France
France
Château Puygueraud 2003 Côtes de Francs
French Red
Deep ruby colour accompanies a developing bouquet of fresh leather, spice and fruit preserved in spirit. Cigar box and forest-floor notes are also present, together with berry fruit. The palate is round and balanced, while red berry, earth and tobacco appear in the finish. Maturation took place in barrel, and production totalled ninety thousand bottles.
Domaine Bourdy 2020 Cuvée d’Automne Côtes du Jura Rouge
French Red
Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Poulsard form the red blend. The vineyard parcel covers 0.13 hectares, with clay and limestone soils. Farming is organic and harvest is by hand. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts. Maturation is also in stainless steel. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration and with no added sulphur dioxide.
Domaine Gérard Persenot 2023 Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Pinot Noir
French Red
This still red is made from Pinot Noir in Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre. Gérard Persenot is among the growers working in the roughly fifty-hectare Vaux vineyard above the Yonne valley. Vaux was replanted in the 1970s. Its south-southeast-facing slopes carry Kimmeridgian soils, while Portlandian soils occur on the plateau. The domaine is based in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, France.
Domaine Georges Glantenay 2022 Bourgogne Pinot Noir Maison Dieu
French Red
Raspberry, cherry and earth appear in an airy aromatic profile. The palate is energetic and delineated, with a silky, supple texture, pure red fruit and concentration. Pinot Noir is fully destemmed. The fruit comes from Pommard and Volnay parcels; the Volnay portion accounts for roughly seventy percent. The harvest was about half a normal crop, and the finish is lightly austere.
Clos du Tue-Boeuf 2020 Le Brin de Chèvre
French White
Citrus, freshness and minerality are present in a clean, precise profile with a saline finish. Menu Pineau comes from a one-and-a-half-hectare parcel planted with vines between sixty-five and eighty years old. Maturation lasts twelve months in Burgundy barrels. The Brin de Chèvre site lies on the Monthou plateau, where its soils are clay and flint; the wine carries the Vin de France designation.
Domaine Borgeot 2022 Bouzeron Les Tournelles
French White
Pale yellow colour accompanies white fruit, floral notes and subtle minerality. The palate is fresh and lively, with balanced acidity and a persistent finish. Aligoté comes from the Les Tournelles site within Bouzeron. The vineyard covers about one and a half hectares in the northeastern part of the appellation, where the domaine produces roughly five thousand bottles in a typical year.
Domaine Henry Pellé 2017 Menetou-Salon Les Cris Rouge
French Red
Red-berry fruit, fine perfume and spicy acidity accompany developed tannins in a structured profile. Pinot Noir comes from the family's wholly owned Les Cris vineyard, where clay-limestone soils include Kimmeridgian marl and Portlandian limestone. The parcel's vines are about fifty years old. Chalky minerality and concentrated fruit are present, and the wine has a clearly defined tannic frame.
Domaine Jérôme Chezeaux 2020 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Pinot Noir
French Red
Fresh, lively fruit is supported by firm minerality and dusty spice in a sleek profile without new-oak influence. The Pinot Noir comes from parcels spread across Premeaux-Prissey, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Vosne-Romanée. Rich colour and a structured profile accompany elegance and typicity when young. It is a regional expression from the Côte de Nuits and the surroundings of Nuits-Saint-Georges.
Domaine des Marnes Blanches 2021 Les Molates Savagnin Côtes du Jura
French White
White flowers, fresh herbs, parsley, eucalyptus and cut grass appear with coriander seed, toasted sesame and wasabi. The palate includes Granny Smith apple, spiced pear, rhubarb and marinated plum, with lively acidity and an energetic finish. Savagnin grows on white Lias marl. Fermentation uses indigenous yeast without added sulphur, and maturation lasts one year, mainly in foudres. Serve at 12°C.
Domaine Marcel Deiss 2020 Ribeauvillé Alsace
French White
Apricot, ripe apple, candied lemon, orange, white flowers, honey, fresh herbs and spice accompany a medium-bodied palate with richness, texture, fresh acidity and balance. The finish is floral and mineral. Riesling, Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc come from Gruenspiel, Hagueneau and Weinbaum, on limestone, clay, sandstone and gravel. Fermentation uses indigenous yeast, and maturation lasts at least twelve months in large old barrels.
Clos des Vignes du Maynes Julien Guillot 2019 Mâcon-Villages Blanc
French White
Chardonnay comes from vineyards in Chardonnay, Montbellet and Viré-Clessé, where weathered loam lies over limestone. Grapes are hand harvested and selected, then slowly pressed and settled for six to eighteen hours. Fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts in tank without sulphur. The wine spends twelve months on the lees, receives small sulphur additions during racking and after filtration, and is bottled after light filtration.
Domaine des Escaravailles 2022 Argilla ad Argillam Rasteau
French Red
Purple-red colour accompanies wild blackberry, star anise, rosemary, graphite, mineral notes and salinity. The palate is ample and includes wild fruit. Grenache and Syrah come from the Sambiches site at 340 metres, on red clay and limestone. Grapes are hand harvested and fully destemmed, then fermented separately in concrete. Maturation lasts nine months in amphorae. Serve at 16°C.
Château Eugénie Ratafia
French Fortified
Deep amber in colour, this aperitif shows fig, Agen prune and fresh walnut. Sweetness is balanced by freshness in the walnut and prune aromas. Fresh grape juice is combined with spirit distilled from marc, then aged in barrels for 24 to 36 months. It is a traditional aperitif from Quercy. Serve at 10°C. Suggested pairings include foie gras and chocolate desserts.
Legras & Haas Intuition Brut Champagne NV 375 mL
French Sparkling
White fruit, citrus, almond and pastry notes accompany a fresh, creamy palate with a long mineral finish. Chardonnay brings finesse and white-fruit character, Pinot Meunier adds a generous exotic note, and Pinot Noir provides structure and intensity. Lees maturation lasts at least thirty-six months. Suggested pairings include an aperitif, fresh cheese, risotto and fish. Drink within two to three years to retain freshness.
Domaine Juliette Avril 2024 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
French Red
Black raspberry, cassis, violet and blood-orange notes are present in a perfumed, lifted profile. The palate is medium-bodied, with ripe fruit and integrated tannins. The blend is 65 percent Grenache, 25 percent Syrah and 10 percent Mourvèdre. Maturation lasts six months, with 20 percent in foudre and the balance in concrete. Production is approximately 3,300 cases.
Jules Métras 2023 Chica Vin de France Rouge
French Red
Smoky notes accompany tart, juicy red fruit, and the finish is salivating and lightly peppered. The Gamay undergoes cold carbonic maceration as whole bunches. No oenological inputs or added sulphites are used, and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Total sulphites remain below 20 mg/L. Serve at 14°C and decant for thirty minutes. Suggested pairings include charcuterie and cheese.
Domaine Rolet 2023 Arbois Savagnin Ouillé
French White
Peach, pear, citrus and floral notes accompany a fresh, clean profile with saline minerality, volume and a long finish. Savagnin is hand harvested, gently pressed and cold settled. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place in oak casks, with maturation conducted by the ouillé method. The selected vineyards lie in Montigny-lès-Arsures on grey Lias marl. Suggested service is 9 to 11°C.
Maison Philippe Pacalet 2015 Moulin-à-Vent
French Red
Cherry, violet, rose and mineral notes sit within a rich, fresh and structured profile. The Gamay comes from 55-year-old bush vines on southeast-facing granitic soils with manganese and pink coarse sand. Whole bunches ferment with wild yeasts and no sulphites, with daily pigeage for eighteen days. Maturation lasts ten months on the lees in used oak foudres.
Domaine Marcel Deiss 2012 Engelgarten Alsace
French White
Dry, mineral, warm and stony, the wine has a cold, vertical texture with breadth, strength and a salivating quality. Noble bitterness appears on the sharp finish. The field planting combines Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Beurot, Muscat and Pinot Noir. The gravelly white soil has a marked water deficit, while the older vineyard is managed with very short pruning, ploughing and composting. Serve at 10°C.
Clos des Centenaires 2023 Roussanne Vieilles Vignes Costières de Nîmes
French White
Lime blossom and citrus appear with a light toasted note. The palate is ample, vivid and mineral, and freshness is also present. The fruit comes from old Roussanne vines in Costières de Nîmes. Suggested service is 11 to 12°C. Pairings include lobster salad, grilled sea bass and veal with morels. Cellaring potential is three to five years.
Domaine des Lises 2020 Crozes-Hermitage
French Red
Black fruit, earth, tobacco leaf, toasted alder and smoke appear with ripeness and density. The tannins are fine and chalky. The hand-harvested Syrah is 70 to 100 percent destemmed. Primary-fruit freshness is retained. Blackberry, pepper, plum and damson add further detail. The wine is certified Organic, contains thirteen percent alcohol and comes from France's Rhône Valley.
Domaine Chevrot 2019 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc
French White
Pear, apple and lemon appear with white flower, almond, fennel and stony mineral notes. The palate is fresh and medium-bodied, with citrus, orchard fruit, acidity and a saline finish. Chardonnay comes from four vineyards on sand, clay and gravel. The grapes are hand harvested, gently pressed, naturally fermented, aged mostly in older oak, then matured further in steel.
Domaine de l’Écu 2018 Rex
French Red
Fresh strawberry, cherry and raspberry notes are present with supple tannins, and the finish is spicy. Cabernet Franc and Gamay form the blend. The wine is classified as 100 percent Natural and made without added sulphites. Total sulphites are 15 mg/L. This red comes from France's Loire Valley and carries the Vin de France designation.
Brendan Stater-West 2022 Saumur Rouge
French Red
Cabernet Franc from young vines in the La Ripaille parcel shows redcurrant, pomegranate and earth, with mushroom, spice and humus also present. The fruit is fresh, the texture silky and the tannins fine. The vines grow on clay-limestone soils, and the wine has medium structure; suggested serving temperature is 16°C. Pairings include red meat, white meat, veal, sausage and cheese.
Domaine Chevrot 2016 Maranges Sur le Chêne
French Red
Redcurrant, cherry, cassis and wild strawberry sit beside a faint spicy note. The palate is big and round, with mouth-filling fresh red fruit; minerality and tannins are also present. The Pinot Noir comes from hand-harvested vines. Maturation includes twelve months in barrels and three months in wooden vats. Suggested pairings include duck, pork, game, mushrooms and medium-aged cheeses.
Olivier Rivière 2022 Les Jardins d’Édina Côtes de Bourg
French Red
Fresh cherry and raspberry notes sit above a delicate texture, with acidity and gentle sweetness in balance. The Merlot comes from vines more than twenty-five years old on silty soils with clay, gravel and clay-limestone around Bourg and Lansac. Grapes are hand harvested, destemmed and macerated for three weeks, with indigenous fermentation in concrete. Maturation combines concrete and 300-litre barrels.
Famille Quiot Les Combes d’Arnevels 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
French White
The vines occupy a single islet of plots on a hilly limestone plateau covered with white Urgonian rocks. The site lies in the northwest of the appellation, on a high plateau overlooking the Rhône. Winemaking includes pneumatic pressing, static cold settling, four months on the lees and no malolactic fermentation. Roussanne is vinified and matured separately in barrel before final blending.
La Chapelle de Potensac 2018 Médoc
French Red
Blackcurrant, redcurrant, green tobacco, cedar and spring flowers form the aromatic profile. The palate is medium-bodied, supple and harmonious, with light tannins, a round, balanced texture and a fresh finish. The blend is seventy percent Merlot, twenty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and five percent Cabernet Franc. Raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, liquorice, nutmeg and dried almond provide further detail.
Domaine Dupré Goujon 2020 La 6.3.1 Côte de Brouilly
French Red
Sweet-berry, spice and loamy-soil aromas introduce a medium-bodied, fleshy and lively red with sweet, powdery tannins. The cuvée combines the L’Héronde, Le Pavé and Brulhiés terroirs. Whole-bunch semi-carbonic maceration with indigenous yeast lasts ten to twenty-one days, followed by twelve months in barrels and demi-muids and twelve months in tank. The wine is bottled unfiltered.
Cyprien Arlaud 2023 Scritch Bourgogne Aligoté
French White
White fruit, pear and fresh vegetal notes meet delicate oak and mineral character. The palate is round and full, with freshness, mineral tension and a long, spicy, saline finish. Aligoté comes from 45-year-old vines on calcareous soils and is harvested by hand. Whole clusters are pressed slowly, fermentation occurs spontaneously in stainless steel, and the wine remains in steel for maturation.