Jean-Marc Seleque

J M Sélèque is one of the most exciting grower Champagne houses in the region, producing terroir driven wines which are more akin to great white burgundy than generic NV Champagne. The family started producing wines for themselves in the 1960’s from their 9 hectares, spread across 7 villages in Côteaux Sud d’Épernay, Vallée de la Marne and Côte de Blancs. Chardonnay (50%) is the predominant grape alongside Pinot Meunier (40%) and a small amount of Pinot Noir (10%). The vines are all mature, with the majority of them planted in the 1960’s and 80’s.

Current winemaker, Jean-Marc Sélèque, arrived in 2008 at the age of 20 and has slowly developed his own vision of what he wanted the domaine to become. His approach follows biodynamic principles in the majority of the vineyards, individual parcel vinification and low yields. The new winery, finished in 2015, allows them to use a softer approach with gravity, indigenous yeast and the introduction of large barrels brings the crucial softer micro oxygenation. Dosage is also kept low to retain freshness and let the terroir shine through. Vinification is tailored to the terroir to preserve its unique characteristics and celebrate the quality of the grapes. Jean-Marc and his family are all passionate musicians, and music is an integral part of life at the winery. The 7 villages and terroirs the domaine works with represent the 7 notes of a partition that Jean-Marc plays with to symbolise the identity and complexity of each terroir.