A passionate embrace of organic winemaking and the star power of co-owner Leonardo DiCaprio has made Telmont one of Champagne’s most talked about brands. Since becoming part of the Rémy Cointreau Group, the family-owned winery is entering new markets, including an expanding interest in Canada with the recent release of Telmont Reserve Brut Champagne in Ontario.
Telmont’s partnership with Rémy Cointreau in 2020 was arranged by Ludovic du Plessis, a Parisian-born businessman whose career in luxury wine includes working with Dom Pérignon and Louis XIII Cognac, which is also part of the Rémy Cointreau empire. “Telmont has an amazing history, born in 1912, and was a family operation,” explains du Plessis, who rode his bicycle around the Champagne region in 2019 looking for opportunities.
Bertrand Lhôpital is the fourth generation to run the business and has an interest in increasing the sustainability of the operation. With most of Telmont’s own vineyards certified organic, the team is working to have their growers’ properties certified by 2031. (Seventy per cent of those sites are organic as of this year, du Plessis says.)
The quality of the wine and the holistic approach behind the scenes attracted DiCaprio to become a minority shareholder in February, 2022. “I wanted him to be an investor, not an ambassador,” du Plessis says.
Ludovic du Plessis is a Parisian-born businessman whose career in luxury wine includes working with Dom Pérignon and Louis XIII Cognac.Supplied
According to du Plessis only 5 per cent of the 34,300 hectares within the Champagne appellation are certified organic. Grape growers in this marginal climate, where cool and wet conditions make mildew and other diseases an ever-present danger, are leery to step away from the safety net of herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The raining growing season experienced this year, following poor conditions during flowering and fruit set in the vineyards, has Champagne preparing for a challenging 2024 vintage.
However, du Plessis points to 2020, 2022 and 2023, which were amazing vintages in Champagne. Most champagnes are blends of wines made from different years, using reserve wines to help maintain consistency of style and production volumes. A winery’s stocks are replenished during strong vintages and help compensate for poor harvests.
As a result, the reward from organic grape growing outweighs the risk, he says. “Our mission is to craft the best champagne with no compromise on sustainability.”
From a production standpoint, Telmont worked with glass manufacturer Verallia to create a light-weight bottle that can withstand the pressure (typically between 70 and 90 pounds per square inch) of a bottled sparkling wine. The new 800-gram bottle is 100 grams lighter than its old container and is made from green glass to use highest-possible percentage of recycled glass (85-per-cent recycled glass compared with 25 per cent to manufacture the company’s former clear bottle).
The Champagne house also eliminated gift boxes to reduce excess packaging. “We make Champagne, we don’t make limited-edition gift boxes,” du Plessis says.
Telmont Reserve Brut Champagne is recommended with five other wines that stood out in recent tastings.
Flat Rock Twisted White 2023 (Canada), $19.95
First produced in 2004, Flat Rock Twisted is an aromatic white blend of riesling, gewurztraminer and chardonnay. The name was inspired by the Niagara winery’s use of screw-cap closures for all of its wines, which was unusual at that time especially in Canada. Made in an off-dry style, this is ripe and fruity with a hint of sweetness that adds to its crowd-pleasing character. Drink now. Available at the above price in Ontario or direct, flatrockcellars.com.
Supplied
Telmont Reserve Brut Champagne (France), $88.95
This is Champagne in the classic sense, a blend of the traditional grape varieties (chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier) from multiple vineyards, villages and vintages (wines made in seven different years are part of this cuvée). It’s made in a rich and rewarding style that’s easy to appreciate, with a creamy texture, appealing depth and a toasty complexity. Drink now to 2027. Available at the above price in Ontario, $94 in Quebec, various prices in Alberta, $111.99 in Manitoba.
Supplied
Nk’Mip Cellars Dreamcatcher 2022 (Canada), $26.99
Dreamcatcher is a fragrant and fruity white made from a blend of riesling, ehrenfelser, sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc and other varieties grown in Osoyoos, B.C. With aromas and flavours that suggest a fruit cup – it’s awash in comforting sweet peach, pineapple and citrus notes – this Okanagan wine impresses with its balance and expression, culminating with a clean finish. Drink now to 2025. Available at the above price in British Columbia.
Supplied
Umani Ronchi Cúmaro Conero Riserva 2019 (Italy), $26.95
Cúmaro was first produced in 1985 to elevate the stature of the montepulciano grape grown in the Conero hills in Marche near the Adriatic Sea. Its success helped the region reach Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status in 2004, which represents the top rating for Italian wine quality. A modern approach favours yield reduction and extended aging in small French oak barrels (12 to 14 months). The resulting red wine is ripe and silky in nature, with a mix of sweet and tart dark fruit flavours (cherry plum) accented by spicy, savoury and dusty notes (from the oak aging). Drink now to 2031. Available in Ontario at the above price, $28.55 in Quebec (2020 vintage), $36.99 in Newfoundland.
Supplied
Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old Champagne (France), $111.99
A significant departure from Veuve Clicquot’s popular Yellow Label champagne, Extra Brut Extra Old is a blend built largely on reserve wines, especially ones that spent a longer period of aging on lees to produce a richly flavoured and textured sparkling wine. The refreshing, flavourful and incredibly well-balanced style is satisfying served on its own or with a meal. Drink now to 2031. Available at the above price in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta, $111.75 in Quebec, $110.20 in New Brunswick, $116.99 in Nova Scotia, $129.20 in Newfoundland.
Supplied
Viña Cobos Felino Malbec 2022 (Argentina), $20.95
The latest release of Felino Malbec from Paul Hobbs’s Viña Cobos is a richly concentrated and complex red produced with grapes grown in Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. This offers the engaging, sweet dark fruit flavours you’d expect from Mendoza malbec with attractive savoury notes that add to the interest and enjoyment. It’s a generous, sophisticated wine with balanced structure and length. Drink now to 2027. Available at the above price in Ontario, $26.99 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta.
Supplied