Published by Jeremy.
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If you've spent any time going down the rabbit hole of fine Champagnes, odds are good you've heard the name Jacques Selosse.
Selosse is synonymous with some of the finest wines in all of Champagne, and when we say they are highly sought after, we really mean it. Not only are bottles almost impossible to find, when you do, they likely come at a price that will make even the most interested Champagne drinker do a double take.
When we visited Alsace, we were on the lookout for bottles of Selosse and were, unfortunately, turned off by the price point for bottles to bring home. But we did visit the winery's restaurant, Les Avises, for a lunch on Thanksgiving day where we decided to splurge on their solera style Blanc de Blanc, Substance which has its origins dating back to my own birth year- 1986!
Was it the most expensive bottle of wine we've ever purchased? Yes. Are we glad we bought it? Still yes. And are we glad we did tasting notes in the middle of lunch so we could write a review? You know it.
Selosse Substance is an Incredible Champagne… at a Price
Substance by Jacques Selosse was deep gold in color with medium(+) aromas of pear, lemon, lime, wet stone, toast, almond, macadamia nut, orange marmalade, geranium, yellow apple, cream, brioche, golden raisin, saline, and butter.
On the palate, it was dry with medium acidity, alcohol, and body, a delicate mousse, pronounced flavor intensity, and a long finish. We had notes of lemon, lime, pear, wet stone, saline, almond, brioche, toast, macadamia nut, mushroom, soy sauce, golden raisin, orange marmalade, hazelnut, and candied orange peel to name a few.
This one, quite literally, had everything. Strong fruit notes, impressive lees character, and strong tertiary notes ranging from nuts to more umami-driven characteristics like mushroom and soy sauce. It is the kind of bottle you can, and absolutely should, sip slowly, savor, and contemplate- not just because it is expensive, but because it is complex and will instantly be in one of the top tier Champagnes you'll ever have.
Selosse Substance Food Pairing – Prix Fixe Lunch
Naturally, we paired this with the lunch prix fixe course at Hotel de Avises, which during our visit started with a salmon salad with soy sauce, steak with mushrooms, cheese pairing, and more.
The soy sauce note in the salmon salad played with the umami notes in the wine, causing a large spike in that flavor during the course as well as a greater intensity of the golden raisin characteristics. The more Earthy entree helped show more mushroom notes in the wine as well as a more prominent increase of apricot, peach, and golden raisin to name a few.
The cheese course also helped accentuate more of the raisin and marmalade characteristics in the wine as well. When you put it altogether, the food really showcased the versatility of the wine, and how well a complex Champagne can pair with just about anything.
Score: 4.5 / 5
We'd buy a bottle of this one.
It'd be easy for us to say that we would want many bottles of Substance (our 5 / 5 rating tier). In all our experiences drinking Champagne, is by far a Top 3 bottle for us, and is in a league of its own with only a few rivals. If we could, we'd have as many bottles as we could carry- it just that good.
That said, it is also quite expensive. Perhaps almost too expensive. The difference between us wanting a bottle of this for our personal collection and a case to age is, you guessed it, the price. Even in Champagne, and even at the Domaine's own restaurant, Substance is a super premium bottle that is more in a once-in-a-lifetime splurge territory over being a bottle we could justify to add to our collection.
So as much as we would want another bottle of this one, and may even consider it if we're ever flush with money, it is hard to overlook this one crucial detail. Wine by Selosse is expensive!
Jacques Selosse is located at 59 Rude de Cramant in Avize. We had this bottle at lunch at Hotel Restaurant les Avise in 2025 at the Domaine. Advanced reservations are required.
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