Bertrand-Delespierre
| Vigneron | Clémence and Adrien Bertrand |
| Location | Chamery (Marne) |
| Size of Domaine | 10 ha |
| Terroir | Continental climate with Oceanic influence. Sand, clay and marl over chalk bedrock. Gentle slopes to flatlands. 90-150m altitude. |
| Viticulture | Trialling organic on 2 ha, sustainable farming. |
| View Bertrand-Delespierre wines ↓ |
The transition at Bertrand-Delespierre is happening seamlessly, with Adrien returning to the domaine in 2013 after studying winemaking in Avize, and Clémence in 2016 after working for a few years in marketing. The vineyards they’re inheriting are in good shape with an average age of 30yo – the soils have always been ploughed by their father to avoid using herbicides, and treatments were kept to a bare minimum.
Adrien and Clémence are keen to push things further, since 2017 about 2ha have been tended organically with the idea of rolling it out over the whole domaine when successful. Ploughing alternates with grass cover, only organic amendments are used and they’re now thinking about implementing phytotherapy (plant-based preparations sprayed against fungal attacks and other diseases) to reduce the use of copper.
The vineyards are spread over four premier cru communes, three in the Petite Montagne (Chamery, Ecueil and Villedomange), and Montbré in the Grande Montagne just north of Rilly. The soil in this part of the Petite Montagne tends to be less uniform in its composition than further south, with clay generally found at the top of the slopes, marl from mid to lower slopes and sand on the plains. Montbré is an exception to this rule with its wind-swept plateau on marl soil.
Bertrand-Delespierre Wines
L’ENFANT DE LA MONTAGNE
1er Cru
45% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier
45% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier (12% alc.)
This cuvée comes from vineyards in Chamery, Ecueil, Villedommange and Montbré, all 1er Cru villages on the Montagne de Reims. Fermented and aged in stainless steel for about eight months, the wine spent around three years 'sur lattes'. It is based on the 2019 vintage (60%) blended with reserve wines from the previous three vintages. The combination of completed malolactic and low dosage help sustain the fruit beautifully, it also brings bite and precision to the wine. Disgorged 05/23 - Dosage 2g/l.