Why Champagne May Be Getting Even Better

AVIZE, France -- Anselme Selosse makes no ordinary bubbly.

The 53-year-old Selosse treats his vineyards the way a gardener deals with rose fields. He reinvigorates the soil through careful tending and slashes yields to increase the quality of the remaining grapes. While the vast majority of even the most prestigious champagnes are produced using industrial yeasts in stainless steel, Selosse, who learned winemaking in Burgundy, prefers natural yeast and small Burgundian oak barrels.

"Every grape that enters my cellar has been cultivated with my own hands," he says with pride, holding up his well-worn hands. Most champagne makers wear jacket and tie and greet visitors in Belle Epoque mansions. Selosse appears in pure farmer dress: jeans and a Polarfleece jacket. ...