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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Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92)
Pale colour with a lime tint. The bouquet indicates some power but no detail, as yet. Lush white fruit with a slightly honeyed note, continues well across the palate, a little toast and just enough acidity. The aftertaste continues quite well, while showing the riper aspects. Drink from 2028-2036. Tasted: October 2023.Inc. TAX€1,687.31 -
Vinous (92)
The 1992 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet continues to entrance, even if I believe it has lost some of its luster in recent years. Here it has an elegant bouquet that feels quite generous and rich for a 1992, a patina of toastiness that complements the citrus fruit. The palate is rounded in the mouth: hints of almond and coconut, perhaps a notch lower in acidity than I might have liked with a subtle honeyed tincture on the finish. It is a gorgeous Bienvenue if not in the same class as the 1988. Tasted at the La Paulée in Beaune.Inc. TAX€33,845.82 -
Vinous (92+)
Pale straw-yellow color. Peach, flowers, hazelnut, spices and smoky oak on the nose, with some musky mango and green papaya emerging with aeration. Then much tighter in the mouth than the nose suggests; in fact, this is quite dry and youthfully ungiving today, hinting only at fruit pit and showing firm acidity. But this long wine boasts plenty of underlying depth. I'd forget this one for five years.Inc. TAX€9,101.88 -
Wine Spectator (97)
This is powerful and steeped with lemon cake, pear, stone and saline flavors. The racy structure sets the pace, and this builds in intensity to a long, stony, spicy aftertaste. On the austere side, yet with the oiliness and concentration that will allow this to age. Best from 2021 through 2033.Inc. TAX€1,196.54 -
Burghound (94)
Relatively gentle wood is present on the markedly petrol and spice-infused aromas of honeysuckle, pear and white peach. There is impressive concentration to the succulent, round and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent complexity as well as an abundance of dry extract that imparts a sappy texture on the ever-so-mildly warm finish. I would note that 2015 is not an especially elegant vintage for the BBM but it is notably impressive all the same in the sense that it's more robust and powerful than usual. This could already be enjoyed but there is plenty of upside development potential, indeed this should age effortlessly for 20 years.Inc. TAX€5,800.49 -
Burghound (94)
Hints of mineral reduction and matchstick character suffuse the elegant aromas of honeysuckle, acacia blossom and spiced pear that are trimmed in wisps of wood and lemon rind. The super-sleek, intense and nicely detailed flavors possess good richness on the citrusy and beautifully long finale where moderate warmth slowly emerges. This elegant effort is perhaps a bit bolder and powerful than is usually the case and a BBM that should age gracefully over the next decade.Inc. TAX€6,244.38 -
Burghound (94)
A touch of matchstick character is present on the cool if ripe aromas of honeysuckle, carnation, lemon-lime and crushed fennel. The supple and caressing medium weight flavors are rich to the point of opulence with excellent density and punch that carries over to the impressively long and sappy finale where the only reproach is again a touch of warmth. I would not describe the '19 BBM as a classic example from Ramonet but it's extremely good nonetheless.Inc. TAX€1,581.73 -
Burghound (94)
A touch of matchstick character is present on the cool if ripe aromas of honeysuckle, carnation, lemon-lime and crushed fennel. The supple and caressing medium weight flavors are rich to the point of opulence with excellent density and punch that carries over to the impressively long and sappy finale where the only reproach is again a touch of warmth. I would not describe the '19 BBM as a classic example from Ramonet but it's extremely good nonetheless.Inc. TAX€7,744.38 -
Inc. TAX€1,738.49
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Inc. TAX€4,655.98
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Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-95)
2.5 barrels made, mostly from the Chassagne side. Fair depth of yellow with real concentration but maybe stops a little shorter. Digs deep with some pear notes, a slight crystalline reduction at the finish. More depth than the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, but perhaps less flair. Drink from 2027-2035.Inc. TAX€2,327.11 -
Vinous (94)
The 2015 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru sports light reduction on the nose, along with hints of popcorn and orange peel. This opens nicely in the glass. The taut, precise palate is well balanced, with a killer saline kick that bursts through on the persistent finish. It needs time – say, another three or four years - but it has a lot of potential. This shows much better in bottle than out of barrel. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.Inc. TAX€610.93 -
Wine Advocate (90-92)
The 2016 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru was quite reduced on the nose. The palate is nicely balanced with good concentration, quite nutty and Meursault-like in style and sporting appreciable salinité toward the finish that fans out. Good potential, but give this a couple of years in bottle. I will remain cautious with my score for now.Inc. TAX€610.93 -
Wine Advocate (90-92)
The 2016 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru was quite reduced on the nose. The palate is nicely balanced with good concentration, quite nutty and Meursault-like in style and sporting appreciable salinité toward the finish that fans out. Good potential, but give this a couple of years in bottle. I will remain cautious with my score for now.Inc. TAX€2,920.42 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2017 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has what might be called a more adventurous bouquet than the Bâtard: light sea spray scents developing in the glass, gaining intensity with subtle petrichor aromas. The precise, focused palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and slivers of orange zest and citrus peel toward the persistent finish. I discern more potential here than in the Bâtard-Montrachet this year.Inc. TAX€1,014.89 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2017 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has what might be called a more adventurous bouquet than the Bâtard: light sea spray scents developing in the glass, gaining intensity with subtle petrichor aromas. The precise, focused palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and slivers of orange zest and citrus peel toward the persistent finish. I discern more potential here than in the Bâtard-Montrachet this year.Inc. TAX€4,652.92 -
Vinous (95)
The 2018 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has quite an intense bouquet with honeysuckle, melon, lime and a touch of corn flour. The palate is well balanced with a saline note on the entry that gets the saliva racing. Good depth, quite powerful with a lightly spiced and very insistent finish. This is very promising and a big success for Vougeraie. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting.Inc. TAX€610.93 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2020 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more expressive and terroir-driven on the nose compared to the Bâtard-Montrachet. The palate is well-balanced with fine poise, taut and fresh, quite spicy towards the finish with admirable length. I can see this ageing well in bottle. Very fine.Inc. TAX€1,367.20 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2020 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more expressive and terroir-driven on the nose compared to the Bâtard-Montrachet. The palate is well-balanced with fine poise, taut and fresh, quite spicy towards the finish with admirable length. I can see this ageing well in bottle. Very fine.Inc. TAX€2,590.42 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2021 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is slightly more oxidative in style compared to the Bâtard-Montrachet, with grilled walnut and a subtle flor-like scent emerging with time. The palate is balanced with a vibrant opening. It has a little more horsepower than the Bâtard-Montrachet and a spicier finish. This gains intensity in the glass and does eventually overtake the Bâtard.Inc. TAX€1,525.43
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Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92)
Pale colour with a lime tint. The bouquet indicates some power but no detail, as yet. Lush white fruit with a slightly honeyed note, continues well across the palate, a little toast and just enough acidity. The aftertaste continues quite well, while showing the riper aspects. Drink from 2028-2036. Tasted: October 2023.In Bond€1,395.00 -
Vinous (92)
The 1992 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet continues to entrance, even if I believe it has lost some of its luster in recent years. Here it has an elegant bouquet that feels quite generous and rich for a 1992, a patina of toastiness that complements the citrus fruit. The palate is rounded in the mouth: hints of almond and coconut, perhaps a notch lower in acidity than I might have liked with a subtle honeyed tincture on the finish. It is a gorgeous Bienvenue if not in the same class as the 1988. Tasted at the La Paulée in Beaune.In Bond€28,175.00 -
Vinous (92+)
Pale straw-yellow color. Peach, flowers, hazelnut, spices and smoky oak on the nose, with some musky mango and green papaya emerging with aeration. Then much tighter in the mouth than the nose suggests; in fact, this is quite dry and youthfully ungiving today, hinting only at fruit pit and showing firm acidity. But this long wine boasts plenty of underlying depth. I'd forget this one for five years.In Bond€7,555.00 -
Wine Spectator (97)
This is powerful and steeped with lemon cake, pear, stone and saline flavors. The racy structure sets the pace, and this builds in intensity to a long, stony, spicy aftertaste. On the austere side, yet with the oiliness and concentration that will allow this to age. Best from 2021 through 2033.In Bond€994.00 -
Burghound (94)
Relatively gentle wood is present on the markedly petrol and spice-infused aromas of honeysuckle, pear and white peach. There is impressive concentration to the succulent, round and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent complexity as well as an abundance of dry extract that imparts a sappy texture on the ever-so-mildly warm finish. I would note that 2015 is not an especially elegant vintage for the BBM but it is notably impressive all the same in the sense that it's more robust and powerful than usual. This could already be enjoyed but there is plenty of upside development potential, indeed this should age effortlessly for 20 years.In Bond€4,815.00 -
Burghound (94)
Hints of mineral reduction and matchstick character suffuse the elegant aromas of honeysuckle, acacia blossom and spiced pear that are trimmed in wisps of wood and lemon rind. The super-sleek, intense and nicely detailed flavors possess good richness on the citrusy and beautifully long finale where moderate warmth slowly emerges. This elegant effort is perhaps a bit bolder and powerful than is usually the case and a BBM that should age gracefully over the next decade.In Bond€5,185.00 -
Burghound (94)
A touch of matchstick character is present on the cool if ripe aromas of honeysuckle, carnation, lemon-lime and crushed fennel. The supple and caressing medium weight flavors are rich to the point of opulence with excellent density and punch that carries over to the impressively long and sappy finale where the only reproach is again a touch of warmth. I would not describe the '19 BBM as a classic example from Ramonet but it's extremely good nonetheless.In Bond€1,315.00 -
Burghound (94)
A touch of matchstick character is present on the cool if ripe aromas of honeysuckle, carnation, lemon-lime and crushed fennel. The supple and caressing medium weight flavors are rich to the point of opulence with excellent density and punch that carries over to the impressively long and sappy finale where the only reproach is again a touch of warmth. I would not describe the '19 BBM as a classic example from Ramonet but it's extremely good nonetheless.In Bond€6,435.00 -
In Bond€1,445.00
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In Bond€3,865.00
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Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-95)
2.5 barrels made, mostly from the Chassagne side. Fair depth of yellow with real concentration but maybe stops a little shorter. Digs deep with some pear notes, a slight crystalline reduction at the finish. More depth than the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, but perhaps less flair. Drink from 2027-2035.In Bond€1,930.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2015 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru sports light reduction on the nose, along with hints of popcorn and orange peel. This opens nicely in the glass. The taut, precise palate is well balanced, with a killer saline kick that bursts through on the persistent finish. It needs time – say, another three or four years - but it has a lot of potential. This shows much better in bottle than out of barrel. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.In Bond€506.00 -
Wine Advocate (90-92)
The 2016 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru was quite reduced on the nose. The palate is nicely balanced with good concentration, quite nutty and Meursault-like in style and sporting appreciable salinité toward the finish that fans out. Good potential, but give this a couple of years in bottle. I will remain cautious with my score for now.In Bond€506.00 -
Wine Advocate (90-92)
The 2016 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru was quite reduced on the nose. The palate is nicely balanced with good concentration, quite nutty and Meursault-like in style and sporting appreciable salinité toward the finish that fans out. Good potential, but give this a couple of years in bottle. I will remain cautious with my score for now.In Bond€2,415.00 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2017 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has what might be called a more adventurous bouquet than the Bâtard: light sea spray scents developing in the glass, gaining intensity with subtle petrichor aromas. The precise, focused palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and slivers of orange zest and citrus peel toward the persistent finish. I discern more potential here than in the Bâtard-Montrachet this year.In Bond€842.00 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2017 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has what might be called a more adventurous bouquet than the Bâtard: light sea spray scents developing in the glass, gaining intensity with subtle petrichor aromas. The precise, focused palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and slivers of orange zest and citrus peel toward the persistent finish. I discern more potential here than in the Bâtard-Montrachet this year.In Bond€3,855.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2018 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has quite an intense bouquet with honeysuckle, melon, lime and a touch of corn flour. The palate is well balanced with a saline note on the entry that gets the saliva racing. Good depth, quite powerful with a lightly spiced and very insistent finish. This is very promising and a big success for Vougeraie. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting.In Bond€506.00 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2020 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more expressive and terroir-driven on the nose compared to the Bâtard-Montrachet. The palate is well-balanced with fine poise, taut and fresh, quite spicy towards the finish with admirable length. I can see this ageing well in bottle. Very fine.In Bond€1,130.00 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2020 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more expressive and terroir-driven on the nose compared to the Bâtard-Montrachet. The palate is well-balanced with fine poise, taut and fresh, quite spicy towards the finish with admirable length. I can see this ageing well in bottle. Very fine.In Bond€2,140.00 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2021 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is slightly more oxidative in style compared to the Bâtard-Montrachet, with grilled walnut and a subtle flor-like scent emerging with time. The palate is balanced with a vibrant opening. It has a little more horsepower than the Bâtard-Montrachet and a spicier finish. This gains intensity in the glass and does eventually overtake the Bâtard.In Bond€1,260.00