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The March 2017 Internet-Only Auction Part 1
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1 / 2Lot 338
Estimate: $250
2.5cm fill below short foil capsule. Disgorged 15 January 2007.
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Collection name
Reviews
100WA
". . . readers won't be surprised to learn that I've drunk a dozen bottles—all in the interest of due diligence, of course. Happily, the wine continues to show extraordinarily well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed pears, buttered toast, candied peel, fenugreek and almond paste. Full-bodied, textural and enveloping, it's vinous, concentrated and sapid, marrying to remarkable effect the unique patina imparted by Selosse's distinctive winemaking practices with the powerful yet incisive profile that defines Avize. This is a brilliant Champagne, and my only regret is that I doubt I'll have any bottles left five years from now. Last year, in the July 2020 Week 1 issue of The Wine Advocate, I published an extensive overview of Anselme Selosse's career and methods, which I won't reprise here. On this most recent visit to Avize, we took the time to tour the estate's vineyards, where the vines are hedged higher than the norm and the soils cultivated, visiting the family's parcels in Avize. Then, we returned to the winery to taste a few new releases and older wines. The standout, readers won't be surprised to know, was the just-released Millésime 2008, one of the finest young wines I've ever tasted from chez Selosse. If Substance represents the ‘ne plus ultra’ of the domaine's style, the vintage is more tightly wound and generally evolves more slowly in the cellar, and that will certainly be the case for this prodigious 2008, a wine that's built for the long haul. ‘If the 2009 is a Catholic,’ reflects Selosse, comparing the wine with its most recently released sibling, ‘the 2008 is a Protestant’—though a Protestant, I'm tempted to add (as I observe in my tasting note) who is evidently not entirely immune to the pleasures of the flesh. One of the finest wines of the vintage, I'm afraid it's likely to become rather expensive. I won't be touching my bottles for the better part of a decade, though in the meantime I'll be happy to drink my friends' bottles."
Region
Sparkling
Country
Score
". . . readers won't be surprised to learn that I've drunk a dozen bottles—all in the interest of due diligence, of course. Happily, the wine continues to show extraordinarily well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed pears, buttered toast, candied peel, fenugreek and almond paste. Full-bodied, textural and enveloping, it's vinous, concentrated and sapid, marrying to remarkable effect the unique patina imparted by Selosse's distinctive winemaking practices with the powerful yet incisive profile that defines Avize. This is a brilliant Champagne, and my only regret is that I doubt I'll have any bottles left five years from now. Last year, in the July 2020 Week 1 issue of The Wine Advocate, I published an extensive overview of Anselme Selosse's career and methods, which I won't reprise here. On this most recent visit to Avize, we took the time to tour the estate's vineyards, where the vines are hedged higher than the norm and the soils cultivated, visiting the family's parcels in Avize. Then, we returned to the winery to taste a few new releases and older wines. The standout, readers won't be surprised to know, was the just-released Millésime 2008, one of the finest young wines I've ever tasted from chez Selosse. If Substance represents the ‘ne plus ultra’ of the domaine's style, the vintage is more tightly wound and generally evolves more slowly in the cellar, and that will certainly be the case for this prodigious 2008, a wine that's built for the long haul. ‘If the 2009 is a Catholic,’ reflects Selosse, comparing the wine with its most recently released sibling, ‘the 2008 is a Protestant’—though a Protestant, I'm tempted to add (as I observe in my tasting note) who is evidently not entirely immune to the pleasures of the flesh. One of the finest wines of the vintage, I'm afraid it's likely to become rather expensive. I won't be touching my bottles for the better part of a decade, though in the meantime I'll be happy to drink my friends' bottles."
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The world's most influential fine-wine producer and the benchmark for Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhone. Its appellation (AOC) system codifies geography, grape and method, and its wines set the global standard for age-worthiness and terroir expression.
The northerly region that gives its name to the world's most celebrated sparkling wine, made by secondary fermentation in bottle from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Chalky soils and a cool climate yield wines of finesse and longevity.
The sole appellation for true Champagne, producing sparkling wines of finesse and complexity by traditional method from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
The world's most versatile white grape, producing everything from steely Chablis to rich, oaked whites. Its neutrality makes it a mirror of terroir and winemaking, and the foundation of white Burgundy and Champagne.