Mas d'Alezon Faugeres Le Presbytere, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

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Near-absence of sulfur is especially evident in the wood smoke, chocolate and toasted almond and pistachio overtones to her 2009 Faugeres Le Presbytere and perhaps more subtly in the caressing texture of this Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre blend that brims with ripe black raspberry. Suggestions of aromatic woods and persistent nut oils, along with subtle intimations of game inform the soothing finish of an elegant, almost Burgundy-weight Faugeres which I suspect will be best enjoyed over the next 3-5 years. Catherine Roque (for more on whose Mas d'Alezon consult my report in issue 183) has vinified her first Faugeres blanc - primarily from Roussanne and Clairette - but that wine, while clearly promising, was still fermenting its last bit of sugar when I visited. She is also pushing the envelope on diminished sulfur (which may partly be from fashion, or from a belief that this goes hand-in-hand with her biodynamic viticultural regimen) in what are as ever relatively low-alcohol, conspicuously high-altitude, "Burgundian" interpretations of Faugeres.There is no current importer to the U.S.

Quite gamey in the nose, but also redolent of fresh black raspberry and purple plum, the d'Alezon 2008 Faugeres Le Presbytere - an inaugural, majority Grenache cuvee named for the ancient location of the estate press house - exhibits pronounced salinity that help set-off the fruit on its rather lean but juicy palate and render its finish mouthwatering and invigorating. As I found myself writing already in issue 183, "these will not be every taster's cup of Faugeres, but I found them refreshing in more ways than one," a description especially apt for this wine from the hail-on 2008 vintage, which I would plan to enjoy over the next couple of years. Catherine Roque (for more on whose Mas d'Alezon consult my report in issue 183) has vinified her first Faugeres blanc - primarily from Roussanne and Clairette - but that wine, while clearly promising, was still fermenting its last bit of sugar when I visited. She is also pushing the envelope on diminished sulfur (which may partly be from fashion, or from a belief that this goes hand-in-hand with her biodynamic viticultural regimen) in what are as ever relatively low-alcohol, conspicuously high-altitude, "Burgundian" interpretations of Faugeres.There is no current importer to the U.S.