Professional Reviews
Antonio Galloni
AG
94
"The NV Initial, a blend of vintages 2015, 2014 and 2013, is quite powerful and vinous. Orange peel, lemon confit, hazelnut, chamomile, licorice and dried flowers are all amplified in this dramatic, large-scaled edition of Initial." -Vinous
Robert Parker
RP
94
"Disgorged in May 2021, the latest rendition of Selosse's NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Initial is showing beautifully, unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear, dried fruits, confit lemon, fenugreek, fresh bread and toasted almonds. Full-bodied, vinous and complex, it's a rich, fleshy Champagne that's underpinned by bright acids and complemented by a pinpoint mousse, concluding with a long, sapid finish. As usual, this bottling derives from the lower-altitude slopes of Avize, Cramant and Oger, where the soils are richer in clay and yields are higher when compared with the vineyards that inform V. O." -Robert Parker
Decanter
D
95
"Lovely intense and invitingly rich baked bread aromas lead to a very dry, ripe, rich and powerful palate. Oxidative, fat and autolytic, it has a savoury and honeyed character that's both exotic and hedonistic. There's good mineral acidity to keep the show firmly on the road, but it's not the main component here, and it shows fabulous length on the finish. Definitely a fizz for food."
Wine Spectator
WS
96
"A voluptuous Champagne that entices with its lovely, lightly viscous texture and its fragrant thread of exotic spices that waft on the nose and wind through the palate. Shows impeccable balance, with a lithe spine of acidity providing focus and definition for the opulent range of blackberry coulis, kumquat and passion fruit, with notes of coffee liqueur, roasted nut and honeycomb."
