Jean Marc Seleque
Solessence Extra Brut
Champagne
NV

The producer

J M Sélèque stands as a beacon of excitement in the Champagne region, crafting wines that mirror the finesse of top-tier white Burgundy rather than conventional NV Champagne. Since the 1960s, this family-run estate has nurtured their 9 hectares of vineyards across 7 villages in Côteaux Sud d’Épernay, Vallée de la Marne, and Côte de Blancs. Their Chardonnay (50%), Pinot Meunier (40%), and Pinot Noir (10%) vines, mostly planted in the 1960s and 80s, boast maturity and depth.

Under the helm of current winemaker Jean-Marc Sélèque since 2008, the estate has embraced biodynamic principles, parcel-by-parcel vinification, and low yields. Their state-of-the-art winery, completed in 2015, enables a gentle approach with gravity, native yeast, and large barrels for delicate micro-oxygenation. Low dosage preserves freshness, allowing the terroir to take center stage in every sip. Tailored vinification celebrates the unique character of each terroir, echoing the harmonious notes of Jean-Marc's musical passion, which resonates throughout the winery. Just as every village represents a distinct note in a musical score, each terroir embodies its own identity and complexity in J M Sélèque's exceptional wines.

The wine

The grapes hail from seven distinct villages: Pierry, Moussy, Épernay, Mardeuil, Dizy, Boursault, and Vertus. This Champagne isn't just easy to enjoy; it's a delightful revelation of underrated complexity and refreshing vitality (base vintage 2021). Perfect for sharing with friends.

We choose our wines based on a range of criteria (see how we choose our wines) of which critic scores is just one. Rather than simply highlight the best score to promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a 92/100 average critic score or better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add individual critic scores to our website in the future.