Champagne comes from the earth and is indebted to it. The more gratitude and respect we show the earth, the more it will clear a path to excellence in return. This virtuous circle is the defining feature of familial champagne house Telmont.
Singapore, 1 November 2021 – Founded in 1912 by Henri Lhôpital in Damery, near Epernay, Telmont has defended its vision of viticulture and the values it holds dear: loyalty, humility and courage. The House revels in its singularity, proclaimed by its motto: Nec Pluribus Impar, unlike any other. Upholding this legacy, Telmont took its first steps towards organic conversion and obtained, in 2017, its first certification for a portion of the vineyards of its estate.
Champagne Telmont is determined to pursue its ambition: carving an exemplary path towards a 100% organic house using production methods with reduced impact on its natural surroundings. Telmont has decided to act “in the name of Mother Nature”, thus advocating for the preservation of nature’s gifts, leaving its essence untouched.
The House of Telmont has set five tangible objectives:
Objective #1: preserving terroir and biodiversity. Today, 72% of the estate’s 24.5 hectares are certified in organic agriculture or are in the process of conversion. The aim is to convert 100% of the estate by 2025. Telmont Champagne’s partner winegrowers (56.5 hectares) will be supported by the House in their shift towards organic agriculture (39% of their vineyards are already certified or in conversion). This ambitious transformation targets the conversion to organic agriculture of 100% of all cultivated areas by 2031, for both the Telmont estate and partner winegrowers, compared to the 49% of those currently certified or in conversion. Biodiversity will be encouraged across the entire estate, both in the vineyards and in the adjacent natural areas. To this end, 2500 shrubs will be planted over the next three years to provide ‘insect hotels’ in the vineyards, preserving species diversity and promoting sustainable carbon binding.
Objective #2: generalising eco-design. Telmont is breaking away from ordinary champagne codes. As of this year, the House has decided to focus on “the bottle and nothing but the bottle”, banning all production and use of outer packaging or gift boxes. This is a first in Champagne. In addition, transparent bottles (currently 15% of the House’s production) will be discontinued this year, to be replaced by only green bottles, 100% recyclable and made from 85% recycled glass. Telmont Champagne is also exploring an experimental method of reusing bottles (for other wine or cider productions); the aim is to launch this by the end of 2021.
Objective #3: transitioning to 100% renewable electricity and promoting use of ‘green’ energy sources for all its activities. This involves purchasing adapted energy and the development of an on-site solar power production system. The House has already committed to equip itself only with electric vehicles.
Objective #4: overhauling the logistics chain, upstream and downstream, to limit greenhouse gas emissions indirectly related to its business. Moving forward, Telmont will select transporters according to their CSR score. Moreover, it will continue to enforce its zero-air transport policy for supply and distribution.
Objective #5: intensifying efforts in terms of traceability and information. Each bottle will be numbered, enabling its production itinerary to be traced. As of this year, our front labels will contain all production-related information and detailed contents.
“In Nomine Terrae” (In the Name of Mother Nature) will dictate the House’s actions for decades to come. The unbiased outcome of each of these five objectives will be shared with the general public through House communication. The Rémy Cointreau Group, having become majority shareholder of the House in October 2020, wholeheartedly backs this ambitious program, which Ludovic du Plessis, President and shareholder of the House, will implement together with Bertrand Lhôpital, great-grandson of the House’s founder, Henri.
“Backed by the Rémy Cointreau Group and alongside Bertrand Lhôpital, I feel very lucky to be leading this incredible adventure. Telmont is a house with character, boasting a legacy of craftsmanship and a strong ambition, poised to become the standard bearer of a new relationship with nature. We have one foot rooted in tradition and one in modernity, and both feet on (and in) the earth.” ‐ Ludovic du Plessis, President of the House of Telmont.
“I’m proud of the wine-growing legacy which has been handed down in my family from one generation to the next. This heritage enables us to be in close contact with the earth and people, to work with the soil and create our wines the Telmont way. When Rémy Cointreau joined the adventure, contributing their proven commitment to terroir and savoir‐faire, it added a new dimension to the quest for excellence which has driven our family for years.” – Bertrand Lhôpital, Cellar Master and Head of Viticulture of the House of Telmont.
Telmont Champagne is available at select venues in Singapore including Casa Restaurant, Tippling Club and Artemis. Guests can look forward to special promotions including complimentary pairings at Casa Restaurant’s Wine Room through the end of the year and signature cocktails at Tippling Club.
Chef Rémy Lefebvre at Casa Restaurant has developed signature pairings of Octopus, smoked and wood fired with Sherry cask olive oil to compliment the Telmont Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2012 (S$258++ to include a bottle and savoury dish) and an Almond “Ashta” sorbet with pomelo gel, orange confit, pistachio, olive oil cake & rose petal paired with the Telmont Brut Rosé (S$165++ to include a bottle and dessert dish).
Tippling Club is now featuring Telmont Réserve Brut in select cocktails on its new menu, A Guide to Modern Drinking, Volume II, as well as three rotating classic cocktails which will be updated monthly. Comprising the “Champagne Cocktails” section of the signature cocktail menu, the featured drinks include the Ad Parnassum with Telmont Réserve Brut, black lime and blackcurrant (S$22++) and Ciphers & Constellations with Telmont Réserve Brut, dill, calvados, sudachi, and sherbet (S$22++).
Individual bottles of Réserve Brut (RSP S$80/750 ml), Réserve Rosé (RSP S$92/750 ml), Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2012 (RSP S$118/750 ml), Blanc de Blancs Vinothèque 2005 (RSP S$315/750ml), and Vinothèque 2012 (RSP S$115/750 ml) are also available for purchase at The Tatler Bar and The Atelier.
ABOUT THE HOUSE OF TELMONT
Founded in 1912, the Telmont Champagne House – previously known as ‘J de Telmont’ – is situated in Damery, near Épernay, in France. The house was first established in 1912 by Henri Lhôpital, a brave local winegrower who opened in the wake of the champagne riots.
Today, Bertrand Lhôpital, Cellar Master and Head of Viticulture of the Telmont House represents the fourth generation. With an unfailing commitment to the respect of its terroir, the House embraces a highly demanding environmental approach to its processes. In 2017, it earned its first AB Certification (organic agriculture) for part of its vineyard – the result of a labour of love and patience, proving once more the House’s vow to preserving the environment. The Rémy Cointreau group identified with the values of the House and purchased a majority share in October 2020. Renamed Telmont in 2021, the House embodies a unique style: our champagnes are ethereal yet structured, balanced between tension and freshness – a perfect harmony.
Champagne Telmont enables the terroir to express itself through its wines, employing its know-how to help reveal the various facets of nature. For more information, please visit https://champagne-telmont.com/
ABOUT RÉMY COINTREAU
All around the world, there are clients seeking exceptional experiences; clients for whom a wide range of terroirs means a variety of flavours. Their exacting standards are proportional to our expertise –the finely-honed skills that we pass down from generation to generation. The time these clients devote to drinking our products is a tribute to all those who have worked to develop them. It is for these men and women that Rémy Cointreau, a family-owned French Group, protects its terroirs, cultivates exceptional multi-centenary spirits and undertakes to preserve their eternal modernity. The Group’s portfolio includes high-end and singular brands, such as the Rémy Martin and Louis XIII cognacs, and Cointreau liqueur. Rémy Cointreau has a single ambition: becoming the world leader in exceptional spirits. To this end, it relies on the commitment and creativity of its 1,850 employees and on its distribution subsidiaries established in the Group’s strategic markets. Rémy Cointreau is listed on Euronext Paris.
