Champagne Telmont Vinotheque 2013

The House of Telmont was founded in 1912 by Henri Lhôpital, a courageous wine grower, following the Champagne riots of 1911, in the village of Damery, near Epernay. The House is rich in ancestral know-how: four generations of winegrowers bequeathed their strong commitment to their terroir and their grapes to their successors, as well as the art of mastering each stage of wine making. Within their vineyards, important steps had been taken to transition towards organic agriculture. The encounter with Bertrand Lhôpital, fourth generation of the founding family, confirmed that the Rémy Cointreau Group and Telmont would form a unique partnership. The Group identified with the values of the House and proceeded to purchase a majority share in October 2020. Agricultural engineer, currently Head of Viticulture and Cellar Master of Telmont, Bertrand had already started transitioning several hectares of vines to organic agriculture. In the coming months and years, the Telmont team will continue the ambitious certification process of the Telmont estate and will work towards a common goal with all partner winegrowers : to convert Telmont into a 100% organic champagne House over the next ten years.

Weather: 2013 was characterised by a particularly late growing cycle. The never-ending winter was followed by a very cool, late spring. we had to wait until the start of July for flowering to begin – something we hadn’t seen in Champagne for quite some time! Fortunately, summer was glorious with plenty of sunshine, record temperatures and very low rainfall, ideal for the ripening of the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. the temperatures were cool for the October harvest and the resulting wines are elegant and fresh – the signs of a “classic” vintage.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: Premier Cru & Grand Cru | Damery 66%, Ay 11%, Cumieres 8%, Caumuzy 5%, Boursault 4% & Others 6%
Grape Varieties: 43% Meunier | 31% Pinot Noir | 26% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 8 years
Disgorged: October 2022
Dosage: 2.5 g/l
Vinification: 45% in oak casks | 55% in stainless steel vats
Malolactic Fermentation: 0%
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink: Now to 2032
Production: 36,850 Bottles

Tasting Note: Meunier from Telmont's home village of Damery dominates this oak-complexed blend. The rich, evolved nose sees spicy woody notes adding complexity to the ripe, sweet red-fruit core of vanilla, strawberry, apple compote and red apple. Lots of evolution on the nose already, with oxidative tones under control. The sturdy palate is surprisingly full of energy after the mellow, aged tones of the nose. The beautiful acid line brings a lovely juiciness to the wine. Concentrated and long. - Tasted by Essi Avellan MW