Category: Wine Review

Champagne Telmont: Where Heritage Meets the Future of Sustainable Champagne + Wine Review

 Champagne is a region built on centuries of tradition, but every so often, a house emerges that doesn’t just update the rule book; it edits the whole document. Telmont, the organically driven, sustainability-obsessed house from Damery, is one of the most compelling modern narratives in Champagne today. With a history that stretches back more than a century and a present that leans confidently into ecological transformation, Telmont stands at the crossroads of heritage and next‑generation innovation.

A Champagne House Born in 1912 and Reborn in the 21st Century

Telmont was founded in 1912, when winegrower Henri Lhôpital established a small estate rooted in traditional Champagne viticulture. For much of the 20th century, the family-built maison remained a local, agriculture‑focused producer, known for meticulous vineyard work and precise blending.

The plot twist arrived in 2020, when Telmont received significant support from partners aligned with its environmental mission, including an investment from actor and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio in 2022. Rather than pivot toward celebrity gloss, Telmont doubled down on its ecological commitments. By 2025, the house had emerged as one of Champagne’s most resolute voices in sustainability, championing:

  • Organic certification for 100% of its vines (a multi‑year transition nearing completion)
  • Zero unnecessary packaging
  • Full transparency in labelling
  • Renewable energy integration
  • A “leave no trace” approach across production and the supply chain

This ethos has earned Telmont a devoted following among sommeliers, collectors, and environmentally conscious drinkers, including the sustainably minded Gen Z audience, who treat vineyard biodiversity with the same reverence earlier generations reserved for luxury labels.

Location

Telmont’s home village of Damery sits in the Vallée de la Marne, west of Épernay. Historically dominated by Meunier, the region benefits from clay‑rich soils and cooler ripening conditions that allow the grape to express freshness and aromatic precision.

The estate farms vineyards in Damery as well as parcels in nearby villages, including Cumières, Hautvillers, and Boursault, creating a diverse mosaic of chalk, clay, sand, limestone, and flint soils. This range enables Telmont to craft blends that emphasize finesse, lift, and orchard‑fruit purity.

Damery itself offers a humble, pastoral counterpoint to Champagne’s grander tourism hubs. It is a village where winemakers still know their neighbours, tractors hum through the early morning light, and the Marne River glints softly between vineyard slopes.

Telmont Réserve Brut – Wine Review

No. 145037/312589
Disgorged in 2024
Dosage 3.4 g/l
40% Chardonnay
29%Meunier
31% Pinot Noir
Extra Brut

The Réserve Brut is Telmont’s thesis statement: a Champagne that foregrounds orchard fruit, chalk‑driven minerality, and winemaking restraint.

Appearance: A luminous golden hue with fine, persistent bubbles and an elegant mousse.

Aromas: Pear, apple, and peach, layered with hints of honeysuckle and almond.

Palate: Crisp apple and citrus notes intertwine with delicate brioche, supported by precise, refreshing acidity. The mousse is refined and persistent, carrying a mineral thread from start to finish.

Finish: Long, harmonious, and mineral‑driven, with lingering notes of candied fruit and citrus that echo the Vallée de la Marne’s signature finesse.

This is a Champagne that feels effortlessly composed, akin to a minimalist painting where every brushstroke matters.

92 Points
Liz Palmer

There are many reasons why I chose Champagne Telmont as one of my holiday favourites, including their wines’ favouring clarity over artifice, vineyard truth over marketing gloss, and ecological health over short-term convenience. In 2025, that stance resonates with a global audience seeking luxury aligned with values.

This house bridges Champagne’s agricultural past with its environmentally conscious future, proving that sustainability is not a trend, but a pathway to deeper, more authentic expression.

The Michelin Guide Expands Its Expertise in Recommendations and Introduces a New Distinction in the World of Wine

For 125 years, the MICHELIN Guide has celebrated places and talents that embody excellence in gastronomy and hospitality, with the MICHELIN Stars introduced in 1926 and the MICHELIN Keys launched in 2024. This expertise now naturally extends to wine, a key reference in the gastronomic experience. The MICHELIN Guide has long highlighted exceptional wine lists and sommeliers, notably through the ‘wine’ pictogram created in 2004 to distinguish outstanding food and wine pairings. In 2019, the MICHELIN Sommelier Award was introduced to honour professionals whose expertise enhances the guest experience through exemplary mastery of wine selection and service.

The MICHELIN Grape, MICHELIN Guide’s new distinction, will now spotlight wine estates across different regions of the world. It will assess their overall excellence based on five universal criteria applied consistently.

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director for the MICHELIN Guide, explains:

” After having oriented wine-lovers towards the finest tables in more than 70 destinations and to the world’s most elegant hotels, the MICHELIN Guide is delighted to open a new chapter with the world of wine. This new reference is designed for both the curious amateur and the most ardent expert – it rewards the men and women who are building the most demanding vineyards around the world.” 

The MICHELIN Grapes: a new reference for discovering and showcasing wine-growing talent

In the world of wine, the MICHELIN Guide rewards not only the vineyards but also the men and women who personify them. With this new distinction, the Guide will be using a strict and independent methodology – it will also provide wine-lovers with a trusted benchmark: Grapes 1, 2 or 3 and, additionally, a selection of recommended vineyards.

  Three Grapes

Exceptional producers. Whatever the vintage, wine lovers can turn to the estate’s creations with complete confidence.

  Two Grapes

Excellent producers who stand out as exceptional within their peer group and region for both quality and consistency.

One Grape

Very good producers who craft wines of character and style, especially in the best vintages.

Selected 

Dependable producers who have been chosen for regular review, producing well-made wines that deliver a quality experience.

Here is the methodology based on 5 criteria: 

For its new distinction, true to its fundamental values of excellence and independence, the MICHELIN Guide applies five criteria uniformly and wherever it may be.

  1. The quality of agronomy
    The assessment evaluates the vitality of the soil, the balance of the vine stocks, as well as the care provided for the vines. All essential factors that directly influence wine quality.
  2. Technical mastery
    The evaluation focuses on the technical skills in the wine-making process. Our inspectors are seeking precise and rigorous wine-making processes producing well-developed wines which reflect the terroir and the vine types, without any distracting flaws.
  3. Identity
    The Guide will highlight winemakers who craft wines that express the personality, the sense of place, and the culture behind them.
  4. Balance
    Evaluation of the harmony between acidity, tannins, oak, alcohol, and sweetness.
  5. Consistency 
    Wines will be evaluated across multiple vintages to ensure unwavering consistency in quality, even in the most challenging years. The Guide celebrates wines that reveal greater depth and excellence as time goes by.

    Expertise at the heart of the assessments 

Future selections will rely on the expertise of dedicated wine inspectors, all professionals employed by the Michelin Group. This team, which makes its recommendations collectively and with complete independence, will bring together seasoned wine specialists and newly recruited inspectors.

All team members have been selected not only based on their qualifications, but also on their ability to assess a vineyard with rigour and integrity. They are all seasoned professionals in the sector, i.e., former sommeliers, specialized critics or production experts, all bringing concrete and in-depth experience of the wine-producing world to the team.

Their assessments follow a rigorous methodology, including a panel review process and editorial supervision.

In 2026, the MICHELIN Grapes adventure will be writing its initial chapter in the heart of two mythical French wine-producing areas: Burgundy and the Bordeaux region

The MICHELIN Grapes project will start with two regions among the most emblematic in the worldwide wine-producing landscape: Burgundy and the region around Bordeaux. A compelling choice, celebrating the diversity, the historical intensity and the cultural richness of wine à la française.

Over the centuries, Bordeaux has established itself as a historic force in the world of wine. Its distinguished vineyards and their reputation go far beyond our borders.  The entire prestigious Bordeaux region is renowned throughout the world for its innovations and its traditions.

Burgundy, for its part, differentiates itself by its approach, deeply rooted in the local heritage. Its human-sized, family-owned vineyards reflect rigorous traditions and care imposed at each stage in the production process. From generation to generation, legacies have curated the local identity and forged the worldwide reputation of Burgundy.

Stay tuned in 2026 for the very first selections of the MICHELIN Grapes.

Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa, Curio Collection by Hilton, Sicily

Just arrived at the breathtaking Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa, Curio Collection by Hilton, tucked away in the heart of Castiglione di Sicilia.

Surrounded by lush vineyards, ancient olive groves, and the dramatic slopes of Mount Etna, this place is pure magic. Here’s a fun fact: It’s the only place in Europe where you can play golf on the slopes of an active volcano

Stay tuned — a full review is coming soon!

The Best Hotel Wine Cellars in North America according to MICHELIN Guide

Wine has long been intertwined with the art of hospitality, yet a select number of hotels elevate the experience to the highest level by curating world-class cellars that rival esteemed restaurants and private collections. According to MICHELIN Guide, these properties redefine the concept of luxury lodging, offering immersive oenological journeys that appeal to both seasoned connoisseurs and aspiring enthusiasts.

At these destinations, wine is not simply an accompaniment to a fine meal; it is the foundation of the entire stay. Guests may encounter sommeliers who serve as personal guides, expansive cellars that read like encyclopedias of viticulture, and opportunities to pair rest with rare vintages.

From California’s iconic Cabernet Sauvignon estates to the refined lakeside retreats of Québec, these hotels embody the essence of wine tourism in North America. They serve as cultural crossroads, blending terroir, tradition, and innovation into an experience that extends beyond the bottle.

Rosewood Miramar Beach, Montecito, California

This Two-MICHELIN-Key resort looks and feels like a posh summer home. It’s fitting then that Caruso’s isn’t just a MICHELIN-Starred and Green Star restaurant with an ocean view—it’s also home to one of Southern California’s most extravagant wine cellars, stocked with 22,000+ bottles and a serious Burgundy collection. The sommelier team is armed with rare verticals and white gloves, and you’ll find that most guests here dress for dinner, even if they’re just heading downstairs, or opting to enjoy from their suite. Also located at Rosewood Miramar Beach? AMA Sushi with edomae-style sushi, available à la carte or as an omakase.

Rosewood Miramar Beach Wine Cellar, Napa Valley, California

A 15,000-bottle cellar. Lunch overlooking the Rutherford vines. And a wine list that reads like the Napa Valley Book of Genesis. This Three-MICHELIN-Key resort with a MICHELIN-Starred restaurant of the same name doesn’t shout — it purrs, in silky Bordeaux and well-structured Chardonnay. Whether you’re toasting at the bar or reclining in a vineyard-view suite, every sip is a reminder that heaven might just be spelled C-A-B.

SingleThread Inn, Sonoma, California

SingleThread is a unicorn; it’s a Three-MICHELIN-Key hotel with a Three-MICHELIN-Star and Green Star restaurant tucked inside. Here in this culinary sanctuary, dinner unfolds like a symphony, and the wine pairings are its most delicate movement. Located in California’s Wine Country, the inn’s cellar is both impressive and intimate; designed not just to dazzle, but to deepen your understanding of the bottle in front of you. Expect somm-led education, rare local vintages and a breakfast that might just come with a splash of Pét-Nat.

The Little Nell, Aspen, Colorado

Come for the snow, stay for the Pinot Noir. The One-MICHELIN-Key Little Nell may be best known for ski-in, ski-out luxury and its Element 47 restaurant, but oenophiles know it for its award–winning wine cellar: over 20,000 bottles deep, with verticals that rival some European royalty. Prefer your wine with altitude? Book a sommelier-led ski tour, complete with slope-side sabrage. Yes, really.

The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, D.C.

This spot is in a sleepy little town outside of Washington, D.C., but just happens to be home to the region’s only Three-MICHELIN-Star and Green Star restaurant. The dining room is like a Versailles fever dream, and the wine cellar could double as a museum. At Patrick O’Connell’s countryside fantasy, the wine program is an experience unto itself, with deep French and American verticals, pairing flights that border on spiritual and tours that feel like a pilgrimage. You’ll sleep well—but not before a Château d’Yquem nightcap.

Post Hotel & Spa, Lake Louise, Canada

You’ll come for the glacial views and stay for the cellar, which spans more than 22,000 bottles. Discover rare vintages, winemaker dinners and private tastings—all housed in this MICHELIN-Key alpine lodge. It’s the kind of place where après-ski means Amarone, and the wine cellar is deeper than the snowpack.

Manoir Hovey, Québec

Québec’s most refined country escape comes with a serious side of vin. The Two-MICHELIN-Key Manoir Hovey houses a 15,000-bottle cellar and leans proudly into local pairings, offering Québécois wines you won’t find at your downtown wine bar. Book a table at Le Hatley for fine dining or Le Tap Room for a more casual setting. It’s as much about terroir as it is about taste—and yes, there’s foie gras involved.

As wine tourism continues to flourish globally, the MICHELIN Guide’s recognition of these hotels underscores a growing trend: travellers no longer seek only a destination, but a holistic experience that marries luxury, culture, and vinous discovery.

Source:  MICHELIN Guide

Raise Your Glass to New Zealand for International Pinot Noir Day – August 18th

There’s something irresistibly seductive about Pinot Noir. It’s the grape varietal that makes sommeliers swoon, winemakers sweat, and wine lovers fall head over heels. And while Burgundy may have long been considered its spiritual home, New Zealand has been quietly (and sometimes not-so-quietly) redefining the Pinot Noir conversation.

This August 18th, as the wine world raises a glass to International Pinot Noir Day, it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate New Zealand’s most captivating red wine export.

Pinot Noir was first planted in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand’s North Island in 1883, but it wasn’t until 1987 that it was commercially released. By the 1990s, gold medals in Australia and London had propelled New Zealand Pinot Noir onto the global stage. Suddenly, whispers of a “new Pinot powerhouse” were spreading around the wine world.

“New Zealand Pinot Noir is something else,” says Charlotte Read, General Manager Brand at New Zealand Winegrowers. “It leads with a concentrated core of fruit, supported by a vibrant backbone of acidity thanks to our cool climate, and displays the hallmark fragrance and elegant, fine-grained tannins that great Pinots possess. It’s exciting to observe the distinct regional styles that emerge from differences in soil type and climate across the areas where Pinot Noir is grown in New Zealand.”

Pinot Noir is now among the top five most searched red varietals globally, with Wine-Searcher reporting an increase from 10.5% to 15.5% of total search market share. Within New Zealand, Pinot Noir accounted for 32.4% of wine searches in 2024, second only to Sauvignon Blanc.

And it’s not just hype; it’s in the glass. Lively acidity, silky tannins, and versatile food-friendliness make it a natural companion for a wide range of dishes, from roast chicken and salmon to mushroom risotto and duck confit. With more wine lovers gravitating toward fresher, chillable reds, Pinot Noir is perfectly suited to the modern table.

It’s no surprise that Pinot Noir has become New Zealand’s top red wine variety and the country’s second-largest wine export after Sauvignon Blanc, with over 1.5 million cases shipped annually to more than 100 countries. Exports alone reached $2.1 billion in 2024.

So, this International Pinot Noir Day, why not pour yourself a glass and discover why this grape has captured the world’s imagination?

My picks for the occasion:

  • Tarras Central Otago Pinot Noir – vibrant, rich, full-bodied and endlessly drinkable
  • Thornbury Pinot Noir 2019 – classic structure with a rich, fruit-driven
  • Lord Rutherford Pinot Noir 2013 – a cellar gem that showcases how gracefully New Zealand Pinot can age

Raise your glass, take a sip, and let New Zealand Pinot Noir remind you why wine can be both playful and profound!