Jacques Selosse
Producer website
Wikipedia on Jacques Selosse
Jacques Selosse is a Champagne grower and producer based in the Avize region of Champagne.
The estate was founded by Jacques Selosse and his family in the 1950s, with the first vintage being bottled in 1960.
The current proprietor of this estate is Anselme Selosse who took over from his father Jacques in 1980. Anselme studied at the Lycée viticole de Beaune and was one of the first winemakers to apply the winemaking techniques of white Burgundy to Champagne. In 1994 Anselme was named best French Winemaker by Gault Millau.
Production
Jacques Selosse is a Grower Champagne, which means the grapes used to produce the wines are grown in vineyards owned by the winery rather than being purchased from other growers, as is the case in most Champagne production. The entire production is grown according to biodynamic principles and Anselme is considered a pioneer of biodynamics in Champagne. Selosse wines are fermented using oak barrels, in contrast to the majority of Champagne producers who use stainless steel tanks.
Two of the wines in Selosse's range, the Substance and the Contraste, are produced using a solera system, the same process used in Sherry production.
Selosse holds 37 acres (15 ha) of vines, predominantly Chardonnay with the remainder Pinot Noir.nAround 55,000 bottles are produced each vintage, dependent on conditions.
Wines
Initial is a blend of three vintages of Chardonnay grapes, aged for at least 2 years before disgorgement in a Brut style. The wine was initially called "Initiale" but dropped the "e" along the way. Before it was nameed Initial on the label, the label was identical but without the word Initial(e), therefore known as Jacques Selosse Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut. Wines disgorged in 2006 do not have the Initial(e) addition, but wines disgorged in 2007 do.
Version Originale is also a blend of three vintages of Chardonnay, but it spends 42 months in bottle before disgorgment and has very little dosage resulting in an Extra Brut style.
Millésime is a single vintage Blanc de blancs made from the grapes of two vineyards in Avize, Le Mont de Cramant and Les Chantereines.
Substance is a Blanc de blancs from a single vineyard in Avize. This Champagne is made in a solera system with the base grapes for this wine coming from the 1986 vintage, the blend is topped up with more recent vintages each year.
Contraste is a Blanc de noirs, made from Pinot Noir grapes, coming from a single vineyard called La Côte Faron in the village of Aÿ. Like the Substance cuvée, this is made in a solera style. The base grapes in this wine are from the 1994 vintage.
Exquise is a Demi-Sec wine, with around 24g/l of dosage making this a semi-sweet style. Made entirely from Chardonnay grapes as a Blanc de blancs.
Rosé is produced using Chardonnay grapes from Selosse and Pinot Noir grapes from Egly-Ouriet in Ambonnay.