Sourced from two parcels in Avize, Selosse’s 2003 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs evinces aromas of malted barley, toasted nuts, mocha and sweat, as such quite recognizably of its torrid vintage. On the palate, the torrefactive and animal dimensions are met by a surprising sense of primary juiciness, even though it’s difficult to pin down a particular fruit, though mirabelle is suggested. Full and lees-endowed but in no way heavy – indeed, there’s an uncanny sense of buoyancy – this finishes with profound length, incorporating suggestions of chalk, if not the mouthwatering salinity that I associate with most Selosse wines and with Avize in general. Its author opines that not just its relative levity but also its sense of structure and clarity surprise him based on his expectations at the time of harvest and when the wine was young. “I started picking on the fifth of September,” he recalls, “yet the potential alcohol level was not really that high, – 11.5 to the upper 11’s – due to repeated blockage (i.e. shut-down) of the vine metabolism.” I suspect this will prove fascinating as well as versatile over at least the next 3-4 years. - David Schildknecht