Jean-Marc Sélèque Quintette NV

Quintette NV is a Blanc de Blancs comprising 100% Chardonnay from five distinct parcels: La Justice, planted in 1950 in the Premier Cru village of Vertus (in the Côte des Blancs); Les Frileux, planted in 1959 in Épernay (in the Vallée de la Marne); Les Tartières-Les Porgeons, planted in 1990 and 1985 respectively in the Premier Cru village of Pierry (Vallée de la Marne); Moque-Bouteille, planted in 1985 in the Premier Cru village of Dizy (Vallée de la Marne); and Les Basses Ronces, planted in 1982 in the Mardeuil (Vallée de la Marne). Soils are a mix of silty and flinty clay on chalky subsoil, with Quintette NV confidently combining the tense minerality of the Côte des Blancs terroir with the richness of ripe fruit from villages closer to the Marne River.

The current release is based on the 2016 vintage, vinified in 50% oak barrels and 50% stainless steel, and blended with 20% reserve solera. Bottled without fining or filtration, the wine spent 3 years on lees before disgorgement in October 2018. Dosage is a very low 2 g/L.

Taste
Aromas of white flowers, ripe stone fruit, fleshy persimmon and thick-cut toast spread with marmalade billow and intensify in the glass, making the first sip irresistible. Like a glinting jewel with polished, precise edges, Quintette is multifaceted and robust on the palate, balancing a fresh, fruity appeal—tangy apple, pear and citrus—with evolved flavours of spice and almond, lifted by strong inflections of terroir as flint, minerality and fine chalk shape its boundaries. Lingering beautifully; utterly digestible.