Wine Advocate 91
 
The majority-Chardonnay (most of that from Avize, Cramant and Oger) Delamotte NV Brut L04612 is 35% Pinot Noir (from the Montagne de Reims); 10% Meunier (from the Vallee de la Marne); and spends three years sur latte as well as six or more months in bottle prior to release. Officially, it is grand cru. The bottle in question is from vintage 2008 with 25% reserve wine. Clover and apple blossom with a discreet whiff of chalk in the nose lead to an oily and expansive yet buoyant and refreshing palate, its fresh apple and pear suffused with savory sweet-saline and iodine-tinged crustacean shell reduction. Piquant hickory and black walnut as well as chewy apple skin are subtly integrated so that they serve for insistent, low-grade excitation. This high-umami, mouthwatering cuvee displays a combination of textural richness with lift and elegant restraint that represent outstanding value for this genre.