J-M SÉLÈQUE

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Henri Sélèque, originally from Poland, came to France in 1925 and ran a farm in Pierry for many years. His son Richard, however, was drawn to the wine industry, so he planted the first vineyards in Pierry and Moussy in 1965 and the first collection under his own name appeared as early as 1970. In 2008, his son Jean-Marc took over the management of the winery and since then has brought the style of the champagnes extremely forward in terms of quality. As is the case with many young successors, he is particularly keen to highlight the terroir. In 2015, he opened a new winery building together with his wife.

Pierry is a Premier Cru region in the Marne Valley, or rather in the Marne sub-region 'Coteaux Sud' of Epernay. The estate has 9 ha of vineyards in 7 villages, spread over 45 plots. The grape variety distribution is 50% Chardonnay, 40% Meunier and 10% Pinot Noir. The average age of the vines is 40 years.

Viticulture is mainly organic, with biodynamic experiments in some vineyards. Mildew is sprayed occasionally when necessary, as it is still considered better than using copper. A permanent team works all year round to bring out an ever better and more precise quality from the vineyard

70 per cent of the production is aged in steel, the rest in wooden foudres casks and used 300-litre barriques. In recent years, they have also experimented with concrete eggs and amphorae.

Facts: R.M., Pierry, Coteaux Sud d'Epernay, 9 ha., 70,000 bottles