Tasting Notes:

(Please note, our bottles were disgorged in May, 2020. Tasting notes below may not be from the exact disgorgement we are selling. However they were the closest dates we could find)

100 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Disgorged in July 2019, the latest release of Selosse’s NV Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Substance is thrilling. Wafting from the glass with a deep and kaleidoscopically complex bouquet of candied peel, citrus oil, toasted nuts, vin jaune, fenugreek, confit lemons, golden orchard fruit and frangipane, it’s full-bodied, rich and enveloping, with an extravagantly textural attack that segues into an ample, mouth-filling core that cascades over the palate with layer after layer of ripe fruit and sapid nuance, enlivened by an ultra-refined pinpoint mousse. Expansive and penetrating, not only its singular style but also its concentration and plenitude put it in a category of its own. This is the most moving bottle of Substance I’ve ever tasted, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it—or drinking it. As I wrote last year, this is the cuvée that best exemplifies Selosse’s contention (to paraphrase) that an oxidative élevage can purge a wine of the organic, leaving behind only the mineral—in this case, he argues, the imprint of two Avize lieux-dits, Les Chantereines and Les Marvillannes. For admirers of Selosse’s wines, that makes it one of the most compelling bottlings in the portfolio, just as his detractors are likely to rank it as his most divisive. No cuvée could be more emblematic of a man who is, not alone but more than any other, responsible for Champagne’s transformation over the last 30 or 40 years.

97 points Decanter

This grand cru blanc de blancs produced with grapes from Avize is the result of a solera started in 1986. Only 11 barrels are produced each year (totally around 1,700 bottles). Remarkable aromatic intensity for a nose of white flowers, honey, and white pepper, but what impresses most is its precision along with cool menthol overtones. On the palate, there is the telltale chalky tension of Selosse Champagnes as well as a crystalline sharpness of outline. A superb, classy Champagne sure to set off an outburst of bravos. (YC)  (12/2021)

96 points Vinous

The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Substance is stunning. It possesses phenomenal balance in the way it marries gently evolved nuances with a good bit of freshness. Lemon confit, dried flowers, chamomile, mint and spice lend complexity to this decidedly nuanced, almost delicate, edition of Substance. (AG)  (6/2023)

96 points Wine Spectator

A finely tailored Champagne, combining sculpted cut and structure with a softly effervescent, creamy texture. There’s a rich, lightly toasty edge to this vibrant version, with hints of roasted hazelnut and panettone, plus flavors of honeyed apricot, dried white blossoms, briny oyster shell and anise. Reveals a streak of salinity that lingers on the finish. (AN)  (3/2023)

Bottle Size:

750mL

Storage History:

Stored on it’s side in a climate controlled cellar since purchase.

Condition:

Perfect condition.