October 30, 2025
Jean-Marc Seleque: Rare Grower Champagne
2019 Jean-Marc Seleque
“As I've written before, Jean-Marc Sélèque is one of Champagne's most exciting and dynamic young producers. […] As his viticultural progress bears dividends, these wines go from strength to strength, and I find myself more and more impressed with every passing release. […] Pierry enjoyed considerable historical celebrity, and thanks to Sélèque, it seems more than likely to regain it. Everything here comes recommended, and I warmly encourage readers to acquaint themselves with these wines” - William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Jean-Marc Seleque is one of the most dynamic young producers in Champagne, crafting wines that combine energy, finesse and a deep sense of place. Based in Pierry, within the Coteaux Sud d’Epernay, he returned to his family domaine in 2008 and soon began shaping its modern identity. His defining shift came in 2012, when he realised that true greatness comes from the vineyard, not the cellar, and stopped using herbicides. Today, he farms around ten hectares divided into forty-eight plots across seven villages, primarily in the Coteaux Sud d’Epernay, with others in the Vallee de la Marne and the Cote des Blancs.
Seleque’s vineyards are farmed organically, with mechanical cultivation and even horses working certain sites such as Vertus and the Soliste parcels. Higher-than-average canopies help preserve freshness, while winter cover crops protect against erosion and retain soil moisture. In 2015, a new gravity-fed winery marked a major step forward, allowing for gentler handling and greater precision. Around forty percent of the wines are vinified in stainless steel, while the rest age in oak barrels of 350 to 600 litres from top coopers like Atelier Centre France and Bruno Lorenzon. Fermentation is carried out with native or vineyard-specific yeasts, and minimal sulfites are used only after pressing and at disgorgement.
The wines spend nine months on their lees before a short settling period and bottling, gaining texture and complexity while maintaining vivid purity. In recent years, Seleque’s commitment to longer lees ageing, particularly for Solessence, has elevated the depth and longevity of his Champagnes. With the estate’s expanded cellar completed in 2023, Seleque continues to refine his craft, producing Champagnes of remarkable clarity, texture and mineral focus. Through his vision, Pierry is reclaiming its historic prestige, and Jean-Marc Seleque stands firmly at the forefront of Champagne’s new generation.
Today, we have a beautiful selection of the single vineyard 2019’s as well as some large formats from 2015 and 2016. There is hardly anything to go around of these tiny production high-quality champagnes, so don’t miss them.
Soliste Chardonnay 1er Cru Les Tartieres / Les Porgeons 2019
94 Points | Wine Advocate
Disgorged in March 2024 with three grams per liter dosage, the 2019 Soliste Chardonnay Pierry 1er Cru Les Tartières et Les Porgeons is drawn from two adjacent southeast-facing plots planted in 1985 and 1990, which are pressed and vinified together. Aged in approximately 30% new oak, it unfurls from the glass with aromas of candied lemon peel and early-blooming white flowers, mingling with notes of sandalwood and pastry. Full-bodied and generously structured, it is ample and enveloping, with a concentrated core of fruit supported by ripe yet vibrant acidity. Notably, this cuvée is served after the Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir during tastings—a reflection of its gastronomic gravitas and assertive power, which starkly contrasts with the more restrained style of its Côte des Blancs counterparts.
Soliste Meunier 1er Cru Les Gouttes d'Or 2019
93 Points | Wine Advocate
Disgorged in April 2024 with a dosage of two grams per liter, Sélèque’s 2019 Soliste Meunier Pierry 1er Cru Les Gouttes d'Or is produced from old Pinot Meunier vines—planted between 1951 and 1968 with heritage massal selections—rooted in a mere 35 centimeters of clay-silt topsoil overlying soft chalk bedrock. This is a warmer vineyard site, situated near the city, and it is typically among the first plots harvested. The wine opens with an expressive bouquet of orange zest, blanched almonds, toasted bread and a faint hint of coriander seed. On the palate, it is full-bodied, textural and enveloping, with a concentrated core of fruit underpinned by vibrant acidity, concluding with a persistent, subtly perfumed finish.
Soliste Pinot Noir 1er Cru Les Gayeres 2019
95+ Points | Wine Advocate
The standout bottling in the Soliste series this year, the 2019 Soliste Pinot Noir Pierry 1er Cru Les Gayères originates from west-facing Pinot Noir vines planted in 1974, where clay and silt rest atop chalk subsoils. Fermented and matured entirely in oak barrels (approximately 20% new), it was disgorged in March 2024 with a dosage of two grams per liter. The nose is redolent of peach, bitter orange and dried flowers mingled with pastry and a faint hint of resin. Medium- to full-bodied, it is concentrated and layered—ample and balanced—with succulent yet racy acidity and a long, saline finish. Like the rest of the Soliste range, this wine is sourced from a parcel cultivated exclusively by horse.