Jacques Selosse is back and better than ever

Had a wonderful Jacques Selosse dinner in the low-key yet elegant private room at Blue Hill. I could not have picked a more perfect venue to showcase the re-arrival of Anselme Selosse's singular Champagnes back on the scene. As many people know the Selosse bubblies have not made it stateside post 9-11 but now the good folks at Rare Wine Co. are importing these wines. We had been hoarding these bottles for better than a year at Chambers Street Wines as they were not imported by an "official" importer we had to get them through more lascivious ways. Really rare stuff these days. Well we acquired them slowly but surely and rounded up a flock of wine lovers last Thursday night to see what the story was. We had the whole lineup from the Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs to the salacious Demi-Sec called Exquise. The chef at Blue Hill created a special menu to go with the bubbly. As if it needs to be said again, Blue Hill is the finest market driven restaurant in New York city if not the country and continues to astound me. The matches were all exceptional except the last . . .but I will get to that.

We started off with Brut Blanc de Blancs which was formerly called Initial and Brut Initial. It is always nice when the fireworks start with the first wine. This was matched with Maine Crabmeat, Marinated Fennel and Green Gazpacho. The wine had such a fine mousse the bubbles seemed almost incidental. They just adding textural complexity rather than a full on bubbly component which seemed to be a trend in all the wines except one. The nose was bursting with minerals, salt and butter notes. The palate was just so refined and juicy it hurt. This was some seriously emotional wine and we had six more to go. The finish had, to quote David Schiznizzle, "an amazing call and response" between minerals, salt and light appley fruit. The concentration was fantastic and it seemed alive as it caressed every single taste bud in your mouth. Lovely stuff. Remember, I am an unabashed Blanc de Blancs junkie. Love the minerality and linear quality of fine Blanc de Blancs. This was perfect with the crabmeat.

We then moved onto the Substance Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs. Now this is Anselme Selosse's tete de cuvee and I have been incredibly fortunate to have enjoyed wine three times in the past year . . .which I might add is not enough! It showed better this evening. This is unique, in that it is 14 different vintages that are added in the casks along the years. A "solera" style Champagne if you will. This had even finer mousse than the regular Blanc de Blancs. Finely etched stuff this was. Yes . . .Selosse does make me talk like Yoda! The nose had hazeluts, iodine (Chevalier Montrachet?) and some apple again. Bracingly mineral with immense concentration and power but on such a heartbreakingly lithe frame it was incredible. Again this took over your mouth and left you sucking, sapping and licking the inside for what seemed like forever. Baking spices developed after some time in the glass. This was the most "open" of the three bottles I have had this year. Just amazing wine. This was paired with Stone Barns Salad of Stone Barns Purslane and Fennel Cucumber Vinaigrette. Perfect match again.

Next up was the Extra Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs. This was overwhelmingly everybody's favorite at the table. But then again I was at a table of serious rockheads. This was incredibly disctictive Champagne and I have never had anything quite like it. This was dry. Not just Champagne dry, which really means dosed like crazy, but white wine dry. Like Chablis with bubbles. If the others were Montrachet, Batard Montrachet with bubbles this was Le Clos. Like drinking a bubbling ocean. The nose was like stainless steel countertops drizzeld with ripe pears skin. How's that for an image? It had an amazing texture that was steely yet silky and again finely etched. This was stark and distinctive. Like existential Champagne kind of. Even though it was empty and stark it was full of personality. Not my favorite of the night, but up there and easily the most distinictive. I would love to see what age would do to this. This matched perfectly the Stone Barns Baby Fennel, Basil and Preserved Lemon Concord Grape Juice.

We moved into the Brut 1998 Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs and this was the true standout for me. Dense but so fine with an incredibly salinity to it all. The first wine to show a hint of oxidation. So slight it was that it only added complexity. Even the biggest oxidized-wine-a-phobe would love this aroma. Biscuity, pure and clean this showed the youngest of all the wines. The inner mouth aroma, though combined with the ultra sleek mousse and oxidative notes really turned this wine up to 11 for me. There was also brilliant use of oak. It was the only wine that showed any traces of oak but they were perfectly integrated and actually added to the wine. The finish lasted and lasted. Just stellar stuff with unlimited potential. I have not had a '98 Champagne close to this yet. This matched really nicely with the This Morning's Farm Egg, Foraged Mushrooms & Stone Barn Greens. The richness of the mashed up and liquified greens was foiled by the the clarity and acids of the Selosse. WACOTN (Wine And Combo Of The Night).

Next up was the Contraste Blanc de Noirs and this was maybe even more singular than the Extra. Initially the nose was closed but as it warmed up it opened to a nice mix of dark flowers and berries. Strawberries in particular. The mousse was the most obvious on this wine. There was also a hint of oxidation to this wine. Exotic spices also developed with air. This might have been served too cold initially. The palate was very nice but the least "Champagne" to me. It was bold, minerally, extremely dry and the most full-bodied of them. Some flavors of berry confit and sweet corn added complexity. Nice stuff and other preferred it more but it was nice to see in the body work. If Do The Right Thing was Substance then this was 'Mo Better Blues. This was paired with Stone Barns Bard Silver Pastured Chicken, Cranberry Beans, Titan Parsley & Preserved Tomato. Done in a sous-vide preparation this was awesome. Dish of the night. The chicken was perfect.

Next was the Rose which really brought the funk. Um . . .Lopez Rose with bubbles? Yes . . .that type of funk. Really amazing nose but the palate was sort of a letdown. Some simple berry fruit with notes of hay and barnyard. Slightly candied. The nose was just amazing though. My least favorite wine of the night but major kudos to the aromatic complexity. I would like to try this again at some point. Probably not showing its best. This was also matched with the chicken.

The final wine was the Exquise Sec. Really interesting stuff as this pulled up off its residual sugar magnificently. As someone who drinks Riesling a good amount I could definetly feel this wine and what is was going for. Had almost a weightless Donnhoff-like quality on the palate and the sugar had the textural effect of really thin icing that is ever so sweet. Something Sam Mason would create. Lovely stuff, very delicate and wears its sugar proudly and subtley. Too bad the desert was mismatched. The desert was amazing on its own though. "Last Chance" Berries with Lightly Marinated Fromage Blanc Sorbet. Just a textural delight. Bold flavors that were no match for the delicacy of the Exquise. I loved this wine and would be very interested to follow it over an evening as it was given slight short shrift as it was served at the end of an epic lineup.

So what is there to say but - Thank You Jacques Selosse!