Jean-Marc Sélèque’s grandfather Henri planted his first vines in Pierry in 1965, a tradition taken up when father Richard began bottling his grower Champagne in the ‘70s. Jean-Marc himself took over duties in 2008 and began transforming this into the very model of a top-flight grower it is today. The estate has been renamed and the range redefined, while the completion of the new cellar in 2015 is a further statement of intent. 

Composed of Chardonnay (50%), Meunier (40%) and Pinot noir (10%), Solessence is based on a single vintage blended with 50% reserve wine. Fruit is sourced from seven plots across seven villages in the Côteaux Sud d’Épernay (Pierry, Moussy, Épernay), the Vallée de la Marne (Mardeuil, Dizy, Boursault) and the Côte des Blancs (Vertus). The average vine age is 40 years, and soils are mostly flinty clay on chalky subsoil.