Selosse Jacques – Champagne AOC Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Initial

The name of Jacques Selosse and of his son Anselme Selosse, are by now synonymous of a new rise of excellence in the region of the most loved bubbles in the world. A path that returns to the earth and that from the earth comes back again to create true works of art intended for connoisseurs and visionary enthusiasts.
Compared to the historical maisons, this winery was only born in 1974, with the return of Anselme from his studies in oenology and an experience in Rioja, Spain. A small family project on a property of just over 7 hectares, located in “Grand Cru” municipalities of the Côte de Blancs, with the company located in Avize. Almost the entire area is cultivated with Chardonnay, as well as the great majority of the property of the Jacques Selosse Company, which historically gave these grapes to important production Companies in the area.
Anselme Selosse officially takes over the reins of the Company together with his wife Corinne in 1980 a few years after its foundation, and immediately sets itself up as an alternative pole to the big local brands, bringing with him the idea of the “small producers”, “artisanal wines” and the “Burgundian” approach to the concepts of terroir, all strong messages that were nonetheless at the time still far from the fame and recognition they enjoy today.
Emphasis, therefore, on terror, with the enrichment of the vineyard thanks to natural and mineral fertilizers that maintain the natural characteristics of the soil, an approach in the vineyard of minimal intervention, first biodynamic, then more moderate, inspired by the reflections of Masanobu Fukuoa and permaculture, low yields and fruits led to complete ripeness before harvesting, obsessive attention to the quality and to the best expression of the fruit in the cellar and, finally, the enhancement of the individual vintages and the differences that each of them brings to grapes and wine, as opposed to the standardized wines typical of the big “maisons” of Champagne. A philosophy of great personality, that, if on the one hand clashes with the traditional setting of the appellation, on the other hand allows Selosse to becomes the spokesperson for another large group of vignerons, offering an enthusiasts and alternative vision on the appellation of Champagne. This vision, thanks to which today the maison is one of the great pioneers of contemporary Champagne, is accompanied by a unique style in the wines, which makes the Jacques Selosse labels a product designed for coneisseurs, for attentive and trained palates: “wine should not be easy” says the producer, “it should be interesting”.
For sure, the “Initial” is today the best to approach with elegance the unique style of the cellar. It is the most approachable Champagne of the production, created specifically to offer a wine that at the same time bears the signature of the house, but could also be understandable and appreciable to the public. The grapes come from the lowest vineyards of the Grand Crus: those richest in clay. The wine is produced from a blendin of three different vintages (the youngest, present for about 22% in the blend), inspired by the “solera” method that Anselme learnt about in Spain. This way, the wine refines together, rather than being united only in the final phase, at the same time obtaining a respect for the vintage and its evolution and a careful balance of all the characteristics of the wine.
The history, personality and quality of this producer make today its wines among the most prestigious, rare (and expensive) of the appellation.