Ledomduvin: Champagne anyone? Jacques Selosse and Dom Perignon

Champagne anyone? 

Jacques Selosse and Dom Perignon 

Now, it is not every day one gets to taste Jacques Selosse. Especially the cuvee "V.O.", and for good reasons, the price reflects the high quality and tiny production. 

Jacques Selosse only produces 3600 bottles of Version Originale ("V.O.") for the whole world. It is very sought-after and hard to find as the allocations per buyer are small, just a few bottles only if you can get them. 

Official suppliers and distributors usually sell out almost immediately; hence, finding some bottles on the grey market at unreasonable prices is unsurprising. 

Jacques Selosse V.O. 'Version Originale' Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut NV (Disgorged 2019)

Disgorged in 2019, this "Version Originale" displayed rich and enticing golden apples and pears perfumes mingling with floral and mineral notes. The palate resembled more of a wine than a champagne as the bubbles faded rather quickly, diminishing the usual effervescence. Soft, silky, complex, dense, sophisticated, graceful and luxurious, expanding gently until the long, lingering finish. What a treat! Definitely living up to the hype! Loved it!

Jacques Selosse "Initial" Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut NV (disgorged 2021)

"Initial" is the more "accessible" Cuvee of Jacques Selosse. Yet, although less complicated to find, he only produces 33000 bottles of it, which is also scarce. I would have loved to taste it side by side with its sibling to compare them, especially because the "Initial" was disgorged in 2021, so the comparison would have been interesting. But, the host decided not to open it, unfortunately.  Too bad! Oh well, there will be a next time. 

Dom Perignon Brut Vintage 2013

Dom Perignon 2013 has been one of our House Champagnes for the past few months, so I have served it several times lately. It tasted the same as a few days ago. Fresh, crisp, elegant, and racy, it is lighter, less rich and less textured than the 2012 (IMO), yet lovely density and structure with refreshing acidity, boasting floral and mineral aromas and flavours with yellow fruits and yeasty nuances. Perfect as an aperitif and with light appetizers. 

I loooooove Champagne!

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Champagne Jacques Selosse V.O. (Version Originale) Collection Verticale

 

Champagne Jacques Selosse V.O. 

(Version Originale) Collection Verticale

Recently, I stumbled across a case of Jacques Selosse Champagne, one of the most sought-after Champagne producers. 

Created after WWII, the champagne house "Jacques Selosse", located in Avize, has been run since 1974 by Anselme (Jacques' son) with the help of his son Guillaume. 

Their champagnes are among the most beautiful references in the region, reaching a rare perfection. They are thus extremely popular with amateurs and acclaimed by critics. The estate's eight hectares of vines produce less than 60,000 bottles annually. 

This is different from your usual case of 6 bottles of Selosse. It is a limited edition containing a "Verticale" of the Cuvée V. O. (Version Originale) disgorged in 6 consecutive years: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. 

V.O. is a cuvée "Blanc de Blancs", 100% Chardonnay, from vineyards planted on slopes facing north, south and east around the villages of Avize, Cramant and Oger. 

The year's wine is blended with "reserve" wines from the two preceding vintages. Combining them in such a manner allows for consistency, focusing the taste on its original character and limiting the effect of variable climatic conditions. 

The resulting wine is then aged 6-7 years on lees and dosed as an "Extra Brut" (between 0 & 1.3 g/l depending on the vintage). The higher level of residual sugar in "Brut", "Extra Dry", and "Dry" affects the taste and sweetness of the Champagne, whereas, conversely, "Extra Brut", which has a lower level, contributes to preserving the Champagne's natural character, freshness and harmony and allows winemakers to reveal the quality of the various terroirs they work with. 

Unlike Jacques Selosse's "Lieux Dits" Collection, undoubtedly the purest expressions of the 6 top vineyard sites they work with, V.O. may not reveal as perfectly and precisely the real identity of the terroirs it comes from, yet, it still delivers charm, character, intensity and concentration, with great finesse and beautiful minerality. 

Give it two or three years resting in your cellar to be a great companion to any occasion. 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom 

@ledomduvin @caveslegrand @domainejacquesselosse #ledomduvin #caveslegrand #domainejacquesselosse #champagne #extrabrut #france #selosse #versionoriginale #wine #vin #vino #wein #lesphotosadom 

Unless stated otherwise, all right reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).