The Wines
To better understand the range, let’s take a look at another element that has also been part of the DNA of the Sélèque family over the generations: the love of music! While Henri preferred singing, Richard excelled at the piano while Jean-Marc, today, never hesitates to pick up his guitar as soon as the vines give him a break.
This common passion is far from being a detail. Beyond the musical nod in the names of the different cuvées (Solessence, Quintette, Soliste or Partition), music is an integral part of the life of the Domaine and the approach to work in the vineyard as well as in the cellar. As Jean-Marc says: “We must know how to grasp the rhythms of nature, adapt to the tempo of the climate, be attentive to the musical variations of the year, master all the instruments within our reach, practice a lot and constantly start over. We must choose a good style, and offer a good score so that the wine is expressed harmoniously. “
At the heart of the range is Solessence. It is a bit like the treble clef of Sélèque wines: the one with which it all begins, and towards which all leads. Solessence is a faithful representation of all the estate’s vineyards, a condensed and balanced expression of the different terroirs and the different grapes. Composed of around 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Meunier and 10% Pinot Noir, and aged partly in vats, partly in barrels (around 30%), it offers an expressive, sensual and playful rendition of the diversity of the Coteaux Sud d’Epernay. The Solessence cuvée, a wine for sharing par excellence, is available in an Extra-Brut, Rosé version, and a version with prolonged aging which allows for a Brut Nature.
Then come the cuvées from the Soloiste range, which honor the terroirs of Pierry: here, a specific plot and a grape variety come together to interpret a unique score. The Soliste Meunieur pays hommage to the old sélections massales of Pinot Meunier, planted in 1951 in the Gouttes d´Or vineyard. From this formidable low-lying terroir located in Pierry, with ocher clay topsoils rich in flint calcites above chalk subsoil, Pinot Meunier achieves incomparable precision of expression and elegance. Soliste Infusion Meunier, a complex rosé tailored for the table, presents a sublime expression of the Charmiers micro-terroir: vines were planted in 1964 on a limestone knoll with rather thin soils of flint clay and small calcites. Soloiste Pinot Noir reveals with brilliance and delicacy that this grape has its propoer place in Pierry, such as the Les Gayères vineyard: a rather late-ripening terroir, oriented to the West, which mixes deep clays and limestones, on a sub – Campanian chalk soil. Finally, the year 2021 will see the arrival of the Soliste Chardonnay cuvée: a Blanc de Blancs from the vines of Tartières (planted in 1990) and Porgeons (planted in 1985), two adjoining plots, planted at mid-slope on the Coteaux de Pierry and benefiting from a perfect southern exposure. This terroir, which features Sparnacian clays in its upper part and chalk that is nearly at surface level in its lower part, gives a Champagne that is both broadly-textured and tense, with significant aging potential. All the cuvées in the Soloiste range are aged sur latte under cork.
The highlight of the collection, the Partition (musical score in English) cuvée brings together the grapes from the most distinctive plots of the Domaine. 7 plots for 7 barrels, like 7 musical notes which would seek the most harmonious score possible. Aged 5 years sur latte, this “haute-couture” Champagne highlights Chardonnay (more than 70% of the blend). It will delight with its infinitely nuanced aroma and its ample but silky texture.
The Domaine also produces a Blanc de Blancs, Quintette, from a blend of 5 plots of the best Chardonnay terroirs: in Pierry of course, but also in Vertus, Dizy, Epernay and Mardeuil. Through this blend, Jean-Marc carefully draws on the identity of each terroir to obtain a full expression of Chardonnay, with all of its nuance and balanced structure. Pierry brings structure to the blend; Dizy, a certain richness and aromatic complexity; Mardeuil, the brightness of the fruit and a more velvety character on the palate; Epernay brings tension; while Vertus is distinguished by its purity and finesse.
Finally, the Domaine produces two still wines in the Coteaux Champenois appellation : a Dizy Blanc from very ripe and concentrated Chardonnay that is aged 18 months in oak, and a Pierry Rouge, made from Pinot Noir grapes planted in 1972 on the excellent terroir of Gouttes d’Or.
And don’t forget, for those who have acquired the taste, we make an excellent Ratafia made from a selection of end-of-press juices from the different parcels of the Domaine and fortified with pure alcohol from the Marne. It is then aged in 600-liter oak barrels.