Dosage Trials Chez Selosse

One of the things I love most about wine is the opportunity to constantly learn. It is what keeps me energized and focused. My tasting last week at Selosse is a perfect example. 

I had tasted dosage trials at Selosse before, but only for one wine. This tasting covered the six Selosse lieux-dits, plus the new 2003 Vintage, each with six different level of dosage, for a total of 42 bottles. Not a bad way to spend a Monday morning….



Dosage continues to be one of the hot topics in Champagne. High or low, which is best? Personally, I have no view. I am looking for wines that are in balance, and that can be achieved in a multitude of ways. A bottle of Taittinger’s 1989 Comtes de Champagne, dosed at 12-13 grams per liter, was stunning last week. At the same time, I adore the best grower Champagnes, many of which are made with far lower levels of dosage. 

The idea of balance is once again the central theme of this tasting, as most of the wines show best somewhere in the middle of the six dosage levels. Not too low, not too high. The six dosage levels as expressed in grams per liter are, approximately: