From the same two parcels as his 2003 tasted alongside, Selosse’s 2002 Extra Brut Blanc de Blanc is, as he announces while pouring it, “another thing entirely.” Pristine, Normandy cider-like pear fruit strikes me as something of a common denominator – even trans-regionally – for this exceptional northern French vintage, and the chew of skin and piquancy of pit serve to stimulate the palate along with saliva-inducing salinity. Almond in frangipane guise along with pistachio extract and rowan, iris and gentian reinforce an alluring illusion of sweetness as well as of complexly wafting perfume; and a faint, noble suggestion of mushroom lends unanticipated savor. Predictably for its vintage, this buoyant, transparent, polished bottling finishes with more nuances than one can find mineral descriptors for, but chalk, smoke and salt – while pretty obvious – allude at least imperfectly to a spellbindingly sustained sense of interactive and intriguing if illusive nuances all set within an infectiously juicy and mouthwateringly savory context. Plan to follow this beauty – lucky few who can both find it and afford it – for another 6-8 years.

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