JM Seleque Solessence Rose NV

This bottle marks a small but meaningful milestone. JM Sélèque’s Solessence Rosé has reached Wisconsin for the first time, offering a Champagne that feels both celebratory and grounded — a wine rooted in Pierry, guided by Jean-Marc Sélèque’s sensitive hand and built for the table as much as the toast.

Solessence Rosé feels less like a Champagne made to announce itself and more like one meant to be discovered in motion, with food and conversation doing some of the work. It is grounded not in spectacle but in place, shaped by the chalky slopes of Pierry where Sélèque farms his family’s vineyards with a focus on texture, balance and quiet detail rather than flash.

The wine is built on Pinot Meunier, with Chardonnay lending lift and Pinot Noir contributing color and savory depth. A measured touch of red wine provides the rosé hue, handled with restraint so the wine remains unmistakably vinous. Fermentation in a mix of stainless steel and older oak adds breadth without overt wood, while extended time on the lees brings a supple, gently creamy mid-palate.

In the glass, wild strawberry and blood orange lead, followed by rose petal, white pepper and a faint savory note that reads more like crushed stone than sweetness. There is a subtle umami quality — lightly saline and appetizing — that keeps the wine moving across the palate. The mousse is fine and persistent, the acidity precise but never sharp, carrying the finish long and dry.

This is Champagne made for the meal rather than the moment: roast salmon with herbs, duck rillettes, mushroom tarts or a simple plate of charcuterie and good bread. It rewards attention without demanding it, unfolding slowly as the bottle empties and the table relaxes.

Solessence Rosé captures what Jean-Marc Sélèque does best — translating vineyard character into wines that feel alive, textured and deeply connected to where they come from. It is rosé Champagne with substance and soul, meant to be poured generously and remembered quietly.