The new Champagnes from Selosse with 2017-base has been tasted and reviewed by Richard Juhlin. [read the full champagne story]
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Selosse ‘La Côte Faron Aÿ’ (2017-base)
97(97)p
100PN
TASTING NOTE Champagne Club by Richard Juhlin – These vineyard wines belong to the giants of the champagne world. From the location in Aÿ, you can currently get the one in the blanc de noirs trio that radiates the most dark and sun-warm Burgundian-like pinot noir from the domain. Tar, truffles, firewood, asphalt and licorice spice up the usual Selosse character into yet another universe. Fully ripe, drink 2025–2026.
Selosse ‘Mareuil-sûr-Aÿ Sous le Mont’ (2017-base)
97(97)p
100PN
TASTING NOTE Champagne Club by Richard Juhlin – Sous le Mont is the wine that usually takes the longest to reach full maturity in the famous sextet. This time with 2017 and last time with 2016 as the base, it sang right away. The champagne is like a combined Clos des Goisses with its bloody and gooseberry scented notes and Selosse La Côte Faron Aÿ with its leathery and animalic richness. Now as good as the others in the sextet when the solera has matured. Not the best, but the most intellectual and elusive of the Pinot champagnes.
Selosse ‘Cramant Chemin de Châlons’ (2017-base)
96(96)p
100CH
TASTING NOTE Champagne Club by Richard Juhlin – One of the six magical vineyard wines from Selosse. Nowadays, Chemin de Chalons is butterier and more village-typical than before with clear similarities to both Bonnaire and Diebolt-Vallois Fleur de Passion, although Selosse’s unmistakable and personally unique base notes dominate emphatically. The champagne deviates quite significantly from the other two vineyard wines in the Côte des Blancs, Les Carelles from Le Mesnil and Les Chanteraines from Avize in the latest versions. However, it should be noted that the bottle variation is often greater than the quality differences in the sextet.
Selosse ‘Les Carelles de Mesnil’ (2017-base)
98(98)p
100CH
TASTING NOTE Champagne Club by Richard Juhlin – Always my favorite Chardonnay in the sextet. Sometimes I’m more keen on their blanc de noirs from Aÿ and Ambonnay, but no other champagne in the world has a more intense bouquet. Seductive is too weak a word. Hypnotizing is a better description of what this wine does to your body and soul. Magnificent and complex with its own tear-jerkingly beautiful and intense aroma of petroleum, lime zest, orange blossom and jasmine combined with popcorn and toasted corn flakes. Heavenly clean and multifaceted like Krug Clos du Mesnil, and in this version a fat, ripe middle part before the mineral fireworks and sesame notes take over in the finale. Extremely close to 99 points despite 2017 being at the helm.
Selosse ‘Les Chanterines’ (2017-base)
97(97)p
100CH
TASTING NOTE Champagne Club by Richard Juhlin – As so often with Selosse wines, it is fully ripe with a nice nerve at launch. There is no reason to wait here. Full blast from the start with massive Selosse perfume of roasted sesame seeds, diesel exhaust, sewing machine oil, Brazil nuts, orchids, Williams pears and nutmeg. Crazy intense and absolutely wonderfully personal and seductive. The vineyard is the same as the base in Substance which is clear especially as the soleravine gets older and older.
