France - All Red Wines
France stands as the epitome of excellence when it comes to crafting red wines that showcase the diversity of terroirs, grape varieties, and winemaking traditions.
In Bordeaux, the renowned Left Bank vineyards of Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Haut-Brion epitomize the artistry of winemaking. These prestigious estates craft red wines that blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, resulting in wines of depth, structure, and complexity. The wines from the Right Bank, such as those from Pétrus, Château Ausone, and Château Cheval Blanc, offer elegance, refinement, and a focus on Merlot as the dominant grape variety.
In Burgundy, the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune regions are home to iconic vineyards like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, and Domaine Armand Rousseau. These vineyards produce world-renowned Pinot Noir wines that showcase finesse, complexity, and a captivating expression of their unique terroirs.
The Rhône Valley boasts appellations such as Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In Hermitage, producers like Jean-Louis Chave and Domaine Jean-Louis Grippat craft powerful and age-worthy Syrah-based wines with immense structure and complexity. Côte-Rôtie is known for its elegant and perfumed Syrah wines, while Châteauneuf-du-Pape combines a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre to create bold and full-bodied wines.
Moving to the Loire Valley, the vineyards of Chinon and Saumur-Champigny shine with exceptional Cabernet Franc wines. Producers such as Charles Joguet and Domaine Guiberteau showcase the region's ability to craft wines of finesse, with notes of red fruits, spice, and a characteristic herbal undertone.
Finally, in the south, the Languedoc-Roussillon region is celebrated for its bold and robust red wines. Vineyards like Mas de Daumas Gassac and Domaine Gauby produce powerful and expressive wines that highlight the region's warm climate and diverse terroirs.
France - All Red Wines
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Bordeaux | 4 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,413.73 |
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Wine Advocate (97)The 1982 Chateau Margaux is a wine that I have tasted many times, constantly contrasted against the 1983 to see which is better. Frankly I found that it depends on the bottle, although maybe the 1983 edges it. But it is important to assess the 1982 on its own individual merits because it is a superb First Growth. This was a great bottle: fragrant and beautifully defined on the nose that on this occasion offered a more conspicuous graphite scent, which lent it a Pauillac-like personality. Allowing the wine to open and aerate, the traits one associates with the property emerge—wilted violets and rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and mineral-laden, that suggestion of candied orange peel on the entry segueing into layers of pure red and black fruit. There is always something effortless about this Chateau Margaux and the pixelation on the finish is up there with the very best. Is it the best 1982 First Growth? No, it's not quite up there with 1982 Latour or Mouton-Rothschild, however, it is a sublime evocation of the vineyard and it will continue to give pleasure for a couple of decades yet. Tasted May 2016. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WCI) |
Inc. TAX
€23,864.77 |
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The Wine Cellar Insider (100)As this is now in its prime time drinking window, well-stored examples of this nectar should begin to escalate in price. And for good reason. Texturally, this opulent, showy, supple, lush wine, which manages to harness an incredible depth of fruit feels just great as it rests on your palate. The finish crosses the sixty-second mark with ease. I suspect well-stored bottles will be even better with another 5 years or so and should remain at their extraordinary level for at least another 2 - 3 decades after that. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WCI) |
Inc. TAX
€1,533.73 |
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The Wine Cellar Insider (100)As this is now in its prime time drinking window, well-stored examples of this nectar should begin to escalate in price. And for good reason. Texturally, this opulent, showy, supple, lush wine, which manages to harness an incredible depth of fruit feels just great as it rests on your palate. The finish crosses the sixty-second mark with ease. I suspect well-stored bottles will be even better with another 5 years or so and should remain at their extraordinary level for at least another 2 - 3 decades after that. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 93 (VN (ST)) |
Inc. TAX
€757.33 |
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Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (93): Full, deep red. Spicy aromas of cassis and rose petal, with a whiff of meat. Then wonderfully penetrating and classy, with bright acidity giving the wine superb clarity and thrust. This has terrific structure. Finishes very long and fine, with excellent grip. By far the finest bottle I've tasted to date of this wine, and one of the real surprises of the tasting. (My second bottle showed roasted redcurrant, leather, meat and smoky oak on the nose; and a sweet, suave, broad palate without quite the structure and grip of the first sample. But this wine, too, offered compelling sweetness and rated 91 points.) Drink now through 2015. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. TAX
€1,737.73 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)I've been lucky enough to have had the 1982 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande a half dozen times over the past few years and it continues to show magically. Tasted out of a magnum, it has a still lively plum/ruby hue as well as gorgeous Pauillac notes of blackcurrants, smoked earth, cedarwood, pencil lead, and forest floor. It's unquestionably fully mature and in that sweet spot where it has incredible aromatics, beautiful, sweet fruit, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. I don't see it falling off a cliff any time soon, yet there's no need to delay gratification either. This is a magical, heavenly Bordeaux I wish every reader could taste. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Bordeaux | 4 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
€1,175.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97)The 1982 Chateau Margaux is a wine that I have tasted many times, constantly contrasted against the 1983 to see which is better. Frankly I found that it depends on the bottle, although maybe the 1983 edges it. But it is important to assess the 1982 on its own individual merits because it is a superb First Growth. This was a great bottle: fragrant and beautifully defined on the nose that on this occasion offered a more conspicuous graphite scent, which lent it a Pauillac-like personality. Allowing the wine to open and aerate, the traits one associates with the property emerge—wilted violets and rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and mineral-laden, that suggestion of candied orange peel on the entry segueing into layers of pure red and black fruit. There is always something effortless about this Chateau Margaux and the pixelation on the finish is up there with the very best. Is it the best 1982 First Growth? No, it's not quite up there with 1982 Latour or Mouton-Rothschild, however, it is a sublime evocation of the vineyard and it will continue to give pleasure for a couple of decades yet. Tasted May 2016. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WCI) |
In Bond
€19,850.00 |
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The Wine Cellar Insider (100)As this is now in its prime time drinking window, well-stored examples of this nectar should begin to escalate in price. And for good reason. Texturally, this opulent, showy, supple, lush wine, which manages to harness an incredible depth of fruit feels just great as it rests on your palate. The finish crosses the sixty-second mark with ease. I suspect well-stored bottles will be even better with another 5 years or so and should remain at their extraordinary level for at least another 2 - 3 decades after that. |
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|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WCI) |
In Bond
€1,275.00 |
|||||
The Wine Cellar Insider (100)As this is now in its prime time drinking window, well-stored examples of this nectar should begin to escalate in price. And for good reason. Texturally, this opulent, showy, supple, lush wine, which manages to harness an incredible depth of fruit feels just great as it rests on your palate. The finish crosses the sixty-second mark with ease. I suspect well-stored bottles will be even better with another 5 years or so and should remain at their extraordinary level for at least another 2 - 3 decades after that. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 93 (VN (ST)) |
In Bond
€628.00 |
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Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (93): Full, deep red. Spicy aromas of cassis and rose petal, with a whiff of meat. Then wonderfully penetrating and classy, with bright acidity giving the wine superb clarity and thrust. This has terrific structure. Finishes very long and fine, with excellent grip. By far the finest bottle I've tasted to date of this wine, and one of the real surprises of the tasting. (My second bottle showed roasted redcurrant, leather, meat and smoky oak on the nose; and a sweet, suave, broad palate without quite the structure and grip of the first sample. But this wine, too, offered compelling sweetness and rated 91 points.) Drink now through 2015. |
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|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
€1,445.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)I've been lucky enough to have had the 1982 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande a half dozen times over the past few years and it continues to show magically. Tasted out of a magnum, it has a still lively plum/ruby hue as well as gorgeous Pauillac notes of blackcurrants, smoked earth, cedarwood, pencil lead, and forest floor. It's unquestionably fully mature and in that sweet spot where it has incredible aromatics, beautiful, sweet fruit, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. I don't see it falling off a cliff any time soon, yet there's no need to delay gratification either. This is a magical, heavenly Bordeaux I wish every reader could taste. |
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