Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
As always, one of the strongest performers in Selosse’s range is the NV Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Les Carelles, this time based on the 2018 vintage (built on a perpetual blend initiated in 2003 and incorporating about 60% of the base vintage) and disgorged in January 2025 without dosage. Unfurling from the glass with a deep bouquet of lemon confit, dried apricot, orange oil and carrot seed oil, it mingles with cedar nut and resin. Full-bodied and elegantly muscular, with a vibrant core, it is supported by ample structuring extract that sustains the texture and plenitude of grapes harvested at full maturity and is underpinned by racy acidity, concluding with a searingly chalky finish. As last year, it is the most incisive of the lieu-dit Blanc de Blancs and one of the high points of the portfolio.
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James Suckling
This is really exotic with honeysuckle, jasmine, lychees, spiced lemons and grapefruit as well as green tobacco, quince and pie crust. Medium-bodied with a driven palate of dried fruit such as apples, pears and star fruit as well as nutmeg and cloves. Focused and intense flavors but always reserved. A blend from six villages: Cramant, Mareuil-sur-Ay, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Ambonnay, Avize and Ay.
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Vinous
The NV Extra-Brut Le Mesnil sur Oger Les Carelles (2015) is bright, refined and wonderfully articulate. Candied lemon peel, dried herbs, mint, sage and baked apple tart are finely cut in this nuanced, finessed edition of Les Carelles. Vinous intensity meets Mesnil energy. Give this a few years to come together. No dosage. Disgorged: January 25, 2022.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’