France
The vast and diverse wine regions of France, each with its own unique terroirs, grape varieties, and winemaking techniques, are a treasure trove.
In Bordeaux, the birthplace of some of the world's most iconic wines, esteemed vineyards such as Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Haut-Brion produce exceptional red wines, showcasing the art of blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The region is also renowned for its exquisite white wines, with vineyards like Château d'Yquem and Domaine de Chevalier producing legendary sweet wines.
Moving to Burgundy, the vineyards of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, and Domaine Armand Rousseau capture the essence of the region's revered terroir, crafting exquisite red wines from the Pinot Noir grape. Meanwhile, Domaine Leflaive and Domaine Coche-Dury are celebrated for their world-class white wines, predominantly made from Chardonnay.
The Champagne region, known for its sparkling wines, boasts illustrious houses such as Krug, Dom Pérignon, and Moët & Chandon, as well as grower-producers like Pierre Péters and Jacques Selosse. These vineyards create exceptional sparkling wines using the traditional method, offering a symphony of delicate bubbles, elegant flavors, and vibrant acidity.
In the Rhône Valley, iconic vineyards like Chapoutier, E. Guigal, and Château de Beaucastel produce remarkable red wines in the northern appellations of Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Cornas, showcasing the elegance and power of Syrah. Further south, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is celebrated for its rich and full-bodied red blends, with Château Rayas and Clos des Papes leading the way.
In Alsace, vineyards such as Domaine Zind-Humbrecht and omaine Trimbach craft exquisite white wines, including Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris, expressing the region's unique terroir and varietal character.
These are just a few highlights among the diverse array of wines that France offers. From the Loire Valley's crisp whites and elegant reds to the Languedoc-Roussillon's bold and robust wines, each region presents its own vinous treasures.
France
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(1x150cl) 2018Vinous (90-92)
The 2018 Meursault Sur le Dos de l’Ane has a very intense bouquet that is actually quite Puligny-like in style. The palate is well balanced with a saline tang on the entry, modest depth and a spicy, energetic finish. Fine.Inc. VAT£628.48 -
(6x75cl) 2019Vinous (92)
The 2019 Meursault Sous le Dos l’Ane 1er Cru has a very Puligny-like bouquet, well defined, quite poised with traces of yellow plum and apricot, very pretty. The palate is quite edgy on the opening. There is a small reduction at play here, but fine weight and concentration with a tensile, stem ginger-tinged finish that is very satisfying. Maybe not long-term, but utterly delicious. Closure: Diam 30Inc. VAT£2,042.75 -
Vinous (90)
The 2020 Meursault Sous Le Dos d'Ane offers traces of orchard fruit, hints of linseed and hazelnut, nicely focused and gains intensity in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a slightly tangy entry, hints of orange rind and fresh pear and moderate depth with a tensile and slightly pithy finish.Inc. VAT£2,239.49 -
(6x75cl) 2021Inc. VAT£2,334.90 -
Wine Advocate (92+)
The 2022 Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d'Ane exhibits aromas of pear, white flowers, freshly baked bread and stuck match, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and racy palate that's pure and precise, concluding with a chalky finish. As readers may remember, this parcel, formerly planted to red, abuts Pierre Morey's Meursault Perrières, and the soils are very stony.Inc. VAT£1,851.49 -
Vinous (94-97)
(there's just a single 350-liter barrel of this juice, made from vines planted along a north-south axis): Bright, light yellow. Reduced aromas of apricot, peach, iodine and grilled, smoky oak. Large-scaled, solid and sweet but with strong lemony acidity and iodiney crushed-stone character enlivening the stone fruit and orange blossom flavors. At once powerful and airy, finishing with a tannic impression and outstanding extract and length. This wine may well need a decade in barrel to digest its oak. Incidentally, Rémy told me he uses 15% new oak for the village wines, 20% for his premier crus and 25% for the grand crus.Inc. VAT£28,553.99 -
(6x75cl) 2021Inc. VAT£613.46 -
(6x75cl) 2022Inc. VAT£574.48 -
Inc. VAT£795.20 -
(6x75cl) 2019Inc. VAT£926.66 -
(12x75cl) 2002Wine Spectator (93)
Great purity, allowing the vineyard to shine through. Suggests apple, fig and citrus aromas and flavors, but is really about mineral, energy and fine balance. Everything is in the right proportion, and it glides to a long, detailed aftertaste. Drink now through 2015. 648 cases imported. -BSInc. VAT£6,524.64 -
(1x75cl) 2002Wine Spectator (93)
Great purity, allowing the vineyard to shine through. Suggests apple, fig and citrus aromas and flavors, but is really about mineral, energy and fine balance. Everything is in the right proportion, and it glides to a long, detailed aftertaste. Drink now through 2015. 648 cases imported. -BSInc. VAT£537.72 -
(1x75cl) 2005Wine & Spirit Magazine (95)
This wine hums with energy, with the tight, floral perfume of chardonnay grown in Puligny, a focus on lime and orange blossoms, an astonishing integration of oak and mineral tension with the fruit. It feels buoyant, a rich beauty that keeps improving over the course of several days. Along with the freshness of the fruit, there's a sense of cool limestone radiating the warmth of the sun. The domaine owns an 11.84-acre parcel of Clavoillon, with vines dating to 1959.Inc. VAT£430.40 -
Wine Advocate (91-93)
The 2017 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon is excellent, and a clear step up over the Puligny Village, something that can't be taken for granted. Offering up aromas of lemon, beeswax, white flowers and blanched almonds, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny and nicely concentrated, with tangy acids, chewy extract and a long, precise finish. It's promisingly tight-knit and should develop further before it's bottled.Inc. VAT£3,093.49 -
(3x150cl) 2018Burghound (91)
A notably ripe but not really exotic nose attractively layered and fresh aromas that combine floral nuances with those of citrus peel, pear and soft spice hints. There is good energy to the medium weight flavors that possess solid detail on the palate coating finish that is at once clean, dry and, minerally and still a bit youthfully austere. This is a quality 2018 that is coming along nicely and is a wine that could easily be enjoyed now though I would advise holding it for another few years in the hopes that more depth will progressively develop. Drink: Try from 2026+Inc. VAT£1,753.92 -
Burghound (91)
A notably ripe but not really exotic nose attractively layered and fresh aromas that combine floral nuances with those of citrus peel, pear and soft spice hints. There is good energy to the medium weight flavors that possess solid detail on the palate coating finish that is at once clean, dry and, minerally and still a bit youthfully austere. This is a quality 2018 that is coming along nicely and is a wine that could easily be enjoyed now though I would advise holding it for another few years in the hopes that more depth will progressively develop. Drink: Try from 2026+Inc. VAT£2,964.72 -
Vinous (93)
The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has a very fine bouquet with dew-speckled green apples, petrichor and lime gradually unfolding in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with an almost piercing line of acidity, yet it remains very well-balanced with ample weight on the sapid finish. Very fine.Inc. VAT£816.41 -
(6x75cl) 2019Vinous (93)
The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has a very fine bouquet with dew-speckled green apples, petrichor and lime gradually unfolding in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with an almost piercing line of acidity, yet it remains very well-balanced with ample weight on the sapid finish. Very fine.Inc. VAT£2,417.15 -
(3x75cl) 2020Vinous (93)
The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has a delineated and tightly coiled nose with crushed stone-infused green apple, rather fresh considering the growing season, with hints of grass clipping. The palate is cohesive on the entry with a bitter lemon note that lends this Puligny tension; it's fresh and saline with a cohesive and persistent finish. Very classy and has immense promise.Inc. VAT£1,109.16 -
(6x75cl) 2020Vinous (93)
The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has a delineated and tightly coiled nose with crushed stone-infused green apple, rather fresh considering the growing season, with hints of grass clipping. The palate is cohesive on the entry with a bitter lemon note that lends this Puligny tension; it's fresh and saline with a cohesive and persistent finish. Very classy and has immense promise.Inc. VAT£2,127.12 -
(3x75cl) 2021Burghound (92-94)
(Sweet Spot Outstanding) Here the reduction is sufficient to overshadow the fruit. There is even better volume to the sleek and delicious middleweight flavors that are less mineral-driven but more powerful and slightly more persistent and bone-dry finish that is also exceptionally well-balanced. This is excellent and I would go so far as to observe that it's the best vintage for the Clavoillon in a long time. It is typically considered to be less interesting than the other 1ers (and not without reason) in the Leflaive portfolio and while it doesn't surpass them in 2021, it is most impressive nonetheless.Inc. VAT£953.44 -
Burghound (92-94)
(Sweet Spot Outstanding) Here the reduction is sufficient to overshadow the fruit. There is even better volume to the sleek and delicious middleweight flavors that are less mineral-driven but more powerful and slightly more persistent and bone-dry finish that is also exceptionally well-balanced. This is excellent and I would go so far as to observe that it's the best vintage for the Clavoillon in a long time. It is typically considered to be less interesting than the other 1ers (and not without reason) in the Leflaive portfolio and while it doesn't surpass them in 2021, it is most impressive nonetheless.Inc. VAT£2,637.49 -
Wine Advocate (93)
The 2022 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon unwinds in the glass with a gently reductive bouquet of pear, sweet citrus zest, wet stones and wheat toast. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and racy, it's bright and saline, with a long, penetrating finish.Inc. VAT£1,231.69 -
(12x75cl) 2003Wine Advocate (90-92)
Bursting forth with spicy yellow plums, apricots, and pears, the 2003 Puligny-Montrachet Combettes (white) is a delightfully soft, deep, rich medium-bodied wine. Its beguiling candied apple, sweet mineral, and spiced pear flavors are fleshy, expressive, and prolonged throughout its suave finish. Anticipated maturity: now-2012.Inc. VAT£6,174.58 -
(3x150cl) 2015Vinous (94)
The 2015 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has a potent, broody, slightly oily bouquet with hints of linseed and walnut oil. I appreciate the detail here. The palate is very well defined with just a hint of lime on the entry, though not too strong. The acidity is well judged and the oak neatly integrated, so that the finish remains precise and with just the right amount of salinity. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting. (DIAM D closure)Inc. VAT£2,885.09 -
(3x150cl) 2018Vinous (94)
The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has as well-defined and mineral-driven bouquet, discrete but nicely focused. The palate is well balanced with a saline, lime and citrus entry, fine weight. Maybe not as complex as its peers yet full of energy. Pure class. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting.Inc. VAT£3,323.52 -
(3x75cl) 2019Vinous (96)
The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru is a step up in terms of mineralité and terroir expression from the preceeding Folatières. There is more precision, greater expression of place. The palate sports a very small reduction on the entry, then it segues into a very concentrated mid-palate that seems to fill the mouth. Great depth and spiciness towards the finish, this is an outstanding Combettes from Leflaive. Closure: Diam 30Inc. VAT£1,957.56 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes once again dares to challenge—and to my palate, surpass—Leflaive's Pucelles. Exhibiting aromas of peach, pear, nutmeg, pastry cream and white flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with racy acids, chalky structuring extract and a long, resonant finish. This old-vine parcel was reprieved from planned replanting several years ago, and today's farming choices mean that it's going strong.Inc. VAT£4,102.32 -
(1x75cl) 2021Vinous - Neal Martin (94)
The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has a reductive nose but works brilliantly, retaining delineation and conveying a sense of coiled-up energy. It just needs time. The palate is fresh on the entry, a little riper than its peers, though it feels balanced and more rounded in texture. Hints of tropical fruit interlace on the finish, which has just the right amount of sapidity. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.Inc. VAT£564.25 -
(3x75cl) 2022Vinous - Neal Martin (97)
The 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has a very classy nose: superb delineation, crushed stone and apple blossom, strict and linear, yet intense. The palate is very well balanced with almost "biting" acidity. Citrus-fresh, very saline and sapid, it really builds in the mouth to a very complete and harmonious, saline finish. Exhilarating. Bottled under Diam. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.Inc. VAT£1,893.14
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(1x150cl) 2018Vinous (90-92)
The 2018 Meursault Sur le Dos de l’Ane has a very intense bouquet that is actually quite Puligny-like in style. The palate is well balanced with a saline tang on the entry, modest depth and a spicy, energetic finish. Fine.In Bond£517.53 -
(6x75cl) 2019Vinous (92)
The 2019 Meursault Sous le Dos l’Ane 1er Cru has a very Puligny-like bouquet, well defined, quite poised with traces of yellow plum and apricot, very pretty. The palate is quite edgy on the opening. There is a small reduction at play here, but fine weight and concentration with a tensile, stem ginger-tinged finish that is very satisfying. Maybe not long-term, but utterly delicious. Closure: Diam 30In Bond£1,683.00 -
Vinous (90)
The 2020 Meursault Sous Le Dos d'Ane offers traces of orchard fruit, hints of linseed and hazelnut, nicely focused and gains intensity in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a slightly tangy entry, hints of orange rind and fresh pear and moderate depth with a tensile and slightly pithy finish.In Bond£1,847.00 -
(6x75cl) 2021In Bond£1,927.84 -
Wine Advocate (92+)
The 2022 Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d'Ane exhibits aromas of pear, white flowers, freshly baked bread and stuck match, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and racy palate that's pure and precise, concluding with a chalky finish. As readers may remember, this parcel, formerly planted to red, abuts Pierre Morey's Meursault Perrières, and the soils are very stony.In Bond£1,525.00 -
Vinous (94-97)
(there's just a single 350-liter barrel of this juice, made from vines planted along a north-south axis): Bright, light yellow. Reduced aromas of apricot, peach, iodine and grilled, smoky oak. Large-scaled, solid and sweet but with strong lemony acidity and iodiney crushed-stone character enlivening the stone fruit and orange blossom flavors. At once powerful and airy, finishing with a tannic impression and outstanding extract and length. This wine may well need a decade in barrel to digest its oak. Incidentally, Rémy told me he uses 15% new oak for the village wines, 20% for his premier crus and 25% for the grand crus.In Bond£23,792.00 -
(6x75cl) 2021In Bond£494.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022In Bond£460.82 -
In Bond£642.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019In Bond£751.55 -
(12x75cl) 2002Wine Spectator (93)
Great purity, allowing the vineyard to shine through. Suggests apple, fig and citrus aromas and flavors, but is really about mineral, energy and fine balance. Everything is in the right proportion, and it glides to a long, detailed aftertaste. Drink now through 2015. 648 cases imported. -BSIn Bond£5,400.00 -
(1x75cl) 2002Wine Spectator (93)
Great purity, allowing the vineyard to shine through. Suggests apple, fig and citrus aromas and flavors, but is really about mineral, energy and fine balance. Everything is in the right proportion, and it glides to a long, detailed aftertaste. Drink now through 2015. 648 cases imported. -BSIn Bond£445.00 -
(1x75cl) 2005Wine & Spirit Magazine (95)
This wine hums with energy, with the tight, floral perfume of chardonnay grown in Puligny, a focus on lime and orange blossoms, an astonishing integration of oak and mineral tension with the fruit. It feels buoyant, a rich beauty that keeps improving over the course of several days. Along with the freshness of the fruit, there's a sense of cool limestone radiating the warmth of the sun. The domaine owns an 11.84-acre parcel of Clavoillon, with vines dating to 1959.In Bond£356.00 -
Wine Advocate (91-93)
The 2017 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon is excellent, and a clear step up over the Puligny Village, something that can't be taken for granted. Offering up aromas of lemon, beeswax, white flowers and blanched almonds, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny and nicely concentrated, with tangy acids, chewy extract and a long, precise finish. It's promisingly tight-knit and should develop further before it's bottled.In Bond£2,560.00 -
(3x150cl) 2018Burghound (91)
A notably ripe but not really exotic nose attractively layered and fresh aromas that combine floral nuances with those of citrus peel, pear and soft spice hints. There is good energy to the medium weight flavors that possess solid detail on the palate coating finish that is at once clean, dry and, minerally and still a bit youthfully austere. This is a quality 2018 that is coming along nicely and is a wine that could easily be enjoyed now though I would advise holding it for another few years in the hopes that more depth will progressively develop. Drink: Try from 2026+In Bond£1,443.00 -
Burghound (91)
A notably ripe but not really exotic nose attractively layered and fresh aromas that combine floral nuances with those of citrus peel, pear and soft spice hints. There is good energy to the medium weight flavors that possess solid detail on the palate coating finish that is at once clean, dry and, minerally and still a bit youthfully austere. This is a quality 2018 that is coming along nicely and is a wine that could easily be enjoyed now though I would advise holding it for another few years in the hopes that more depth will progressively develop. Drink: Try from 2026+In Bond£2,452.00 -
Vinous (93)
The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has a very fine bouquet with dew-speckled green apples, petrichor and lime gradually unfolding in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with an almost piercing line of acidity, yet it remains very well-balanced with ample weight on the sapid finish. Very fine.In Bond£675.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019Vinous (93)
The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has a very fine bouquet with dew-speckled green apples, petrichor and lime gradually unfolding in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with an almost piercing line of acidity, yet it remains very well-balanced with ample weight on the sapid finish. Very fine.In Bond£1,995.00 -
(3x75cl) 2020Vinous (93)
The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has a delineated and tightly coiled nose with crushed stone-infused green apple, rather fresh considering the growing season, with hints of grass clipping. The palate is cohesive on the entry with a bitter lemon note that lends this Puligny tension; it's fresh and saline with a cohesive and persistent finish. Very classy and has immense promise.In Bond£915.00 -
(6x75cl) 2020Vinous (93)
The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has a delineated and tightly coiled nose with crushed stone-infused green apple, rather fresh considering the growing season, with hints of grass clipping. The palate is cohesive on the entry with a bitter lemon note that lends this Puligny tension; it's fresh and saline with a cohesive and persistent finish. Very classy and has immense promise.In Bond£1,754.00 -
(3x75cl) 2021Burghound (92-94)
(Sweet Spot Outstanding) Here the reduction is sufficient to overshadow the fruit. There is even better volume to the sleek and delicious middleweight flavors that are less mineral-driven but more powerful and slightly more persistent and bone-dry finish that is also exceptionally well-balanced. This is excellent and I would go so far as to observe that it's the best vintage for the Clavoillon in a long time. It is typically considered to be less interesting than the other 1ers (and not without reason) in the Leflaive portfolio and while it doesn't surpass them in 2021, it is most impressive nonetheless.In Bond£785.57 -
Burghound (92-94)
(Sweet Spot Outstanding) Here the reduction is sufficient to overshadow the fruit. There is even better volume to the sleek and delicious middleweight flavors that are less mineral-driven but more powerful and slightly more persistent and bone-dry finish that is also exceptionally well-balanced. This is excellent and I would go so far as to observe that it's the best vintage for the Clavoillon in a long time. It is typically considered to be less interesting than the other 1ers (and not without reason) in the Leflaive portfolio and while it doesn't surpass them in 2021, it is most impressive nonetheless.In Bond£2,180.00 -
Wine Advocate (93)
The 2022 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon unwinds in the glass with a gently reductive bouquet of pear, sweet citrus zest, wet stones and wheat toast. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and racy, it's bright and saline, with a long, penetrating finish.In Bond£1,008.50 -
(12x75cl) 2003Wine Advocate (90-92)
Bursting forth with spicy yellow plums, apricots, and pears, the 2003 Puligny-Montrachet Combettes (white) is a delightfully soft, deep, rich medium-bodied wine. Its beguiling candied apple, sweet mineral, and spiced pear flavors are fleshy, expressive, and prolonged throughout its suave finish. Anticipated maturity: now-2012.In Bond£5,107.00 -
(3x150cl) 2015Vinous (94)
The 2015 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has a potent, broody, slightly oily bouquet with hints of linseed and walnut oil. I appreciate the detail here. The palate is very well defined with just a hint of lime on the entry, though not too strong. The acidity is well judged and the oak neatly integrated, so that the finish remains precise and with just the right amount of salinity. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting. (DIAM D closure)In Bond£2,385.00 -
(3x150cl) 2018Vinous (94)
The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has as well-defined and mineral-driven bouquet, discrete but nicely focused. The palate is well balanced with a saline, lime and citrus entry, fine weight. Maybe not as complex as its peers yet full of energy. Pure class. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting.In Bond£2,751.00 -
(3x75cl) 2019Vinous (96)
The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru is a step up in terms of mineralité and terroir expression from the preceeding Folatières. There is more precision, greater expression of place. The palate sports a very small reduction on the entry, then it segues into a very concentrated mid-palate that seems to fill the mouth. Great depth and spiciness towards the finish, this is an outstanding Combettes from Leflaive. Closure: Diam 30In Bond£1,621.65 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes once again dares to challenge—and to my palate, surpass—Leflaive's Pucelles. Exhibiting aromas of peach, pear, nutmeg, pastry cream and white flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with racy acids, chalky structuring extract and a long, resonant finish. This old-vine parcel was reprieved from planned replanting several years ago, and today's farming choices mean that it's going strong.In Bond£3,400.00 -
(1x75cl) 2021Vinous - Neal Martin (94)
The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has a reductive nose but works brilliantly, retaining delineation and conveying a sense of coiled-up energy. It just needs time. The palate is fresh on the entry, a little riper than its peers, though it feels balanced and more rounded in texture. Hints of tropical fruit interlace on the finish, which has just the right amount of sapidity. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.In Bond£467.00 -
(3x75cl) 2022Vinous - Neal Martin (97)
The 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has a very classy nose: superb delineation, crushed stone and apple blossom, strict and linear, yet intense. The palate is very well balanced with almost "biting" acidity. Citrus-fresh, very saline and sapid, it really builds in the mouth to a very complete and harmonious, saline finish. Exhilarating. Bottled under Diam. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.In Bond£1,568.00

