The Champagne Committee just published that 2022 was a record-breaking year, with over 326 million bottles of champagne being shipped throughout France and around the world. That’s a lot! With numbers like this, it is nice to know that there are bubbly producers that are trying to limit their environmental impact. I was very lucky to be invited on a private visit to Leonardo DiCaprio’s Champagne Telmont, an environmentally-conscious Maison not usually open to the public!
This champagne house, located in the village of Damery, has been around since 1912. The Lhôpital family has been heading Telmont for generations. As of 2020, the house is now part of the Rémy Martin luxury group, which is also family-run. Bertrand Lhôpital remains Cellar Master and Head of Viticulture at Telmont.
Environmental protection is a big part of Telmont’s identity. They passed the strenuous conditions to obtain their first organic certification for certain sections of their vineyard in 2017. This was a reward for a decade of hard work and determination. In 2020, they launched their first certified organic cuvée. That same year, they stopped using transparent bottles and they no longer use gift boxes or other packaging. They are also pioneering the use of thinner glass bottles — a huge innovation in the wine world. Their next steps include becoming fully certified organic by 2025 and ensuring that all their winemaking partners are certified by 2031.
There was a lot of buzz about Telmont last summer because they found a new, very famous, investor. Their environmental efforts attracted the attention of Leonardo DiCaprio. Besides being one of the world’s most famous actors, he is also one of the most active celebrities in the climate change movement. Unfortunately, I did not get to meet him during my visit. It has also been named the official champagne of the Cannes Film Festival.
Speaking of the visit, I was warmly greeted by a member of the staff and lead to a large communal kitchen area. Unlike other large champagne houses, this one is generally closed to the public so there is tour guide per se. I watched a brief video about Telmont’s history and initiatives before being led to the heart of production.
The building is very much a real production site, with nothing staged. In the fall, hand-picked grapes are gently pressed before their first fermentation in steel vats. During the vendages (harvests) and shortly after, it is impossible to visit this section of the building because of all the work done here. I was humbled to meet M. Lhôpital, the Cellar Master, while he was at work.
The house’s entry-level champagnes are generally only fermented in steel vats, keeping them crisp and fruity. Their more exclusive ranges, however, are blended with wines that are aged in oak barrels. This gives interesting complexity to the champagnes. The room itself is impressive, holding many huge barrels that are even bigger than me! It was one of the highlights of the visit.
Down in the cellars, tens of thousands of bottles are left to quietly mature. Telmont’s non-vintage champagnes age for a minimum of 3 years, twice the AOC requirement, while their vintage champagnes spend a minimum of 6 years here. The oldest champagnes, dating back decades, are also stored here as a reserve library. Many are still enjoyable today.
Like most champagne houses, riddling is mostly done by machine. However, the top cuvées are still riddled by hand. The manual process can take 4 to 6 weeks and involves approximately 25 turns per bottle.
Finally, my visit ended in a very comfortable lounge, where I enjoyed a bottle of Telmont’s Réserve Brut with my boyfriend and our guide. We discussed not only the other cuvée’s, but also the environmental initiatives of the house that are not published on their website. One of them is a partnership with a local company to repurpose old bottles into candle holders.
This was my first time tasting Champagne Telmont. The Réserve Brut is their flagship cuvée and it is positively regarded by critiques. Floral on the nose, it is bright, crisp, and fruity in the mouth — think baked plum and apple. It is a decent entry-level wine that entices me to try one of their more exclusive wines, such as their Blanc de Noirs 2014. It was highly recommended to me, but not available to taste or purchase at the estate.
Overall, I feel very grateful for this visit. It was a pleasure to go behind the scenes at this trail-blazing champagne house. I look forward to trying new cuvées and I applaud their commitment to the environment! Big thank you!