Mike Evans
Mike Evans
Le Caveau, a terrific retailer in Chamblee, hosted an in-store tasting last night with visiting schnook Sophie Barrett to show off some of the Selection Massale portfolio which has recently become available in Georgia. It was a pleasure to meet Sophie, and the wines seemed to receive an enthusiastic reception from the crowd. I know I enjoyed them.
Whites
We started with a sparkling Gringet, a Beaujolais blanc that includes some pinot gris, and an Altesse. This was my first sparkling Gringet, and though I've had a lot of Brun's Beaujolais blanc and Franck Peillot's Altesse through the years, it was exciting to try a different producer's takes on those types, as none of them disappointed.
2011 Domaine Belluard Gringet Mont Blanc Brut Zéro - Ample tangerine/Meyer lemon fruit, a little Earl Gray (I don't care, I won't call it bergamot) with nice weight and minerality and great cut.
2011 Bruno Debize Beaujolais - Sea air, chalk, tea, and pear on the nose gives way to incredible salinity, rich fruit, and a satisfyingly zingy finish. I can't recall ever having anything else like it.
2011 Domaine Dupasquier Altesse Roussette de Savoie - A refreshing combination of light honey, apricot, and minerals, with a tangy finish. I have had a lot of Peillot's Altesse through the years, and by comparison this was a little rounder and more fruit-driven compared to the intensely mineral and precise Peillot style, but still has plenty of verve.
Reds
The reds were as good as the whites. I don't have any sort of benchmark for Trollinger, but the 2013 Knauß is an ideal summer wine. I'm a sucker for Côt and Gamay, and these were two good representatives of each.
2013 Weingut Knauß Trollinger - Gluggable and fun.
2013 Jérémy Quastana Vin de France Côt'Lectif - A crispy, herbal, floral expression of Côt, with ample but supple tannin. I don't know how much of the herbaceousness is the character of the vintage and how much is the vineyard and producer style, but it wasn't at all unpleasant, it just took a moment to adjust as most of my experience with Côt is with the crystalline and pure Clos Roche Blanche.
2013 Bruno Debize Vin de France Apinost - Crisp fresh fruit, violets,, and a little rhubarb, an excellent balance of exuberance and seriousness.
Bonus Wine
When winemakers or schnooks come to town, I've made it a tradition to bring some older wines from the winery or the schnook's portfolio from my cellar. My prime motivation is the joy of sharing these wines with others who will appreciate and enjoy them, as I've always seen wine as a social beverage and a huge part of its pleasure comes from sharing the experience with others. That doing so provides at least a small incentive for the guests to return so I can enjoy their company again and gives others who may be trying for the first time wines that I've loved for years some idea how the wines will evolve are just incidental benefits. To avoid any confusion, though, I have no business or familial affiliation with anyone in the trade other than as a customer. Almost all of the Selection Massale portfolio is new to me, but fortunately they represent one producer whose wines I've bought in the past and whose wines are now available here, even though none of their wines were poured at this tasting.
1995 Caves Duplessis Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - Essence of preserved lemon and a hint of peppermint, it has held up pretty well.
Whites
We started with a sparkling Gringet, a Beaujolais blanc that includes some pinot gris, and an Altesse. This was my first sparkling Gringet, and though I've had a lot of Brun's Beaujolais blanc and Franck Peillot's Altesse through the years, it was exciting to try a different producer's takes on those types, as none of them disappointed.
2011 Domaine Belluard Gringet Mont Blanc Brut Zéro - Ample tangerine/Meyer lemon fruit, a little Earl Gray (I don't care, I won't call it bergamot) with nice weight and minerality and great cut.
2011 Bruno Debize Beaujolais - Sea air, chalk, tea, and pear on the nose gives way to incredible salinity, rich fruit, and a satisfyingly zingy finish. I can't recall ever having anything else like it.
2011 Domaine Dupasquier Altesse Roussette de Savoie - A refreshing combination of light honey, apricot, and minerals, with a tangy finish. I have had a lot of Peillot's Altesse through the years, and by comparison this was a little rounder and more fruit-driven compared to the intensely mineral and precise Peillot style, but still has plenty of verve.
Reds
The reds were as good as the whites. I don't have any sort of benchmark for Trollinger, but the 2013 Knauß is an ideal summer wine. I'm a sucker for Côt and Gamay, and these were two good representatives of each.
2013 Weingut Knauß Trollinger - Gluggable and fun.
2013 Jérémy Quastana Vin de France Côt'Lectif - A crispy, herbal, floral expression of Côt, with ample but supple tannin. I don't know how much of the herbaceousness is the character of the vintage and how much is the vineyard and producer style, but it wasn't at all unpleasant, it just took a moment to adjust as most of my experience with Côt is with the crystalline and pure Clos Roche Blanche.
2013 Bruno Debize Vin de France Apinost - Crisp fresh fruit, violets,, and a little rhubarb, an excellent balance of exuberance and seriousness.
Bonus Wine
When winemakers or schnooks come to town, I've made it a tradition to bring some older wines from the winery or the schnook's portfolio from my cellar. My prime motivation is the joy of sharing these wines with others who will appreciate and enjoy them, as I've always seen wine as a social beverage and a huge part of its pleasure comes from sharing the experience with others. That doing so provides at least a small incentive for the guests to return so I can enjoy their company again and gives others who may be trying for the first time wines that I've loved for years some idea how the wines will evolve are just incidental benefits. To avoid any confusion, though, I have no business or familial affiliation with anyone in the trade other than as a customer. Almost all of the Selection Massale portfolio is new to me, but fortunately they represent one producer whose wines I've bought in the past and whose wines are now available here, even though none of their wines were poured at this tasting.
1995 Caves Duplessis Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - Essence of preserved lemon and a hint of peppermint, it has held up pretty well.