At first glance, Anselme Selosse appears to be a normal, even quintessential, Frenchman. If you cross paths with him in the small village of Avizé, in the heart of the famous Côtes des Blancs that gives birth to the best Champagne, you wouldn’t think twice about the Frenchman with the tousled hair. You wouldn’t necessarily think him a leader, or even a character.
Anselme Selosse: A Legendary Character
But Anselme Selosse is a character indeed, a legendary character, in fact, within the small world of viticulture. He’s known, of course, in the Champagne, but he’s gained notoriety outside of his domain as a pioneer, both for the different techniques he uses and the philosophy he practices. He was, to give just one example, the first to use oak barrels to magnify his wines.
But first and foremost, he’s known as the first to think terroir in a region that wasn’t too sensitive to it. Of course, the notion of Grand Crus and so on exists here, but no one before him went as far in the concept. An example? Out of six small parcels he created a unique collection of wines, each named and vinified differently.
It’s this combination of simplicity and tremendously innovative thinking that led him and his wife Corinne to start a hotel. Although, strictly speaking, Les Avisés isn’t a hotel. This is their home, or more specifically, their ideal home.
With help from the architect Bruno Borrione, Corinne and Anselme carefully restored this 19th-century castle, taking advantage of the largesse offered by the original building. They kept the large windows that open widely on the park and vineyards, allowing amazing, natural light to penetrate each room.
The interior design combines the modern with a touch of tradition; all of the spirit you can recognize in Anselme’s Champagne can be discovered in the property. These two personnages, the modern and the traditional, filter throughout the property, and Anselme’s good humour can be seen in the naming of the 10 rooms that make up Les Avisés: Prosit. Salud. Cheers. Sköl. All names coming from different cultures, but conveying the same idea: conviviality and shared happiness.
