Jacques Selosse arguably set the template for grower-producers in Champagne. While the estate initially sold most of its grapes to the large house Champagne Lanson, once Anselme (Jacques’s son) took over in the 1980s, Selosse started making more of its own wines and pushed the boundaries of what people thought was possible in Champagne, converting the vineyards to organic, practicing some biodynamic elements, and producing terroir-driven wines. Today, Jacques Selosse sits firmly among the most celebrated producers of Champagne.

This ‘Initial’ is Selosse’s entry-level cuvee, if there’s such a thing. It’s 100% Chardonnay from estate-owned vineyards in Avize, Cramant, and Oger. ‘Initial’ is a blend of 3 vintages that aged on its lees for 3.5 years (total aging before release is 5 years). This particular bottle was disgorged in 2022. It comes in at 2.5 g/L dosage and 12% ABV.

I got this at Noble Rot in London a few months ago for what seemed like a “reasonable” price (around 250-275 GBP if I recall correctly), but it retails around $500 in the USA.

Tasting Notes: deep gold color with very lazy, fine bubbles. Intense, oxidative nose with notes of bruised apple, brioche, and baking spices. Despite the oxidative style, the palate has lovely delicate mousse and drinks fresh, with a long, complex finish of yellow fruits, peach, and a hint of honey. Impressive and unique. Is it worth its whopping price point? Not sure — but it’s such an interesting balance of oxidation with fresh/vibrant fruit flavors that I definitely wasn’t disappointed.