnay and with villages such as Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Delamotte is therefore best known for Chardonnay-focused Champagne, particularly Blanc de Blancs, although its portfolio also includes non-vintage and vintage expressions. The brand’s role within the Salon relationship is not simply that of a lower-priced label: it offers a more accessible route into the same broad regional and stylistic tradition, with an emphasis on freshness, precision, chalk-influenced character, and extended cellar development. Delamotte has received favorable attention from wine critics and writers. Robert M. Parker Jr. described the house as an excellent value among finely made Champagnes, while Karen MacNeil identified its Blanc de Blancs as a particularly notable Champagne. These assessments support the brand’s positioning as a quality-focused grower-connected or house Champagne rather than a mass-market sparkling-wine label. The house is currently associated with Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and is directed alongside Champagne Salon by Didier Depond. Public reference material identifies Delamotte as an active member of the Laurent-Perrier group. Its business scope centers on the production, maturation, and sale of Champagne, with distribution extending beyond France into international wine markets. Detailed current production volumes, ownership percentages, executive biographies, and financial results are not established by the supplied sources.

Delamotte traces its origins to 1760, when François Delamotte, a vineyard owner, founded the house in Reims. The company belongs to the long early history of commercial Champagne production and is identified in reference material as the sixth-oldest Champagne house. During the late eighteenth century, Alexandre Delamotte relocated the house’s operational facilities, including its cellars, caves, and offices, to a mansion. His brother Nicolas Louis Delamotte assumed management in 1828. Nicolas was associated not only with the family business but also with the organization of the coronation of Charles X. Ownership changed during the nineteenth century. The house was sold to the Lanson family in the 1830s, and the family later created the Lanson Champagne label. Delamotte subsequently passed to Marie-Louise de Nonancourt, née Lanson, during the period between the two World Wars. In 1927, Marie-Louise transferred the house’s activities from Reims to Mesnil-sur-Oger, a major village in the Côte des Blancs. She placed management in the hands of her youngest son, Charles de Nonancourt. The move to Mesnil-sur-Oger was important to Delamotte’s later identity because the house became closely connected with the Chardonnay-centered vineyards of the Côte des Blancs. The area is particularly associated with Blanc de Blancs Champagne and with chalk soils that contribute to the region’s characteristic freshness and mineral structure. Delamotte’s subsequent reputation developed around wines sourced from this area and around a style emphasizing precision and elegance. A major structural change occurred in 1988, when Delamotte joined forces with Champagne Salon. The two houses became sister properties under Laurent-Perrier, the Champagne group led at that time by Bernard de Nonancourt. Their relationship created a differentiated portfolio: Salon remained an exceptionally selective vintage Champagne house, releasing wine only in vintages regarded as outstanding, while Delamotte maintained a broader program that included non-vintage Champagne blended from wines reserved across multiple years. This arrangement allowed the two brands to share regional and stylistic associations while serving distinct roles in the market. In the contemporary period, Delamotte and Salon are associated with Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and are directed by Didier Depond. Delamotte is presented as a small producer rather than a large-volume Champagne conglomerate brand. Its principal activity is the production and sale of Champagne, with particular recognition for Blanc de Blancs and for wines based on Côte des Blancs fruit. The brand has also attracted positive critical commentary: Robert M. Parker Jr. characterized it as a strong value among finely crafted Champagnes, and Karen MacNeil included its Blanc de Blancs among Champagnes worthy of particular attention. Delamotte’s history is therefore defined by longevity, repeated changes of ownership, relocation from Reims to Mesnil-sur-Oger, and its modern integration with Salon and Laurent-Perrier. The supplied reference material does not establish detailed annual production figures, current ownership percentages, financial data, or a complete list of present-day management personnel.

1. 1988Delamotte joins Champagne Salon under Laurent-Perrier

   Delamotte joined forces with Champagne Salon under the Laurent-Perrier group, establishing the sister-house relationship that defines its modern corporate context.

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2. 1927Operations transferred to Mesnil-sur-Oger

   Marie-Louise de Nonancourt transferred Delamotte’s activities from Reims to Mesnil-sur-Oger and entrusted management to Charles de Nonancourt.

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3. 1830House sold to the Lanson family

   The house was sold to the Lanson family during the 1830s, a family later associated with the creation of the Lanson Champagne label.

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4. 1828Nicolas Louis Delamotte assumes management

   Nicolas Louis Delamotte took over management of the family house and was later noted for his role in organizing the coronation of Charles X.

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5. 1760House founded in Reims

   François Delamotte, a vineyard owner, founded the Champagne house in Reims.

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A historic, quality-oriented Champagne house specializing in Chardonnay-led Côte des Blancs wines and occupying a complementary position alongside the more rarefied Champagne Salon within the Laurent-Perrier group.

• Delamotte Blanc de BlancsBlanc de Blancs Champagne

  Delamotte’s best-known style is Chardonnay-based Blanc de Blancs Champagne sourced from the Côte des Blancs. The wine represents the house’s connection to the villages around Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and its emphasis on freshness, precision, and chalk-influenced character. Wine writer Karen MacNeil has singled out the Blanc de Blancs as a Champagne of particular distinction.

• Delamotte Non-Vintage ChampagneNon-vintage Champagne

  The non-vintage range combines wines from more than one harvest, using reserve wine to create a consistent house expression across years. In the relationship with Salon, this recurring blended style gives Delamotte a broader and more regularly available role, while Salon concentrates on exceptional-year vintage releases.

• Delamotte Vintage ChampagneVintage Champagne

  Delamotte also produces vintage Champagne when appropriate, offering a bottle that expresses the character of a particular harvest rather than relying primarily on multi-year blending. The supplied sources do not specify a complete vintage-release chronology or current vintage lineup.

• 1988Integration with Champagne Salon under Laurent-PerrierM&A

  Delamotte and Champagne Salon were brought together during Bernard de Nonancourt’s leadership of Laurent-Perrier.

  What changed. The two Champagne houses joined forces under the Laurent-Perrier group and developed a sister-house structure.

  Aftermath. Delamotte assumed a broader, more regularly produced role alongside Salon’s highly selective vintage Champagne model.

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• 1927Transfer of house operations to Mesnil-sur-OgerStrategy

  Marie-Louise de Nonancourt controlled the house during the period between the two World Wars, when Delamotte remained historically rooted in Reims.

  What changed. She moved Delamotte’s activities to Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs and assigned management to Charles de Nonancourt.

  Aftermath. The relocation placed the house closer to the Chardonnay-focused vineyards that became central to its modern identity.

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1. Champagne Delamotte
2. Official Delamotte Champagne website