2012 Jacques Selosse Millesime

The 2012 Extra-Brut Millésime, crafted from the estate’s wines selected in a blind tasting, was disgorged in March 2023 without dosage. “The choice for inclusion is based on sensation and texture, without giving one village privilege over another,” explains Guillaume, who reveals that the final composition is heavily based on Chardonnay, with just 10% Pinot Noir. Millésime, without reserve wines or perpetual component, places a premium on freshness and is slower to reveal itself compared to the other Champagnes in the lineup. In the context of the 2012 vintage, which may sometimes appear supersized, it is an elegant expression, more delicate compared to its predecessors from 2010 and 2009. Selosse remembers 2012 as a year without extremes and discloses that the wine was in contact with solids up until the moment of bottling, which shapes its personality. Soaring from the glass with a bouquet of candied lemon peel, beeswax, fig and dried white flowers, it is layered and harmonious, laden with tangy acidity. One can count on Selosse to produce exceptional wine from such a favorable vintage, and indeed it’s one of the finest Champagnes of the year—it is only at the beginning of its broad drinking window. It is the least “Selosse” of all the Selosse wines, but I loved it anyway.