Willie Carter

9.8

Well, here we are. Selosse Initial. What is there really to say? Is it good? Is it great? Is it delicious? Does it live up to the hype? Did it change my life?

Yes.

A beautiful golden hue in the glass with profuse perlage. There’s no need for traditional notes here, we already know. Wonderfully electric, saline, and textured. Depth, personality, and romance.

Nothing I say here matters. Go get as many Selosse champagnes as you can. Then get a few more. And enjoy life. — 3 days ago

DAL 9000

9.2

Decanted with a candle. Swirled in a decanter. Bouquet of dusty dried cherries and plums. . Initial bold fruit and dry finish before it opens up. Afterwards, the fruit moves to a dusty middle. Medium tannins. — a year ago

Ericsson

9.0

Revisiting this disruptive wine as I often do. This time 24 years after it’s initial release, and much has changed since since it’s inception. The wine is still exciting, maybe for the wrong reasons, maybe for the right reasons but exciting nonetheless. It’s still a big and bold beast of a wine, no matter the vintage. — 2 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.2

Red garnet in color with brown hues showing signs of bricking. Nose - Savory and perfume vanilla aromas pop from the glass. Raspberry, forest floor and cedar notes follow. Taste: creamy and elegant and flavors well integrated; smoke plum-blueberry flavors are the initial taste. The minerals and spice of the wine are noted with flavors of vanilla and cedar following. A medium and juicy finish. A nice wine for a Sat evening. — 4 years ago

with Karin and Jill

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I used to drink this producer in the late 90’s & early 2000’s. I’ve been revisiting older vintages based on recent price points. I think they sold a bunch of their cellar for revenue. It is out of need after the Glass Fires. They were somewhat consumed by it. The winery & part of their vineyards. Unfortunate!!!

Decanted an hour and enjoyed over 2-3 hours.

I was further inspired to acquire the 2006 by @Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego who posted more than respectful thoughts of the 2006 not long ago. So, I acquired some winery stored bottles at $39. A more than fair price point. The cork had a millimeter or less along its side. The bottle neck showed trapped tannins. Extremely solid.

The nose is inviting. Slightly smoky & nicely ripe; dark core of blackberries, dark cherries, poached/baked strawberries, plum, blueberries and pomegranate. Slate, gentle, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, mid & light berry cola/licorice-red vines, soft dry tobacco, used leather, very soft graphite, graceful herbaceous notes, whiff with black & white pepper, dark, rich soils, mix of limestone/sandstone, red florals/roses, dark florals and purple lily blossoms.

The entry is elegant, ripe, slightly rich with nothing bitty. Medium, softened, mushy tannins. It shows nearly perfect elegance at or just and I mean just the other side of its peak. Ripe; dark core of blackberries, dark cherries, poached/baked strawberries, plum, blueberries, raspberries and pomegranate hues. Slate, gentle, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, mid & light berry cola, soft dry, used tobacco w/ ash, used leather, graphite, herbaceous notes, stem inclusion, some black & white pepper, dark spice box with mid intensity palate heat, layered baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & understated vanillin, dark chocolate, caramel, steeped teas, moist to dry volcanic clays, rich, dark, almost sweet soils, mix of limestone/sandstone, red florals/roses, dark florals and purple lily blossoms, very nice acidity, evolved, well-knitted, balanced, structured, tensioned, elegant finish that lasts nearly two-minutes and long sets on spice and beautiful earthiness. This will drink nicely for another 5+ yrs.

A good revisit and perhaps the most elegant Cain Five I’ve had.

Photos of; the Cain Five vineyards, Chris Howell-Winemaker, pressed grapes and the somewhat unglamorous cleaning out of stainless steel tanks after initial fermentation. — 5 days ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

Drank over 3 days,
First day I paired with Mediterranean Lamb chops which had too much seasoning and overpowered the wine, my bad.
It reached peak drinking on day 3.
Great on initial pop & pour then tightened up. — 2 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

2019 Disg- Rich, intense and with riveting energy. Selosse VO to me is a huge step up from Initial. It’s ultra complex and layered with candied citrus, rum barrels, caramel and salted nuts. There is massive structure with a simultaneous purity and weightlessness. Infinite finish. Decanted and served in Zalto Bordeaux. Fantastic. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a dull purple/garnet color with a translucent core and significant rim variation, moving towards a rust color. The wine has medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, dried blackberries, dried red and purple flowers, old leather bound books, tobacco, a touch of menthol, some earth, old wood and a sprinkle of warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Super high quality but a touch thin.

Initial conclusions: Due to the observable characteristics of color, rim variation, sediment, smell and flavor, I think this wine has significant age; 30+ years. However, this is still very alive and showing more than enough markers to give an indication of place. Subsequently, this could be a Cabernet-based blend or a Tempranillo-based blend from the United States, France, or Spain. For me, I’m getting new French oak vibes instead of American so I’m eliminating Spain. I also think this leans more towards its fruit than its structure and since this comes across a little on the thin side, I’m going to say this comes from a tougher vintage. My final conclusion is this is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from the USA, Napa, 1981. Wow! This showed really well.

It never ceases to amaze me how analogous the 1981 vintage was in both Napa and Bordeaux. I find it equally amazing how well that vintage has held up; particularly when considering its poor reputation, mostly based on the prevailing thought at the time. From my perspective, well stored examples are not going to fall off of a cliff but I would drink now through 2031. — 3 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2020 vintage. Big, darkly-fruited nose that rolls over to the flavors. Medium body. Great complexity for initial and mid-palates, Finish is where things drop off a cliff. Solid banger for the price. If only some of that impressive, frontal assault could be transferred to the back end, we'd be in clover. Nice, first-time BDX to get the palate rolling/draw people in tho. 3.15.24. — 2 years ago

KD

8.9

Pale yellow with relatively intense nose of green apple, lime, beeswax, cantaloup melon and whiteflower. The medium body has less intensity than the nose and there's almost an effervescence in the front of the mouth, with a good acidity that is not overwhelming. Notes of apple, lime, apricot, melon and ginger on the palate with minerality. The finish is quite short and carries some spicy ginger. Nice wine but I was expecting more, especially after the initial wonderful nose. — 4 years ago