Reviews & Scores
Two parcels in Avize, this shows a very focused lime citrus and chalk expression. The assertively mineral stance of this bottling is framed in almost Manzanilla-like fresh nutty and salty elements, builds plenty of baking spice flavours as it snakes into a toasty, compressed and composed finish. - JS
JS96October 2017
From the same two parcels as his 2003 tasted alongside, Selosse’s 2002 Extra Brut Blanc de Blanc is, as he announces while pouring it, “another thing entirely.” Pristine, Normandy cider-like pear fruit strikes me as something of a common denominator – even trans-regionally – for this exceptional northern French vintage, and the chew of skin and piquancy of pit serve to stimulate the palate along with saliva-inducing salinity. Almond in frangipane guise along with pistachio extract and rowan, iris and gentian reinforce an alluring illusion of sweetness as well as of complexly wafting perfume; and a faint, noble suggestion of mushroom lends unanticipated savor. Predictably for its vintage, this buoyant, transparent, polished bottling finishes with more nuances than one can find mineral descriptors for, but chalk, smoke and salt – while pretty obvious – allude at least imperfectly to a spellbindingly sustained sense of interactive and intriguing if illusive nuances all set within an infectiously juicy and mouthwateringly savory context. (DS) - WA
WA96November 2013
A total turn on, the 2002 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Millesime is one of the great wines of this vintage. Exotic, ripe and totally flashy, the 2002 bursts from the glass with massive layers of fruit. Honey, spices, tangerine, nectarine, flowers and mint all come to life in this huge, vivid Champagne. Waves of rich, tropical infused fruit supported by veins of saline minerality flow through to the voluptuous, huge finish. This is a stunning wine from Anselme Selosse. Ideally, the 2002 needs a few years for some of the baby fat to drop off, but it is pretty fabulous today. The overt richness bears more than a passing resemblance to Montrachet, from the Chassagne side. Disgorgement date: February 23, 2012. (AG) - VM
VM97October 2012