2008 Jacques Selosse, Millesime

The 2008 Extra-Brut Millesime Grand Cru is outrageous. Deep, powerful and explosive, the 2008 possesses tremendous vertical depth. There is a feeling of dimension here that is truly breathtaking. Readers will find a Champagne that marries Selosse’s trademark volume and texture with all of the energy of this great vintage. Lemon confit, dried flowers, mint, chamomile, pear, ginger and light hazelnut notes linger. Time in the glass really helps bring out the elegance and freshness here. I look forward to tasting and drinking the 2008 Selosse in the coming years next to the other great Champagnes of this important vintage in what will surely be a hedonistic, off the charts experience! Needless to say, readers who can latch on to a few bottles should not hesitate. Disgorged: January 16, 2020.

The 2008 Extra-Brut Millésime is soon due for release, and I'm a little afraid to fan the flames of what is sure to be insatiable demand with a laudatory review. But such reservations notwithstanding, I'm obliged to report that the wine meets and indeed surpasses the lofty expectations that Selosse's admirers will have surely have formed for it. Disgorged in January 2020, this bottle soared from the glass with scents of citrus oil, buttery pastry, candied peel, crisp orchard fruit, toasted pecans, iodine and smoke. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's immensely layered and intensely vinous, with a tightly wound core, racy acids and a long, pungently saline finish. "If the 2009 is a Catholic," observes Selosse, "the 2008 is a Protestant"—though a Protestant, I'm tempted to add, who is evidently not entirely immune to the pleasures of the flesh.

The stunning 2008 Champagne Millésime Extra Brut feels suspended in time. Pristine, airy, and crystalline, it pours a brilliant straw hue and reveals aromas of preserved lemon, fresh ginger, almond, and pear. Laser-focused with fantastic balance, it displays the precision of walking a tightrope and brings soaring energy, with a high-toned personality through the palate and a chalky, mouthwatering core of concentrated richness, accented by a pinpoint mousse that brings out further lift and spice through its superb finish. Mouthwatering and exceptionally long, it feels like a youthful and spritely wine despite being fifteen years old. It’s going to last for decades. Disgorgement in 2020, with zero dosage.

The golden-yellow colored 2008 Grand Cru Extra Brut Millésime is a blend of Pinot Noir sourced in Aÿ and Ambonnay and Chardonnay. Terribly fresh and pure on the nose and palate, this is a very fine and elegant cuvée with a lovely creaminess, very fine tannins and a lingering iodine taste. Tasted as Brut Nature during the Trait d'Union in Vertus in April 2018. Disgorged the same day.