In the wake of the Champagne riots of 1912, local winemaker, Henri L’hôpital, founded Telmont Champagne House in Damery, near Épernay in France. After Henri’s death in 1937, his son Andre took the reins as cellar master and rebranded the family business as Champagne de Telmont.
Today, Betrand L’hôpital is a fourth-generation cellar master and the head of viticulture at Telmont. Along with winegrowing partners and passionate investors, one of whom includes actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, the House is a symbol of leadership and hope in the conversion to organic viticulture.
In 2017, Telmont in partnership with the Rémy Cointreau Group, earned AB organic certification for certain sections of its vineyards, but the goal now is to convert 100 percent of its estate’s cultivation to organic agriculture by 2025 and to then become entirely organic by 2031. This holistic approach to minimise the brand’s environmental footprint is supported by the publication of Our Guide to Sustainability in Champagne, a practical tool that sets out the step-by-step trajectory Telmont is following to reach climate-positive status. “The guide is an affirmation of our ambition, and the logical next step along the pathway we have travelled,” says Ludovic du Plessis, President of Maison Telmont.
In 2021, Maison Telmont launched In the Name of Mother Nature, a project focusing on organic agriculture and the preservation of the land’s biodiversity. The House has since implemented sustainable initiatives that include elimination of unnecessary packaging such as gift boxes; reducing bottle weight (35 grams less than a standard champagne bottle); discontinuing transparent bottles for recyclable green ones; banning air freight; and only using renewable energy sources.
Earlier this year, Maison Telmont introduced Reserve de la Terre, a non-vintage cuvée, which Ludevic says is “proof of example” of what’s possible in a region where certified organic viticulture only accounts for five percent of the planted area.
Looking ahead, Maison Telmont aims to plant nearly 5000 hornbeam trees on the estate by 2030 to capture and sustainably sequester greenhouse gases caused by winemaking activity. “We strongly believe in all these changes because for us, the wine will be good if the earth is healthy, and we want to share our experience with all those who are ready to embrace the same approach. It’s for the benefit of all,” concludes Ludovic.
Discover more at champagne-telmont.com
