Incredible value vintage Champagne. Lovely aromas of lime, Apple and brioche. Gentle creamy bead with fine acidity. A long and lingering finish. Since the 17th century, the Baron family owned a vineyard in Charly-sur-Marne, in the west of the Champagne area. In 1961, Gabriel Baron was gifted 1ha of vineyards by his father, on the occasion of his marriage to Dolores Fuente. As a symbol of this union, Gabriel and Dolores founded Baron-Fuente. The first bottles were produced and sold directly from their house. By 1992, they had grown their vineyard holdings to 13 ha, and added a daughter and a son to their family - Sophie and Ignace. Today, Baron-Fuente owns 38 ha of vineyards, and the house is managed by Ignace and Sophie. All of their bottles are stored on slats for a period of between 3 and 7 years before they are disgorged, bringing the deep and varied aromas to each of the cuvees. They disgorge each bottle every three months, which ensures fine mousse and light bubbles. For over 50 years these different phases of production have allowed people in France and in 30 countries around the world, to enjoy Baron-Fuente Champagnes!

An extremely well-balanced, wonderfully refined and light Champagne which cannot fail to seduce Champagne lovers. Sélection Brut releases unwavering aromas of white fruit, apple and raspberry to glorious effect. Generally appreciated for its spontaneity, this is the perfect Champagne for sharing, for any occasion or situation. Two to three years cellar-ageing brings lovely balance, while maintaining appealing freshness.

Its superb maturity tantalizes all the senses with a deep pink robe highlighted with glints of copper, an extremely delicate persistent effervescence, a nose of crushed strawberries, lime and liquorice underlined by a hint of roast coffee and cacao. The palate is entranced by a variation of gourmet sensations. The fresh, precise and taut attack gives way to reveal a supple, molten and heady structure. The finish imparts fruity notes underscored by a saline freshness. With the purity of its precise, gourmet aromatic structure, the Comtes de Champagne Rosé is perfectly in line with its predecessors and promises to offer excellent ageing potential.

“The identity of our winery. A wine of friends, for sharing. The expression of our style, pure and fresh, in all circumstances.” - Jean-Marc & Oriane Sélèque

In some ways, this is the emblematic wine of the domaine. It was Michel Bettane, the influential French critic, who encouraged Francis Egly to bottle this single-vineyard wine separately, with the first release based on the 1989 harvest. This latest offering was bottled after the 2017 base had spent close to one year in cask before blending with 50% reserve wines from the 2016 vintage. The vinification and aging for both vintages took place in barrel. The fruit comes from old Pinot Noir vines in a single terroir known as Les Crayères. The vines here were planted in 1946, so they are now 75 years old (vines of this age are extremely rare in Champagne). The soil is barely 30cm deep, then it’s chalk, hundreds of metres down—hence the name of the site (craie is French for ‘chalk’; crayères references chalk quarries which likely once existed here). Les Crayères is situated mid-slope with a full south-facing exposure, not far from the estate’s cellars. The old vines are deeply rooted, giving the wine a classic mineral energy that weaves its way through the powerful, layered Pinot Noir fruit. The deep concentration is a product of the ripeness and low yields that the site and its ancient vines confer. The 2017 base is a tribute to the greatest sites of Ambonnay and the Egly-Ouriet domaine. Houses that emphasise blending may consider a 100% old-vine Ambonnay like this to be too intense; Egly gives it to you full throttle! This release has both profound depth and incredible finesse. It’s still early days for the nose (if you open it now, give it time), while the palate is already stunning: a layered yet chiselled, mineral mouth bomb. The dosage is only 2 g/L, and it’s invisible. As always, this unique expression of a singular terroir is built for food and aging. Give it two to three years, and it will be even better.