Jacques Selosse

Anselme Selosse is a figure in Champagne who evokes both admiration and criticism among wine enthusiasts. His wines captivate some like no others, while others struggle to grasp their essence. Undeniably, there's a distinct personality embedded within his wines, which reflects Selosse's unique character and approach to winemaking. However, the wines also possess a distinct character, and they number among the finest in the world. Jacques Selosse settled in the village of Avize, in Champagne, in 1947. He did not come from a winemaking family but nonetheless founded the Jacques Selosse wine estate in 1949, with a few vineyard plots. After a decade of selling his production to wine merchants, he decided to begin tests to produce his own champagne in 1959. Thus, he carried out his first vinifications in 1964, and the first 2500 bottles of Selosse champagne left the cellars.

“Anselme studied in Burgundy, where he was introduced to Lafon, Coche-Dury and Leflaive, among others, before taking over the estate in 1974.”

He innovated a few years later, in 1986, by creating the Substance cuvée using the Spanish solera technique. He became interested in agrobiology in the 1990s, as well as biodynamics from 1996. He eventually moved away from this agricultural method in 2002 to adopt techniques close to permaculture. "The forest is the most beautiful ecosystem, we do not exploit it, we simply come to pick, collect what it offers", asserts Anselme Selosse and his son Guillaume. RVF rewarded Anselme Selosse by awarding him the Winemaker of the Year prize twice. All his wines are vinified in barrels with indigenous yeasts. The results are champagnes of unparalleled complexity, characterised by an astonishing depth and a finely nuanced reflection of the terroir.