NV Extra-Brut V.O. (Version Originale) (2014)

Wine Details
Release Price

$220 (0)

Place of Origin

France

Avize

Champagne

Color

Sparkling White

Grape/Blend

Chardonnay

Vintages
Reviews & Tasting Notes

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Drinking Window

2020 - 2030

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I was blown away by these new releases from Anselme and Guillaume Selosse. The idea that wines show better when tasted at the domaine is simply not true. In fact, having an opportunity to follow these wines at my home in New York, far away from the bucolic hills of Avize and the surrounding towns of the Côte des Blancs, was such an enlightening experience, as I was able to see how the wines develop over time. The Initial, always the first wine in a tasting at Selosse, is just magnificent. It gets better from there, culminating with a collection of lieux-dits that are all truly epic. Readers will note that the current release of the Vintage Champagne is 2009 instead of 2008. Even after so many years, these remain some of the most unique and viscerally thrilling wines anywhere in the world.

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2020 - 2030

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This is a positively stunning set of wines from Anselme and Guillaume Selosse. I have a hard time thinking about another tasting here in which so many wines were at such a stratospheric level. For starters, the Initiale, Version Originale (V.O.) and Rosé are all elevated by the quality of the 2013 vintage on which they are based. The 2012 lieux-dits capture all of the intensity and richness of the year, while the 2007 Vintage marks a transition to Guillaume Selosse’s stewardship. I can’t say much except to reiterate just how compelling and utterly singular these Champagnes are.

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Drinking Window

2018 - 2028

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There is quite a bit going on at Selosse these days. The estate is in the middle of a generational transition that has been underway for some time. This set of new releases includes the 2006 Millesime, which is the last vintage Champagne made entirely by Anselme Selosse. From 1975 to 2006, the Millesime has been 100% Chardonnay, a blend of equal parts Chantereines and Malandries du Midi. Beginning in 2007, the vintage Champagne is made by Guillaume Selosse, who has decided to reinterpret the wine by using both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay across a number of the family’s parcels. Needless to say, it will be fascinating to watch where things go in the coming years. The current releases also include the six lieu-dits, this year based on 2011. I find the Chardonnay wines a bit more complete and interesting than the Pinots. Guillaume Selosse told me sugars were rising rapidly towards the end of the season, so the Pinots were picked on the early side. That is in relative terms, of course. Despite the very warm season, the Selosses started harvesting at 110 days after flowering, longer than the classic 100 days that is often believed to be the period of time needed for grapes to reach optimal ripeness.

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Drinking Window

2017 - 2027

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Generational transition appears to be alive and well at Selosse, where Guillaume Selosse is increasingly involved in the family business. I have written about these Champagnes extensively in the past. There is not much else left to say, except for that the wines remain reference points for readers who want to understand the spirit of artisan Champagne at its very best.

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2017 - 2027

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Anselme Selosse’s wines are among the most coveted bottles in Champagne. In recent years, Selosse’s lieu-dit Champagnes have ascended into the realm of the nearly unobtainable because of their tiny production. Two of the lieux-dits are sold only as part of the 300 or so boxed sets that are released each year, which makes tasting all six Champagnes together virtually impossible. This unforgettable dinner featured the entire collection of lieux-dits, along with a number of Selosse classics.

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2016 - 2026

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There are plenty of highlights in these wines from Anselme and Guillaume Selosse. One of the small changes this year is that the V.O. is now being released with the same base vintage (in this case 2009) as the Initial rather than a year apart, as had been the case up until this year, a decision the Selosses made to simplify marketing. Two thousand nine is also the base vintage for the new lieu-dits. As one might expect, those wines are all exuberant and voluptuous, with the best of the vintage and the Selosse style on full display. I found two wines (the Initial and the Rosé) with volatile acidities that are at the limit of what most tasters would find noticeable. Most of these wines were disgorged just a few months before I tasted them. It will be interesting to see if more time in bottle helps the Initial and the Rosé find the balance that the best of these wines all offer.

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Drinking Window

2014 - 2022

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This is another stellar set of wines from Anselme, Corinne and Guillaume Selosse. There are plenty of highlights here, including fabulous versions of the Initial, V.O. and Substance. I tasted the lieu-dit collection twice, once in March and a second time in November. The current releases are based on the 2007 vintage, and while excellent, they can't quite match the level of last year's wines, which were based on 2006. While none of these wines are inexpensive, the Initial remains the best wine with which to explore the Selosse style and range.

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2014 - 2020

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This is a drop-dead gorgeous set of wines from one of Champagne's true visionaries. Selosse has made ground breaking wines for years, but equally important is his influence on younger generation of winemakers who have been emboldened to follow their own ambitions. Now that Selosse and his wife Corinne have opened their hotel/restaurant Les Avisés, it is not unusual to see growers and winemakers, both from small and large estates, coming through virtually non-stop. We will be adding reviews on Selosse's lieux-dits early next week. In the meantime, Selosse fans enjoy this short article I wrote just after tasting the dosage trials for those wines earlier this spring. Readers visiting Champagne should make a point of spending at least one night at Les Avisés.

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Drinking Window

2013 - 2018

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Despite all of the acclaim and recognition Anselme Selosse has received over the years, he continues to push the envelope of what Champagne is and can be. The new lieu-dit Champagnes, which now encompass six different bottlings – all of them multi-vintage blends – are off the charts, but frankly, so are the rest of the wines. Readers who want to learn more about Selosse might want to take a look at my recent videos on our site. Selosse fans might also want to consider a stay at Les Avizés, the hotel Anselme Selosse and his wife Corinne recently opened in Avize, which is probably the best way to visit this iconic producer.

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Drinking Window

2013 - 2016

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I visited Anselme and Corinne Selosse just as they were putting the finishing touches on their new boutique hotel in Avize. I am not sure they make enough wine to satisfy the thirst of their patrons, but that is another story! This is a fabulous set of wines, among the very best I have ever tasted here.

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2013 - 2020

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Anselme Selosse is one of Champagne's most iconic figures. This year Selosse has two new wines that are the first in what will be a selection of six lieu-dit Champagnes, all made with the solera process. For now, these remain works in progress. It will be interesting to see the direction the wines take from here.

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2013 - 2019

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This is a marvelous set of new releases from Anselme Selosse. All of the wines were still vibrant and fresh when I re-tasted them a day after opening.

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This wine was tasted over dinner at Eleven Madison Park in June, 2009.

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2013 - 2014

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Readers will need to drop all preconceived notions about what Champagne is and can be in order to fully experience the wines of Anselme and Corinne Selosse, as these are Champagnes like no other. No one has pushed the boundaries of what Champagne can be further than Selosse. As great as his own wines are, Selosse's most lasting legacy may very well be influencing the younger generation of producers who have worked alongside him over the years. For the last six years Selosse has been absent from the US market and his wines virtually impossible to obtain, but thankfully that is starting to change. Selosse represents the most poetic voice behind the idea that Champagne is first and foremost a wine before it is anything else. Selosse takes this one step further by eschewing vintage designations for most of his wines, as the qualities he seeks to exalt most are those of his 7.5 vineyards in Avize, Cramant, Oger, Le Mesnil, Aÿ, Mareuil-sur- Aÿ and Ambonnay. The various cuvées are assembled barrel by barrel based on how the wines taste to Selosse, rather than through technical analysis and/or predetermined selection of sites, parcels, etc. Selosse's newest wine is a solera-style Champagne from the famed Le Mesnil vineyard, perhaps the most storied site in all of Champagne. I tasted the first vintage, the 2003, which will ultimately be blended with subsequent vintages to form a solera-style Champagne. It was superb. I also tasted similar solera-style wines from Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil, Mareuil-sur- Aÿ and Ambonnay from barrel, all of which were compelling. The Selosse Champagnes possess extraordinary aromatics and a very fine mousse that is the result of density and richness in the fruit. With a few minutes in the glass, the bubbles will completely disappear from most of the wines. These Champagnes are best enjoyed with food, and should be served in generous white wine glasses rather than the customary flutes, which will allow for the full range of the wines' aromas and flavors to emerge. Simply put, these are among the most monumental, profound wines being made anywhere, but like a great novel, painting or symphony, the greatest enjoyment and purest pleasure awaits those who engage the wines fully.

Importer Details
The Rare Wine Co.

Imports to: United States (Exclusive Agent)

Address: 280 Valley Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005

Phone: (415) 319-9000

Email: sales@rarewineco.com

Website: rarewineco.com