Jacques Selosse

Offered MAR 30th, 2017 – subject to availability / remaining unsold.

Anselme Selosse is a giant and probably the most important name in champagne today. He might legitimately claim to be the father of the growers’ own movement and the adoption of the Burgundian approach and sensibilities in champagne production. He now has many followers and acolytes who are themselves the most dynamic and enterprising producers of the region but Selosse remains the king. Krug and Dom Perignon have the LVMH marketing machine behind them to promote their names but the name Selosse stands alone now, purely on merit.

Jacques Selosse Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut Sous le Mont
$315 per bottle
98 points View From the Cellar: “The base wine on this beauty is the superb 2002 vintage, and the wine is absolutely brilliant. The deep, pure and utterly classic nose soars from the glass in a smoky blaze of white peach, gentle tangerine, warm biscuits, chalky minerality, discreet white flowers and the aforementioned smokiness in abundance. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and still strikingly young, with a great core, elegant mousse, and outstanding cut and grip on the very, very long, mineral bath of a finish. There is a vibrancy to the expression of terroir here that is otherworldly! This wine is certainly approachable today (I sincerely doubt I spit it on this morning), but it is still relatively primary in profile and five or six more years in the cellar are really going to work their magic on this utterly profound young wine.”

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Jacques Selosse Blanc de Blancs Les Carelles
$310 per bottle
97 points View From the Cellar: “The brighter, more focused side of Chardonnay screams out of the glass in the NV (2008) Le Mesnil sur Oger Les Carelles. Here the flavors are distinctly high-toned, with plenty of citrus peel, white pepper, smoke and slate. Vivid and finely sculpted throughout, with a slightly reductive quality, the Mesnil remains tightly wound and in need of time in bottle. There is an implosive energy that is just waiting to emerge fully. When it does, the Mesnil will be utterly captivating. Actually, it already is.”

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Jacques Selosse Blanc de Noirs La Cote Faron NV
12 bottles available
$315 per bottle

96 points Vinous: “Selosse’s NV (2008) Aÿ La Côte Faron is a bundle of energy. Tightly-wound yet with notable depth, the La Côte Faron boasts superb intensity and drive on the palate, with plenty of Pinot fruit on full display. Smoke, mint and wild flowers emerge over time, but with great reluctance. This is another Champagne to forget about for at least a few years.”

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Jacques Selosse Blanc de Blancs Millesime 2005
12 bottles available
$480 per bottle

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JACQUES SELOSSE

Anselme Selosse has been one of the major drivers of important changes that have been developing in Champagne over the last two decades, with the pursuit of better and more sustainable viticulture, lower yields and less interventionist winemaking in the cellar, all improvements that can be traced back to his arrival at his family’s domaine in 1980. Prior to returning to the family Champagne house, he had trained in Burgundy at Leflaive and Coche-Dury before taking over the family property. According to Peter Liem:

“No champagne grower is as renowned or as influential as Anselme Selosse. Whether directly or indirectly, he has inspired an entire generation of young winegrowers in the region, and among consumers, his champagnes have become some of the most sought-after wines in the world…Although his style is a rich one, this concentration results from his intense dedication to viticulture, and the wines are not rich simply for the sake of being large. They are capable of an elegance and finesse that rivals anything to be found in Champagne, and at their best, their complexity of flavor is unmatched. It’s rare to find a champagne, or indeed, a wine of any kind, as profound in its expression and as multi-voiced in its complexity as Selosse’s are.”