ONE OF CHAMPAGNE’S OLDEST HOUSES The House of Lanson was founded in 1760 by François Delamotte, an influential character in Reims society. The joint owner, alongside his wife, of a not-insubstantial vineyard in Cumières and Ay, he decided to found his own Champagne house – one of the very first ever to exist. In 1798, Nicolas-Louis Delamotte, his younger son, took over from his father. Having been admitted as a knight of the Order of Malta at a very young age, he decided to use the Maltese Cross as the House’s emblem. Now revised, the Lanson cross has become the icon of the company. LANSON, FROM FATHER TO SON Jean-Baptiste Lanson, a long-standing friend and later associate of the Delamottes, gradually began to play an increasingly important role in the management of the House. After an agreement between the two families, he succeeded Nicolas-Louis Delamotte on the latter’s death and renamed the business Maison J-B Lanson et Compagnie. In 1855, Victor-Marie Lanson, Jean-Baptiste’s son, took over the running of the House. The House then took the name Lanson Père et Fils. Jean-Baptiste worked to develop the business outside France, and particularly in Great Britain. He signed the first exclusive agent’s contract with the well-established Percy Fox company in London. This contract lasted a hundred years and gave the House a dominant position in Great Britain. THE LANSON ADVENTURE The House developed steadily and won increasing numbers of admirers among connoisseurs, including crowned heads – The House of Lanson has been the official supplier to the British court since 1900, when Henri Marie Lanson was awarded the title of “Purveyor of Champagne to Her Majesty” by Queen Victoria. Later, Lanson also became the only Champagne of the principality of Monaco. In recognition of this honour, the House developed a special design including Monaco’s symbolic chess-board pattern. Victor Lanson then took the helm in 1928. He had a considerable influence on the House’s history, and would become known as the “great ambassador of Champagne”. In 1937, he wanted to promote sales of non-vintage dry wine and decided to name the blend Black Label in honour of the House’s biggest market, Great Britain. He was also one of the first to develop rosé champagne. MEN OF PASSION Etienne Lanson, one of Victor’s sons, joined the House alongside his father. He took over in 1967 and decided to conserve vintages in the cellars to develop a unique wine library, from which the House still benefits today. In 1972, Jean-Paul Gandon joined the House and in 1986 became the Winemaker – a role he held for almost 30 years! In 2013, Hervé Dantan joined the House, working alongside Jean-Paul Gandon. In 2015, after two years of sharing and passing on the secrets of Champagne Lanson’s production, he has now taken on the great responsibility of being the House’s Winemaker.
