Delalot

History of Champagne Delalot

The history of Champagne Delalot is rooted in eight generations of winegrowers attached to the Vallée de la Marne. Éliane Delalot, a discreet and determined figure in the Champagne vineyard, has always worked her plots by hand, without mechanical equipment or synthetic chemical inputs, perpetuating a philosophy of total respect for living things. This approach, ahead of its time, naturally led the estate to begin its conversion to organic farming as early as 2009, certified from the 2013 harvest onwards.

The estate's major turning point came when Jérôme Lefèvre, son of Éliane and former art history teacher in Paris, left his academic career to devote himself entirely to the vines and Champagne. Steeped in the Japanese philosophy of "non-action" inspired by Fukuoka (no tilling, no fertilisers, no chemical treatments, no chemical weeding), Jérôme signed his first harvest in 2013 and brought forth a collection of unique single-parcel cuvées, alongside the Champagnes signed by Éliane Delalot, which he continues to produce in the same spirit.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Champagne Delalot

The Delalot vineyard covers approximately 1.5 hectares spread across the south and south-east facing slopes of the communes of Charly-sur-Marne, Saulchery, Bonneil and Essômes-sur-Marne, in the western Vallée de la Marne. The predominantly sandy-clay soils with some limestone outcrops give this area a unique signature within Champagne, particularly favourable to the Meunier variety, which expresses itself here with remarkable breadth and depth. The terroir also benefits from parcels planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, playing an essential role in the blends.

The management of the vineyard is radical in its demands: no tractors, no heavy machinery, no synthetic chemicals. All work is carried out entirely by hand and with the help of horses to preserve the microbial life of the soils and limit emissions. Each vine is tended individually, with an almost market-garden level of attention. Naturally very low yields guarantee concentrated, healthy grapes that carry the full aromatic signature of the terroir — an essential condition for crafting high-precision, single-parcel Champagnes.

Winemaking at Champagne Delalot

In the cellar, the winemaking philosophy naturally extends the work of the vineyard. The harvests, all manual, are vinified plot by plot, with no blending between vintages: each cuvée comes exclusively from a single harvest, giving each bottle a unique and unprecedented dimension. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations are carried out using indigenous yeasts, in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels (notably in 300-litre pieces from the Vallée de la Marne), depending on the cuvée sought.

The winemaker carefully follows lunar phases for key operations (riddling, disgorgement), reflecting a sensitivity close to biodynamics. Dosages are deliberately restrained, sometimes zero (extra-brut, brut nature) or moderate, and use organic cane sugar or organic grape must (MCR). Bottles age for a long time on lees before a manually performed and individually numbered disgorgement. Alongside the Champagnes, a few atypical white and red Coteaux Champenois are also produced, the fruit of a free exploration of the terroir.

The Cuvées of Champagne Delalot

The Les Dionysiaques cuvée is the only Brut cuvée in the range, conceived as a "stylistic exercise" in homage to the tradition of terroir Champagnes. Produced on a variable basis in collaboration with other organic growers from the cru, it blends the three Champagne grape varieties with a majority of Meunier (60%), complemented by Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Vinified in stainless steel tanks then 20 days in oak barrels, dosed at 11 g/l, it offers an expressive nose of pastry, brioche, vanilla and citrus, with a fresh, saline and indulgent palate. The tirage takes place in spring and the disgorgement at the descending October moon. Its name is inspired by the famous eponymous poem and its label is dedicated to the night, perfect for celebrations and pairing with foie gras.

The Pléiades cuvée takes its name from the Greek constellation, in reference to the seven original plots of the estate. This blanc de noirs blends Pinot Noir and Meunier from two neighbouring parcels in Saulchery, where each variety finds its purest expression: Pinot Noir brings structure, Meunier freshness. Vinified with indigenous yeasts and malolactic fermentation in wood, then aged in stainless steel to preserve the vibrancy of the blanc de noirs, this cuvée is moderately dosed with unfermented Chardonnay must. A vibrant, fruity and mineral expression.

The Impressions cuvée is a blanc de noirs blending 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Meunier, sourced from two adjoining parcels in Saulchery. It pays particular tribute to the "Les Boulard" parcel, planted with Meunier in 1971, whose deep root system yields gravels of great expressiveness. The wine is distinguished by the natural colour imparted by the power of the Meuniers and by a superb verticality on the palate, with dense fruity notes and a long, precise finish.

The Les Illuminations cuvée embodies the most experimental and radical strand of the estate. Vinified from juice obtained at pressing (sometimes retained for its natural colour and protection), it benefits from an extended ageing of approximately 11 months in new oak barrels from the Vallée de la Marne (medium-plus toast), imparting subtle smoky notes to the wine. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts, full malolactic, prise de mousse with organic cane sugar, zero-dosage disgorgement (brut nature): a gastronomic Champagne, deep, complex and resolutely singular, at the crossroads of still wine and Champagne.

To these Champagnes are added the estate's white and red Coteaux Champenois, atypical still wine vinifications from the same parcels. Produced in tiny quantities, they explore another facet of the Vallée de la Marne terroirs, with Meunier or Pinot Noir reds of an airy delicacy and pure, mineral whites, bearing witness to the creative freedom and constant curiosity of winemaker Jérôme Lefèvre.