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
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Burgundy | 1 | 95-98 (BH) |
Inc. VAT
£10,816.32 |
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Burghound (95-98)While the wood treatment is certainly evident it's more subtle on the overtly cool and restrained nose that is markedly spicy with its combination of relatively high-toned aromas of red cherry, raspberry, rose petal and a suggestion of earth. There is excellent power and punch to the large-scaled flavors that are a combination of power and refinement while being blessed with an abundance of sappy dry extract that imparts a seductive quality to the mouth coating, hugely long and very firmly structured finish. It's going to be interesting in 25 or 30 years' time to see which of these is the better wine, assuming that one of them will be! |
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Burgundy | 3 | 97-99 (IB) |
Inc. VAT
£3,607.92 |
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Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (97-99)(5-Star Wine) Cyrielle serves this wine last as it takes longer to eat its oak. A little bit of reduction related to the oak does indeed show. The barrel also expresses its tannins a little more forcefully at the finish. But these are details which will not affect the long term majesty of this wine which is showing an almost austere concentration of fruit. A marvellous wine but I do not think it will quite challenge the Chambertin. Tasted Nov 2019. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 97-99 (IB) |
Inc. VAT
£13,536.72 |
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Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (97-99)(5-Star Wine) Cyrielle serves this wine last as it takes longer to eat its oak. A little bit of reduction related to the oak does indeed show. The barrel also expresses its tannins a little more forcefully at the finish. But these are details which will not affect the long term majesty of this wine which is showing an almost austere concentration of fruit. A marvellous wine but I do not think it will quite challenge the Chambertin. Tasted Nov 2019. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 100 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£2,858.80 |
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Decanter (100)Rousseau Clos de Bèze is a blend of three plots that total 1.42ha. Cyrielle believes the wine shows better in its youth than Chambertin. Both wines, however, are vinified in the same way: destemmed, long maceration, gentle extraction and ageing in new François Frères barrels. The result is sublime: charming in its youth, with accessible, ripe notes of red and black fruits, spice, mineral and game, plus a velvety, dense texture that is firm but not forbidding. This has the substance to last fifty years if cellared well. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 100 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£17,805.58 |
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Decanter (100)Rousseau Clos de Bèze is a blend of three plots that total 1.42ha. Cyrielle believes the wine shows better in its youth than Chambertin. Both wines, however, are vinified in the same way: destemmed, long maceration, gentle extraction and ageing in new François Frères barrels. The result is sublime: charming in its youth, with accessible, ripe notes of red and black fruits, spice, mineral and game, plus a velvety, dense texture that is firm but not forbidding. This has the substance to last fifty years if cellared well. |
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Burgundy | 3 | 98-100 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£4,106.20 |
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Vinous (98-100)The 2020 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has an even more complex bouquet than the Chambertin - a quite profound, quite riveting cornucopia of red berry fruit, sous-bois and crushed stone all delivered with breathtaking delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, perhaps more saline than the Chambertin, wonderful acidity with real depth and structure towards the finish that already feels extremely persistent. Potential wine of the vintage, right here. |
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Burgundy | 3 | 18 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£2,005.32 |
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Jancis Robinson (18)Cask sample. Mid-dark ruby. Quite a discreet nose. The fruit is fuller, darker and thicker on the palate than the Chambertin. Less redcurrant, darker red-cherry and forest fruit. This said, it’s less voluble and exuberant than the 2020. Definite cool-year effect. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 90 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£772.80 |
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Vinous (90)Rousseau’s 1988 Charmes-Chambertin was superb. Deeply expressive, it blossomed on the palate with endless layers of flavor, stunning balance, and a note of sweetness on the long, lingering finish. |
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Burgundy | 6 | 88.5 |
Inc. VAT
£882.12 |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (VN (NM)) |
Inc. VAT
£963.86 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (95)The 2019 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is a splendid wine for the vintage. This has a sensual bouquet with vibrant red berry fruit, wild hedgerow, rose petal and, as I wrote before, quintessential Rousseau in style. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied and armed with that killer thread of acidity. Vibrant and mineral-driven, it fans out gloriously towards the finish and has a long road ahead of it. Superb. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 94-96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£780.00 |
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Vinous (94-96)The 2020 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a mixture of red and black fruit, beautifully delineated, hints of blood orange and crushed stone percolating through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, slightly granular in texture towards the finish that displays commendable weight and length. Again, there is just the right sapidity on the finish. Superb. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 94-96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£4,698.35 |
|||||
Vinous (94-96)The 2020 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a mixture of red and black fruit, beautifully delineated, hints of blood orange and crushed stone percolating through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, slightly granular in texture towards the finish that displays commendable weight and length. Again, there is just the right sapidity on the finish. Superb. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 95-98 (BH) |
In Bond
£8,995.00 |
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Burghound (95-98)While the wood treatment is certainly evident it's more subtle on the overtly cool and restrained nose that is markedly spicy with its combination of relatively high-toned aromas of red cherry, raspberry, rose petal and a suggestion of earth. There is excellent power and punch to the large-scaled flavors that are a combination of power and refinement while being blessed with an abundance of sappy dry extract that imparts a seductive quality to the mouth coating, hugely long and very firmly structured finish. It's going to be interesting in 25 or 30 years' time to see which of these is the better wine, assuming that one of them will be! |
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|
|
Burgundy | 3 | 97-99 (IB) |
In Bond
£3,003.50 |
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Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (97-99)(5-Star Wine) Cyrielle serves this wine last as it takes longer to eat its oak. A little bit of reduction related to the oak does indeed show. The barrel also expresses its tannins a little more forcefully at the finish. But these are details which will not affect the long term majesty of this wine which is showing an almost austere concentration of fruit. A marvellous wine but I do not think it will quite challenge the Chambertin. Tasted Nov 2019. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 97-99 (IB) |
In Bond
£11,262.00 |
|||||
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (97-99)(5-Star Wine) Cyrielle serves this wine last as it takes longer to eat its oak. A little bit of reduction related to the oak does indeed show. The barrel also expresses its tannins a little more forcefully at the finish. But these are details which will not affect the long term majesty of this wine which is showing an almost austere concentration of fruit. A marvellous wine but I do not think it will quite challenge the Chambertin. Tasted Nov 2019. |
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|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 100 (DC) |
In Bond
£2,379.00 |
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Decanter (100)Rousseau Clos de Bèze is a blend of three plots that total 1.42ha. Cyrielle believes the wine shows better in its youth than Chambertin. Both wines, however, are vinified in the same way: destemmed, long maceration, gentle extraction and ageing in new François Frères barrels. The result is sublime: charming in its youth, with accessible, ripe notes of red and black fruits, spice, mineral and game, plus a velvety, dense texture that is firm but not forbidding. This has the substance to last fifty years if cellared well. |
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|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 100 (DC) |
In Bond
£14,818.00 |
|||||
Decanter (100)Rousseau Clos de Bèze is a blend of three plots that total 1.42ha. Cyrielle believes the wine shows better in its youth than Chambertin. Both wines, however, are vinified in the same way: destemmed, long maceration, gentle extraction and ageing in new François Frères barrels. The result is sublime: charming in its youth, with accessible, ripe notes of red and black fruits, spice, mineral and game, plus a velvety, dense texture that is firm but not forbidding. This has the substance to last fifty years if cellared well. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 3 | 98-100 (VN) |
In Bond
£3,418.50 |
|||||
Vinous (98-100)The 2020 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has an even more complex bouquet than the Chambertin - a quite profound, quite riveting cornucopia of red berry fruit, sous-bois and crushed stone all delivered with breathtaking delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, perhaps more saline than the Chambertin, wonderful acidity with real depth and structure towards the finish that already feels extremely persistent. Potential wine of the vintage, right here. |
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|
|
Burgundy | 3 | 18 (JR) |
In Bond
£1,668.00 |
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Jancis Robinson (18)Cask sample. Mid-dark ruby. Quite a discreet nose. The fruit is fuller, darker and thicker on the palate than the Chambertin. Less redcurrant, darker red-cherry and forest fruit. This said, it’s less voluble and exuberant than the 2020. Definite cool-year effect. |
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|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 90 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£772.80 |
|||||
Vinous (90)Rousseau’s 1988 Charmes-Chambertin was superb. Deeply expressive, it blossomed on the palate with endless layers of flavor, stunning balance, and a note of sweetness on the long, lingering finish. |
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Burgundy | 6 | 88.5 |
In Bond
£732.00 |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (VN (NM)) |
In Bond
£800.00 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (95)The 2019 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is a splendid wine for the vintage. This has a sensual bouquet with vibrant red berry fruit, wild hedgerow, rose petal and, as I wrote before, quintessential Rousseau in style. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied and armed with that killer thread of acidity. Vibrant and mineral-driven, it fans out gloriously towards the finish and has a long road ahead of it. Superb. |
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|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 94-96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£780.00 |
|||||
Vinous (94-96)The 2020 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a mixture of red and black fruit, beautifully delineated, hints of blood orange and crushed stone percolating through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, slightly granular in texture towards the finish that displays commendable weight and length. Again, there is just the right sapidity on the finish. Superb. |
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|
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Burgundy | 1 | 94-96 (VN) |
In Bond
£3,896.00 |
|||||
Vinous (94-96)The 2020 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a mixture of red and black fruit, beautifully delineated, hints of blood orange and crushed stone percolating through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, slightly granular in texture towards the finish that displays commendable weight and length. Again, there is just the right sapidity on the finish. Superb. |
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