Selection Massale-New Releases

This importer has a strong philosophy of carrying only natural wines from small producers. Some of their selections are worthwhile (a fantastic old vine Beaujolais comes to mind), but others are just so bad that they verge on disgusting, and frankly are wines that you would think an importer might be embarrassed to show. This particular set of wines started out okay but really went downhill when we got to the reds. I was conservative in ticking off only the last wine as flawed, but you could make that case for several others as well.

• 2009 Domaine Dupasquier Vin de Savoie Rosé

  France, Savoie, Vin de Savoie

  Deep color-more like a light Pinot than typical rose. Low pitched aromas. Sappy, dry, serious rose. Earthy and deep. Looking back, this may have been the best wine of the series.

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• 2009 Domaine Belluard Altesse Vin de Savoie Grandes Jorasses

  France, Savoie, Vin de Savoie

  Pale. High toned nose with grapefruit rind. Light and pure with a mineral finish. These first two Savoyard wines were quite good, although this one is no bargain at $33.

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• 2009 Frantz Saumon Montlouis-sur-Loire Le Clos du Chêne

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire

  Medium yellow. Interesting nose with more herbs and flowers than typical Chenin fruit. Light to medium weight. There is some good pear fruit, terrific acidity and an earthy finish more evocative of Savennieres than Montlouis. This almost tastes like a blend of Loire Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon-quite unique and also good, but I think I preferred the less expensive Minerale + from this vintage.

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• 2006 Domaine Les Roches (Alain et Jérome Lenoir) Chinon Blanc

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

  Full yellow with some green. Rubbery, funky nose. Some upfront tropical fruit that quickly fades into a tart, thin, frankly vile finish.

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• 2006 Domaine Dupasquier Mondeuse Vin de Savoie

  France, Savoie, Vin de Savoie

  Light red. Faded strawberry fruit. Brambly, prickly, short finish. No.

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• 2004 Domaine Les Roches (Alain et Jérome Lenoir) Chinon

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

  Medium deep color. Aggressive green herbal scent. Nice pencil shavings and green olive entry with enough body but then high acidity and shrill tannins don't exactly leave a silky feel or any sense of harmony. I really don't like the Lenoir wines I've tried, and after this tasting, I can extend that generalization to the whites as well as the reds.

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• 2010 Jérémy Quastana Vin de France L'Insurgé

  France, Vin de France

  Medium red. Funky, bretty aromatics. Behind that is some nice body and texture and simple cherry fruit. Eh.

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• 2010 Domaine Le Bout du Monde Côtes du Roussillon Villages L'Écume des Jours

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon Villages

  Cloudy medium ruby. Medicinal nose and palate. Heavy, low acid with an aftertaste that crosses the line from earthy to overtly unclean. Seems unstable and is frankly dreadful.

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• 2010 Domaine Le Bout du Monde Côtes du Roussillon Villages Hop'là Flawed

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon Villages

  Strange brew of carbonic maceration aroma and some unidentifiable flaw that made it smell like dirty socks. I couldn't bring myself to taste this one.

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