Mareuil-sur-Aÿ Sous le Mont NV
Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos NV
Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger Les Carelles NV
Aÿ La Côte Faron
Avize Les Chantereines
Cramant Chemin de Châlons
This was not an easy offer to pull off.
Anselme Selosse's lieux-dits are profound and legendary. They're also rare. The lieux-dit 6-packs are insanely hard to come by.
For Selosse lovers, they have irrestible allure. It's the only way to land the extraordinary Avize Les Chantereines and Cramant Chemin de Châlons, two of the grandest Chardonnays on earth.
 |
Beginning in 2003, Selosse turned his attention to what would become the pinnacle of his line-up: single-vineyard bottlings, six in total, made in the tiniest of quantities. Selosse is revered for his singular winemaking. Apply this philosophy to single-vineyard wines, and the results are nothing short of magic.
Let's start with the Mareuil-sur-Aÿ Sous le Mont. Even among a decidedly singular cast, this wine stands out. It comes from a unique terroir where the soil is stained with calcium magnesium carbonate. The vineyard shares the same hill as Clos des Goisses, only on the other side, facing east. It shows plenty of energy and finesse along with smoky, spicy, and slightly bitter notes, and a saturating yet nimble palate presence.
Aÿ La Côte Faron is the "OG" of the lieux dits line up. It was originally bottled under the Contraste label. The old wine in the solera gives Côte Faron incredible depth and complexity, while maintaining an energetic, chalky minerality.
The Le Bout du Clos from Ambonnay places the grandeur of this terroir front and center. It's a wine of tremendous refinement, class and length, simultaneously expressing ethereal grace and concentrated focus.
In some ways, Mesnil Les Carelle is a really unusual expression of Mesnil. It has a richness that people don't generally associate with Mesnil - it's as much a sign of Selosse's distinct style as it is a testimony to his ultra-conscientious work in the vineyards. Nevertheless, it maintains Mesnil's distinctive, chalky minerality and super-refined kinetic energy.
The Avize Les Chantereines is from a steep, chalky east-facing parcel, the majority of which was bought by Anselme Selosse's father, Jacques, in 1945. It possesses the abundant, powerful and tensile minerality that defines this tour de force. Les Chantereines is one of two vineyards that make up Selosse's Substance bottling.
Finally, there's Cramant Chemin de Châlons, a south facing vineyard. It seamlessly combines Côte des Blanc's racy, chalky minerality with a saturating breadth of complexity. This is a dynamic bottle with seemingly never ending nuances. It combines floral notes with smoke, pulverized rocks and herbs.
These are once-in-a-lifetime wines: beautiful, singular and some of the most complex and thought-provoking out there.
To order, reply offers@crushwineco.com email or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine and Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits