Extra Brut Grand Cru les Carelles NV Jacques Selosse

Tasting Note Extra Brut Grand Cru les Carelles NV

It offers aromas of lemon pith, quince, and warm pastries, followed by a smoky, flinty edge. With absolutely no added sugar, it feels completely dry on the palate, allowing the salty notes from the aging process and the oxidative, cider-like depth to come through unfiltered. The texture is broad, and the body is almost on par with a still wine, but the acidity cuts right through it. 

Grape Varieties

Jacques Selosse lists this lieu-dit cuvée under the region's classic trio of grapes:

• Chardonnay: Characterized by a solid structure from chalky soils, tension, and citrus aromas
• Pinot Noir: Adds body and depth of red fruit
• Pinot Meunier: Ripens early, offering juicy fruit flavors and smoothness

With no dosage added, it does not mask any of the wine's natural flavors.

Cellaring Potential

By omitting dosage and malolactic fermentation, the acidity is fully preserved, and it is precisely this acidity that carries a wine like this forward. It is best enjoyed by 2040. Serve at 10-12°C; rather than placing the bottle in an ice bucket briefly, we recommend letting it rest in a decanter for about 30 minutes to regulate the temperature.

About Jacques Selosse

Jacques Selosse is a champagne winery with world fame and maybe even enjoys a cult status. The reasons for this are simple: 8.3 hectares, divided into 54 plots, almost all of which are classified as ‘Grand Cru’: 7.3 hectares of Chardonnay in Avize, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, as well as one hectare of Pinot Noir in Ay, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Ambonnay. The average age of the vines exceeds 55 years, and some were planted as far back as 1922. The champagnes coming from Jacques Selosse are without exception of the highest quality.

Anselme Selosse took over the winery from his parents in 1974, ten years after their first vintage, and made sure that the following four decades the estate’s wines reflected the characteristics of the specific terroir rather than following a house style. The estate’s farming methods have changed and went through several phases: agrobiology from 1990, biodynamics from 1996, and then a move away from biodynamic principles in 2002 going back to their own way of winemaking. Their guiding principle is 'first, do no harm’.

In the cellar, fermentation takes place in oak barrels, followed by extended ageing on the lees and minimal fining. Anselme’s opinion is that nothing should be added during vinification. The ‘Lieux-Dits’ collection comprises six wines – one from each of the six villages – alongside the ‘Substance’ wine, produced using the solera system.

Vineyard & Terroir

The chalky subsoil drains quickly and releases the heat accumulated during the day back into the night. At Les Carelles, this characteristic manifests as firm acidity and a dry, stony texture.

Winemaking

All wines from this estate are fermented with natural yeasts rather than cultured yeasts, and the fermentation process can last for several months. Selosse halts malolactic fermentation (the process of converting sharp malic acid into mellow lactic acid) to preserve the wine's crisp, tangy character. Texture is developed through long lees ageing. The wines are unfiltered, and Les Carelles is released without any dosage, allowing the flavors of the chalky soil and the oxidatively aged reserve wine to shine through rather than the sweetness.

Food Pairing: Extra Brut Grand Cru les Carelles by Jacques Selosse

Oysters are a natural choice, and the wine's salty aftertaste proves its worth. Other excellent pairings include:

• Roast turbot with brown butter, which pairs well with the wine's body
• Aged Comté: Its nutty flavors harmonize with the wine's characteristics
• Veal sweetbreads
• Caviar served with blinis, no dosage, no distraction

It's best to keep sauces light and avoid sweet dishes.