J. De Telmont

Family and history

Henri Lhôpital composed the song Gloire au Champagne during the Champagne riots and afterwards founded his own house under his own name. That was in 1912 in Damery, near Épernay. Since 1968 the house has been based at 1 Avenue de Champagne, at the foot of the vineyards. Four generations of the Lhôpital family have shaped the house. Bertrand Lhôpital, an oenologist and engineer, joined his sister in running the house in 1996.

A correction to the older text: Telmont is no longer an independent house in purely family ownership. In October 2020 the Rémy Cointreau Group took a majority stake, including the brands, stocks, production sites and vineyards. Since 2021 the house has been called simply Telmont. Bertrand Lhôpital stayed on as cellar master and head of viticulture.

Vineyards and methods

The estate is spread across eight crus and covers Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay. The figures for the vineyard area vary depending on the source: 24.5 hectares of its own are cited, plus 56.5 hectares with partner growers. Bertrand Lhôpital has done without herbicides since 1999. Since 2017 parts of the plots have been certified organic. By 2031 the entire estate is to be converted to organic and regenerative farming. In 2025 Telmont became the first champagne house to be Regenerative Organic Certified. Riddling and disgorgement are done by hand. Non-vintage champagnes age for at least three years, vintage champagnes for at least six.

“Since 1968 the house has been based at 1 Avenue de Champagne, at the foot of the vineyards.

Cuvées and visiting

The flagship cuvée is the Réserve de la Terre, the house's first organic-certified cuvée, launched in 2021. With a dosage of 5.6 g/l it is an Extra Brut. According to Gault&Millau, the range also includes Réserve Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Grand Couronnement and a cuvée with no added sulphur, among others. The Grand Couronnement is a blanc de blancs made from grands crus.

The house offers a cellar tour with tasting, a tour that includes the vineyard, and a food pairing with regional produce. According to the tourist office, an individual tasting costs 12.50 to 14.50 euros, and a visit with vineyard and tasting costs 80 euros. Enquiries can be made by phone on +33 3 26 58 40 33. Booking is advisable.