2002 Jacques Selosse Extra Brut Grand Cru Millesime - "More than a passing resemblance to Montrachet"

Posted by Ian McFadden

"More than a passing
resemblance to Montrachet"
2002 Jacques Selosse
Extra-Brut Grand Cru Millesime

Selosse's 2002 has become a legend.

Anselme Selosse is making some of the most original and profound wines anywhere in the world.

When it comes to a great Champagne vintage like 2002, the heights that the wines reach are ridiculous. It may very well be one of the best wines that Selosse has made.

In the past three or four years, Selosse has blown up. Finding Selosse in quantity has never been easy, but now it's become insanely hard. Without a doubt, his vintage wines are the rarest.

I'm very happy to be able to offer these, especially the magnums. It's nearly impossible to find mags of Selosse, and when it comes to a vintage like 2002, landing any is a real coup.

Rich and gregarious, but still magically elegant and finessed, Selosse Champagne flaunts its inimitable personality. There is purity, there is lushness, but ultimately, and most profoundly, there is balance. His is Champagne of seemingly implausible harmony.

The 2002 is particularly stunning. It's clear that the great 2002 consolidated everything that makes Selosse so singular and compelling. Antonio Galloni is not shy with his praise: "A total turn on...one of the great wines of this vintage." He goes on to say that it "bears more than a passing resemblance to Montrachet."

Selosse's vintage wines are sourced from two choice old-vine parcels in the Grand Cru village of Avize, Les Chantereines and Les Maladries du Midi. The idea is to focus both on a steep minerally site and on a richer site that produces rounder, deeper wines.

This combination forms a heartbreaking weave in 2002. The vintage's richness and finesse provided Selosse's ultra-skilled winemaking the perfect platform to hit a home run. Obviously, there's not a ton available. Please give us your ideal order and we'll try our best.

To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits

Antonio Galloni: "A total turn on, the 2002 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Millesime is one of the great wines of this vintage. Exotic, ripe and totally flashy, the 2002 bursts from the glass with massive layers of fruit. Honey, spices, tangerine, nectarine, flowers and mint all come to life in this huge, vivid Champagne. Waves of rich, tropical infused fruit supported by veins of saline minerality flow through to the voluptuous, huge finish. This is a stunning wine from Anselme Selosse. Ideally, the 2002 needs a few years for some of the baby fat to drop off, but it is pretty fabulous today. The overt richness bears more than a passing resemblance to Montrachet, from the Chassagne side."