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 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Champagne | 3 | 93 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,015.67 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (93)From over 40-year-old Chardonnay vines planted in an east-facing lieu-dit, the 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru La Pierre Aux Larrons was disgorged earlier this year with 2.5 grams per liter dosage. Opening in the glass with inviting aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh peach, dried white flowers and subtle top notes of cognac and pastry cream, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and caressing, its charming core of fruit underpinned by tangy acids and lifted by a pillowy mousse. This is a charming wine from Rodez and one that captures the tenderness of fully mature fruit in a late vintage. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 10 | - |
Inc. TAX
€989.27 |
|||||
|
Champagne | 3 | - |
Inc. TAX
€1,015.67 |
|||||
|
Champagne | 1 | 16 (JR) |
Inc. TAX
€640.38 |
|||||
Jancis Robinson (16)Ambonnay. Bottled spring 2014. 95% fermented in oak and 95% no malo. Contains five or six different vintages. Dosage 3.5 g/l. Rather light, inexpressive nose. Delicate, ‘sharp’ Chardonnay on the palate but this somehow lacks a bit of conviction and focus. The acidity is very notable and certainly at the moment it’s a bit too austere for me. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 2 | 17 (JR) |
Inc. TAX
€579.18 |
|||||
Jancis Robinson (17)Ambonnay appears on all his front labels. 60% Pinot Noir, spring 2015 bottling of multi vintages back to 2009. Three years on lees. Dosage 4 g/l. Released February 2019. Very tight and harmonious. A very strong statement with massive life and vivacity. No hurry to drink. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 1 | 93 (VN) |
Inc. TAX
€699.18 |
|||||
Vinous (93)Bright yellow-gold. An intriguingly perfumed nose evokes poached pear, orange zest, sweet butter and honey, along with a smoky quality and a chalky mineral overtone. Chewy, very deep citrus and orchard fruit flavors are complicated by suggestions of toasted brioche, white truffle and candied fig. Finishes very long and smoky, with resonating floral and mineral qualities. I'd serve this complex Champagne, which comprises wines from 15 different vintages dating back to 1995, with an indulgent, buttery poultry or shellfish dish. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 7 | 93 (VN) |
Inc. TAX
€672.78 |
|||||
Vinous (93)Bright yellow-gold. An intriguingly perfumed nose evokes poached pear, orange zest, sweet butter and honey, along with a smoky quality and a chalky mineral overtone. Chewy, very deep citrus and orchard fruit flavors are complicated by suggestions of toasted brioche, white truffle and candied fig. Finishes very long and smoky, with resonating floral and mineral qualities. I'd serve this complex Champagne, which comprises wines from 15 different vintages dating back to 1995, with an indulgent, buttery poultry or shellfish dish. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 4 | - |
Inc. TAX
€1,357.43 |
|||||
|
Champagne | 5 | 94 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,089.18 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (94)Rodez's 2010 Brut Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Ambonnay Les Genettes wafts from the glass with a lovely bouquet of candied peel, buttered orchard fruit, Meyer lemons, yellow plums and subtle spices, followed by a full-bodied, broad-shouldered but elegantly integrated palate with excellent depth at the core, ripe but racy acids and a creamy mousse, concluding with a sapid, precise finish. This gourmand but beautifully focused, decidedly vinous blanc de noirs is one of the most cohesive, fully realized wines in this set of recent releases, and it appears to possess the structural integrity and balance to last for over a decade. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 1 | - |
Inc. TAX
€1,185.18 |
|||||
|
Champagne | 2 | - |
Inc. TAX
€570.52 |
|||||
|
Champagne | 7 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. TAX
€1,064.53 |
|||||
Vinous (98)The NV Extra-Brut Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos (2014) is the most complex of the four lieu-dits I was able to taste. It marries power, freshness and energy. It's all there, from the delineated aromatics, to the sculpted fruit, to the underlying veins of salinity that give the wine its shape. I especially admire the freshness and translucence here. Readers who can find the Ambonnay should not hesitate, as it is truly riveting. The Bout du Clos is the only lieu-dit in the collection that is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a blend that works so brilliantly here. Disgorged: February 2, 2021 |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. TAX
€2,969.20 |
|||||
Vinous (98)The NV Extra-Brut Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos (2014) is the most complex of the four lieu-dits I was able to taste. It marries power, freshness and energy. It's all there, from the delineated aromatics, to the sculpted fruit, to the underlying veins of salinity that give the wine its shape. I especially admire the freshness and translucence here. Readers who can find the Ambonnay should not hesitate, as it is truly riveting. The Bout du Clos is the only lieu-dit in the collection that is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a blend that works so brilliantly here. Disgorged: February 2, 2021 |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. TAX
€4,306.38 |
|||||
Vinous (98)The NV Extra-Brut Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos (2014) is the most complex of the four lieu-dits I was able to taste. It marries power, freshness and energy. It's all there, from the delineated aromatics, to the sculpted fruit, to the underlying veins of salinity that give the wine its shape. I especially admire the freshness and translucence here. Readers who can find the Ambonnay should not hesitate, as it is truly riveting. The Bout du Clos is the only lieu-dit in the collection that is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a blend that works so brilliantly here. Disgorged: February 2, 2021 |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Champagne | 3 | 93 (WA) |
In Bond
€824.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (93)From over 40-year-old Chardonnay vines planted in an east-facing lieu-dit, the 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru La Pierre Aux Larrons was disgorged earlier this year with 2.5 grams per liter dosage. Opening in the glass with inviting aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh peach, dried white flowers and subtle top notes of cognac and pastry cream, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and caressing, its charming core of fruit underpinned by tangy acids and lifted by a pillowy mousse. This is a charming wine from Rodez and one that captures the tenderness of fully mature fruit in a late vintage. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 10 | - |
In Bond
€802.00 |
|||||
|
Champagne | 3 | - |
In Bond
€824.00 |
|||||
|
Champagne | 1 | 16 (JR) |
In Bond
€515.00 |
|||||
Jancis Robinson (16)Ambonnay. Bottled spring 2014. 95% fermented in oak and 95% no malo. Contains five or six different vintages. Dosage 3.5 g/l. Rather light, inexpressive nose. Delicate, ‘sharp’ Chardonnay on the palate but this somehow lacks a bit of conviction and focus. The acidity is very notable and certainly at the moment it’s a bit too austere for me. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 2 | 17 (JR) |
In Bond
€464.00 |
|||||
Jancis Robinson (17)Ambonnay appears on all his front labels. 60% Pinot Noir, spring 2015 bottling of multi vintages back to 2009. Three years on lees. Dosage 4 g/l. Released February 2019. Very tight and harmonious. A very strong statement with massive life and vivacity. No hurry to drink. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 1 | 93 (VN) |
In Bond
€564.00 |
|||||
Vinous (93)Bright yellow-gold. An intriguingly perfumed nose evokes poached pear, orange zest, sweet butter and honey, along with a smoky quality and a chalky mineral overtone. Chewy, very deep citrus and orchard fruit flavors are complicated by suggestions of toasted brioche, white truffle and candied fig. Finishes very long and smoky, with resonating floral and mineral qualities. I'd serve this complex Champagne, which comprises wines from 15 different vintages dating back to 1995, with an indulgent, buttery poultry or shellfish dish. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 7 | 93 (VN) |
In Bond
€542.00 |
|||||
Vinous (93)Bright yellow-gold. An intriguingly perfumed nose evokes poached pear, orange zest, sweet butter and honey, along with a smoky quality and a chalky mineral overtone. Chewy, very deep citrus and orchard fruit flavors are complicated by suggestions of toasted brioche, white truffle and candied fig. Finishes very long and smoky, with resonating floral and mineral qualities. I'd serve this complex Champagne, which comprises wines from 15 different vintages dating back to 1995, with an indulgent, buttery poultry or shellfish dish. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 4 | - |
In Bond
€1,120.00 |
|||||
|
Champagne | 5 | 94 (WA) |
In Bond
€889.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (94)Rodez's 2010 Brut Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Ambonnay Les Genettes wafts from the glass with a lovely bouquet of candied peel, buttered orchard fruit, Meyer lemons, yellow plums and subtle spices, followed by a full-bodied, broad-shouldered but elegantly integrated palate with excellent depth at the core, ripe but racy acids and a creamy mousse, concluding with a sapid, precise finish. This gourmand but beautifully focused, decidedly vinous blanc de noirs is one of the most cohesive, fully realized wines in this set of recent releases, and it appears to possess the structural integrity and balance to last for over a decade. |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 1 | - |
In Bond
€969.00 |
|||||
|
Champagne | 2 | - |
In Bond
€453.00 |
|||||
|
Champagne | 7 | 98 (VN) |
In Bond
€884.00 |
|||||
Vinous (98)The NV Extra-Brut Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos (2014) is the most complex of the four lieu-dits I was able to taste. It marries power, freshness and energy. It's all there, from the delineated aromatics, to the sculpted fruit, to the underlying veins of salinity that give the wine its shape. I especially admire the freshness and translucence here. Readers who can find the Ambonnay should not hesitate, as it is truly riveting. The Bout du Clos is the only lieu-dit in the collection that is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a blend that works so brilliantly here. Disgorged: February 2, 2021 |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
In Bond
€2,465.00 |
|||||
Vinous (98)The NV Extra-Brut Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos (2014) is the most complex of the four lieu-dits I was able to taste. It marries power, freshness and energy. It's all there, from the delineated aromatics, to the sculpted fruit, to the underlying veins of salinity that give the wine its shape. I especially admire the freshness and translucence here. Readers who can find the Ambonnay should not hesitate, as it is truly riveting. The Bout du Clos is the only lieu-dit in the collection that is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a blend that works so brilliantly here. Disgorged: February 2, 2021 |
|||||||||
|
Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
In Bond
€3,570.00 |
|||||
Vinous (98)The NV Extra-Brut Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos (2014) is the most complex of the four lieu-dits I was able to taste. It marries power, freshness and energy. It's all there, from the delineated aromatics, to the sculpted fruit, to the underlying veins of salinity that give the wine its shape. I especially admire the freshness and translucence here. Readers who can find the Ambonnay should not hesitate, as it is truly riveting. The Bout du Clos is the only lieu-dit in the collection that is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a blend that works so brilliantly here. Disgorged: February 2, 2021 |