Domaine Jacques Selosse

We are in Avize.

The history of the Domaine begins in 1947 thanks to Jacques Selosse and Gisèle Selosse. At that particular time when many vineyards lacked labor, Jacques oriented himself towards viticulture, seizing the opportunities offered by plots available for rent or for sale. Thus far, laying the foundation of the Domaine.

In its beginnings, the grapes were sold to the house of Lanson and were not vinified on site. The first unofficial vinification dates back to 1959, while the first official vinification, with bottles signed Selosse, dates back to 1964.

Jacques and Gisèle, who are great workers, decided to send their son, Anselme Selosse, to train in Burgundy. While being there, he studied agriculture, biology, and viticulture, forging his thinking through encounters, experiences, and travels, notably in Spain, between Andalusia and Rioja, which contributed in a significant way to his vision.

In 1974, Anselme Selosse officially joins the Domaine, and from one day to the next, finds himself entrusted with the keys to the operation, immediately becoming in charge of great responsibilities. From the start, he chooses not to follow any model, but rather to make differences as the true strength.

His philosophy opposes every form of standardization: for him, the winemaker must, above all, be a guardian of the territory. A concept that well illustrates this approach is the Japanese term wabi- sabi, the charm of imperfection. A wine must be memorable thanks to its uniqueness, and not for its conformity.

His approach rests on a sensitivity, which consists of accompanying the wine, helping it to become what it can be, without constraints or forced correction. It is not a matter of intervening, but rather listening, understanding, and letting nature express itself.

At the Domaine Selosse, the essential has never been the technique, but rather the ethic: observing nature, respecting it, and accompanying it. The role of the winemaker is to guide, not to impose.

It is from there that the profound link with gastronomy is born.

As in great cuisine, the key to reading here is also the taste: its perception, its origin, and its evolution. A taste that is born from the respect for the raw material, from the capacity to seize it at the ideal moment, at full maturity, and to accompany it without denaturing it, so that it can fully express itself.

Everything rests on balance, sensitivity, respect, all in all, an authentic profound link with what nature offers.

It is in this same spirit that the thought of Anselme Selosse is inscribed: “tasting is not looking at what the wine is made of, it is not searching for its composition, but having a holistic look, knowing who it is, and passing from the analysis of stimuli, of sensations. Letting oneself go towards feelings, like a poetry.”

In 2011, the son of Anselme and Corinne, Guillaume Selosse, progressively joins the Domaine. Having grown up among the scents and the colors of the vines of Avize, he acquires an experience abroad, before returning to trace his own path within the family business. He begins by discovering every aspect of the trade, while Anselme progressively grants him more responsibilities.

Around 2020, Guillaume, in fact, takes the direction of the Domaine, while maintaining a constant dialogue with his father.

The wines of Domaine Selosse are wines of character, profoundly marked by their personality. They are not born from recipes, but rather from reflections: no technical gestures, they are the expression of an intimate vision of the link between man, nature, and time.

They are intense wines, of a remarkable depth, which translate a precise choice: harvesting perfectly ripe and expressive grapes.

Nature is at the heart of everything, and the personality of the wine thus becomes a form of revelation: a liquid translation of the terroir, of the time, and of the look of the one who accompanies it.

Today, this sensitivity continues through Guillaume and his wife Caroline, who perpetuate this path in order to show respect for the family heritage, while affirming their own reading of places and time.