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All Eyes On Ludovic du Plessis: Putting More Skin In The Sustainability Game With Champagne Telmont
A champagne with a conscience, certified'ably made in nature!
Parisian-born Ludovic du Plessis has spent more than two decades building an impressive career in the world of luxury wines and spirits, with notable tenures on his resume featuring Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, and LOUIS XIII cognac. But the visionary mover and shaker hadn’t yet gotten his hands dirty, and his fingers firmly clenched on the pulse of the rhythmic nature of Mother Earth. Now, he is putting a whole lot more skin in the game at the helm of Champagne Telmont.
The adventure commenced in 2019 when du Plessis heard the sparkling call of the wild some 150 km away from Paris, namely Champagne. It was love at first sight and at first sip when he crossed path with Maison Telmont. Founded in 1912 by Henri Lhôpital, the family run house opened a new chapter in its genesis, when it was acquired by the Remy Cointreau Group in 2020. An initiative that was instigated by du Plessis who rallied all parties around three core values: Terroir, Time, and People. Sustaining its original grandeur, Champagne Telmont blends the timeless luxury, patrimony and ancestral savoir-faire of a bygone era with the modern technology and more ethically responsible and environmentally conscious sensibilities that today’s champagne aficionados and wine lovers’ alike seek.
A historic Maison that carries on a grand tradition some could argue that Champagne Telmont may be what is putting Damery in the Marne Valley on the “sparkling” map. Regardless, no one can dispute the significant transformation Telmont CEO, du Plessis, is effectively imparting on Champagne, blazing a preeminent trail to sustainability. Certainly not a simple task considering that less than 4% of Champagne vineyards today are organically certified. But unity is strength, and du Plessis found a strong and loyal ally in Bertrand Lhôpital, great-grandson of the founder, Head of Viticulture at Telmont. and current cellar master. Together they perpetuate the Maison’s legacy and perennially renew their faithful commitment to Telmont’s raison d’être: ‘Nec Pluribus Impar’ – ‘Unlike any other’.
In the crowded field of Champagne, Du Plessis is not only carving out a memorable space for Telmont’s stable of wines, but he is as well carving out a name for a new Champagne region – one with a conscience.
In a few short years, Telmont has enjoyed a meteoric rise, aggressively leading the charge in the ecological revolution bubbling up in Champagne. A self-described climate optimist, Du Plessis recruited the help of his friend, actor Leonardo Di Caprio in 2022 (a minority shareholder), to carry forth his most ambitious project to date: In Nomine Terrae (in the Name of Mother Nature).
“A great wine must be a gift from nature, intimately cherished and protected. Its abundance and its singularity, the expression of a year. This is how we create the very best of Champagne. In Nomine.”
Laser-focused on having 100% of Telmont Estate’s vines certified in organic agriculture by 2025, 100% of their winegrower partners certified in organic agriculture by 2031 and becoming the first climate positive champagne house by 2030 and Net Positive in 2050, Champagne Telmont is continuously bringing its a-game to Champagne’s green agenda cementing its leadership in organic agriculture.
Telmont snatched its first organic certification in 2017, and in 2021 launched its first certified organic cuvée: Réserve de la Terre.
Telmont didn’t skip a beat when it came to embracing significant new measures to reduce its carbon footprint. Getting back to the essentials, transparent bottles, packaging, and gift boxes were discontinued. Setting new standards, Telmont is all about transparency in the bottle and on the label, which is why every bottle is individually numbered with the new labels revealing all the elements and methods applied to craft Telmont champagnes.
With one foot in tradition and the other in contemporaneity, Telmont is bridging the chasm between older and younger generations showing that Champagne’s history continues to be written. The maison is steeped in stories and has now been re-imagined for generations to come.
Champagne Telmont continues to be the star of the sustainability show, ushering the Champagne region into a new and better future – one that is environmentally sensitive and conscious.
SOURCE: CHAMPAGNE PLZ
