Why it matters
The producer
Every bottle comes from estate grown fruit. Champagne Bertrand-Delespierre is an independent Récoltant Manipulant house in Chamery, in the Montagne de Reims. Récoltant Manipulant is the Champagne term for a grower that farms its own vines and makes its own Champagne.
The family winery began in 1980, when winegrowers Chantal Delespierre and Didier Bertrand married. Clémence and Adrien Bertrand manage the operation as the fourth generation.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Chamery sits in the heart of the Montagne de Reims, between Reims and Epernay. The vineyard holdings extend through Chamery, Ecueil and Villedommange in the Petite Montagne, then reach Montbré in the Grande Montagne. All are Premier Cru communes, and the estate grown fruit comes from both the Petite and Grande Montagne.
Wines to know
The range in view
The cuvées divide into non vintage and vintage formats. Non vintage Champagne can combine wines from more than one harvest, while a vintage Champagne is tied to one harvest. Enfant de la Montagne is the non vintage Champagne. Bertrand-Delespierre L'Âme de Millésime Premier Cru Extra Brut is the 2015 bottling, and Origines Croisées is the 2014 bottling.
The non vintage wine spends a minimum of 24 months on yeast, while the vintage wines spend 36 months en tirage. En tirage is the period when sparkling wine rests in bottle with yeast after the second fermentation. Lees ageing can add texture as the wine remains in contact with the yeast. The Champagnes are fresh, crisp and lively, with an exciting, gripping character. Enfant de la Montagne has complex lemony and citrus aromas, light toastiness and subtle floral character, ending with a long spicy finish.