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> The Savile Row–suited owners of Grandes Marques houses produce millions of bottles a year, poured regularly at polo matches, grand prix races and charity balls. In contrast, visionary winemaker Anselme Selosse doles out a mere 5,000 cases annually to those in the know. Now a cult figure in the wine world, Selosse has spent more than three decades managing his Deck tktkhere on knives, whiskey, wood family’s Domaine Jacques Selosse in Avize, 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of Paris, and rebelling fires and more against the region’s conventions. A wine heist in March, during which 3,700 bottles worth about 300,000 euros ($405,000) were stolen from the domaine’s cellars, demonstrates the fevered de- mand for Selosse . (The thieves also

Photograph by marton Perlaki

Drinks Bubble Economy How Anselme Selosse became the toast of Champagne By Elin McCoy ttaviano an O t: Su s t: s Styli Food

aromas of warm, ripepears burst greates single-vineyard Champagnes, it 12 vintages from 1994 through zingy acidity;intense flavors of salt, lemonandchalk;long has many dimensionsofflavor, pronounced chalkiness, seems creme brulee;anddeepsmoky from the glass, andthewine’s and opulence whileremaining 2005. Themostmultilayered This 100percent bright andnot atallheavy. Its This silky, all-chardonnay mix steep slopeinA of 20vintages exudes power Champagne, ablendofthree fresh, crystalline character, a fantastic elegance. Powerful Initial Blanc deBlancs Brut including red berries, licorice spices; lemony fruit;hintsof Blanc deBlancs Extra Brut toasty, nutty notes; sensual mix ofethereal lemonanda This vibrant all-chardonnay villages andvintages, isthe introduction to hisstyle. Its most available ofSelosse’s all–pinot noircuvee from a Blanc deNoirs Extra Brut Selosse’s mostdistinctive and savory ofallSelosse’s Lieux-Dits LaCote Faron to come alive intheglass. minerality make itoneof This polished, seductive, Lieux-Dits Les Carelles Mesnil-sur-Oger shows Selosse’ from the village ofL cuvees andthebest finish are dazzling. Substance Blanc and sweet herbs. de Blancs Brut $400 to$500 $400 to$500 $250 to$280 Champagnes. $150 00 y isablendof t hit s e

s domaine the mid-1960s. But itwas Anselmewho madethe pagnes. Selosse’s fatherwas anearlyconvert, in ing theirown artisanal, estate-grown Cham- keeping thebest grapes for themselves andmak sold to well-known Champagne house Lanson. in 1947andfoundedhiseponymous domaine,he osse’s father, Jacques, boughtatiny parcelofvines 90 percentof the region’s vineyards. When Sel- from thousands ofsmallgrowers whoown almost style. Bigwinemakers like Moet &Chandonbuy to create a consistentdifferent villages house blending grapesfromvineyardsinasmany as100 haven’t impaired his palate, he says.) who madethelogo.” (Luckily, allthosecigarettes memory ofthegreatdesignerRaymond Loewy, als” specific totheplacewhere the grapes were nify theterroir of thewine—“thesalts and miner oche and hazelnuts. deep, complex flavors ofallspice,toasted bri- with aromasofhoneyanddried flowers and gives thewinerichnessandopulence,vintages years from2005backto1986. Theblend of20 nay beled Substance, forinstance—an all-chardon- amount from the newest vintage. barrel forbottling andreplacesitwiththesame Selosse removes 22percentofthewineagingina system developed forSpanishsherry. Eachyear, many differentyearsusingaversion ofthesolera signature experimentswas blendingwinesfrom on developing intensity,” Selossesays. Oneofhis domaine, I couldn’t make a lot of wine, so I focused ter taking over of the estate. management Today, more and more of these growers are Traditionally, Champagne has been all about By combining vintages, Selosse aims to mag- The currentreleaseofhisChampagne,la- “At thebeginningofmy career, withsuchasmall blanc deblancs—containsabitofallthe ’s reputation in the 1980s and 1990s, af smoking LuckyStrikes in “My addiction,” hesays, “is customed totendingvines. rough, work-worn handsac- craggy face, rumpled hairand inquisitive farmer, with a of philosophicalthinker and collared shirt, Selosse is a mix down vest over an open- used for counterfeits.) winemaker worries willbe took 16,000 labelsthatthe Invariably dressedina I nt ellig enc - - -

nism and the Latin idea of “Healthy livingwithtaste, culture, passion,hedo- complement to our Champagne,” he says. operationthere. “Les Avises isa pagne house, and Selosse recently relocated his from 1820, was oncehometoanother Cham - Avize. The neoclassical chateau, which dates restaurant called Les Avises in his home of village Corinne, openedanelegant10-roomhotel and kind of hospitality: In 2011, he and his wife, Champagnes one typically encounters. bubbles thanthesortofreserved, harmonious they seemmorelike greatwhiteBurgundieswith sive mineral character andmultilayered flavors, richness. Withtheirvibrantenergy, deeplyexpres- which gives hisChampagnesmoreroundnessand still harvests grapesriperthanmost producersdo, too oaky, andhe’s since paredthenote way back.He recipe.” Earlyon,some criticspannedhiswinesas these practiceswhentheybecamefadsandjust a namic viticulture,” hesays. “Butweabandoned “We wereoneofthefirst todarefollow biody dead yeast, for years until bottling. is used.Andthewineremainsonfine lees, or yeasts.in barrels with indigenous Minimal sulfur in muchthesame way: Fermentation takes place and threearepinot noirbased,butallarevinified €1 million.) consider that1hectarecosts morethan significant investmentcrus villages—a whenyou 18.5 acres, across47parcels, almost allingrands grand cruvineyard.(Selosseowns 7.5 hectares, or vineyard) Champagnes, each from a different highlights prove to be hissixlieux-dits (single- nized by Selosse’s importer, RareWineCo. The dinner inMay atManhattan’s NoMadHotel orga- dozen current releases I sample atacollectors chalky, citrusy and very sleek. example, isdenseyet filled withenergy. It’s during whichthewinewas made.The1999, for to show the character of the Champagne, ontheother hand,istheopposite— yard,” hesays. forhissingle-vintage Thegoal grown—to “reveal the overall truth of the vine- ality, emotion and soul. dard luxury bubbles for something with person- connoisseurs who are looking beyond the stan e Selosse’s latest experimentinvolves adifferent Now 59, Selossesays he’s consolidatinghisideas. Three ofthelieux-dits arechardonnay based Substance areamongthe andthe1999vintage Think ofSelosseasawinepoet, composingfor carpe diem.” terroir inthe year 00 of 00 00 - -

Courtesy of rare wine co.