France: Wine, French Wine Regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, & More Profiled

2003 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2003
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Pink/orange in color, clear and bright with a lovely mousse of tiny bubbles.  The nose is pretty with strawberries.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is starting to show some age but also has enough acidity to keep things lively.  Cherries, some cranberries and slight grapefruit notes.  Very deep.  Long finish.  This is delicious but also complex.  It will evolve into a mature Champagne so drink soon unless that is good with your tastes.  If so, it has another ten to fifteen years.  Very food friendly, it would be great with roasted duck.  

2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+

Probably my favorite vintage of this wine and with the escalating prices, who knows if I will get to try another one.  Light golden in color, clear with a nice mousse of lots of tiny bubbles.  The nose is clean with toast, slight lemons, and minerality.  It is tight to start but opens quickly.  Full bodied.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, there is some lemon, lemon peel, and minerality.  Deep and complex.  Concentrated.  Long finish.  This is still showing very young, but delicious.  It should have no problem going another twenty years if well stored.  It will work wonderfully on its own, a

2012 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$278.00USD

This is the first vintage in which the grapes for this were made using biodynamic and organic principles.  Just a gorgeous wine.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright with a nice mousse of thick, tiny bubbles.  The nose is deep with slight toast, green apples, slight lemon curd and minerality.  Full bodied.  Lots of energy.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is showing youthfully.  Lemons, slight green apples, toast and chalk.  Long, long finish.  Delicious.  This is wonderful on its own, and would work with most foods.  It would be great with shellfish.  Drink over the  next ten to f

2012 Trouillard Champagne Cuvée du Fondateur, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$88.00USD

A new producer for me, this was very good.  Silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  A nice mousse with tiny bubbles.  On the palate, this is clean.  Lemons with a bit of toast and some minerality.  Medium bodied.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, lemons and red apples with underlying minerality.  Lively.  Long finish.  This is youthful and drinking well.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  Very food friendly.  It would be nice with popcorn while watching television. 

2005 Château Kirwan, France, Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$110.00USD

A very nice showing for this wine.  Great vintage and the wine is in a great place.  Purple  in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, dark cherries, cigar box, spice and slight leather.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is fresh, complex and deep.  Flavors of cassis, tobacco, spice and char.  Good finish.  Just about at peak but still has another ten to fifteen years left of great drinking.  Lovely on its own but even better with food.  Lamb chops would work perfectly.  

2020 Sebastien Dampt Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$31.00USD

Dampt makes some of the best value in Chablis.  With the price of the top two or three wineries going crazy, these are excellent wines that are affordable.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has great minerality/crushed shells and just a hint of lemon.  Clean.  On the palate, this is crisp and tasty.  Crushed shells.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own but would be perfect with oysters or clams.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

2010 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$90.00USD

Just a beautiful vintage for this wine.  Charvin tends to be more "feminine" or "elegant" but the vintage is not and the resulting wine made for a particularly nice combination.  Deep ruby in color, with some darker hues, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is pretty with cherries, some black cherries, floral notes and spice.  Great, almost plush texture.  Plenty of depth.  Light tannins.  Great energy and balance.  On the palate, this is complex and also delicious.  Cherries, black cherries, spice, slight leathery note and char.  Long finish.  This is close to peak and just gorgeous.  Drink

2020 Domaine Lafage Cuvée Nicolas Vieilles Vignes de Grenache, France, Roussillon, IGP Côtes Catalanes.Wine Review

Vintage: 
2024
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$15.00USD

This is 100% old vine (averaging 65 years old) Grenache from southeast France.  The nose has raspberries and sour cherries along with a slight floral note.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, the wine is concentrated with raspberries and cherries.  Good acidity.  Nice texture.  The wine is  nice on its own, but paired with a Chocolate Pots de Creme, it worked quite well.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

2019 Château Le Grand Moulin, France, Bordeaux, Blaye, Cotes de Bordeaux, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$13.00USD

Another example of what great value there is in Bordeaux once one gets away from the classified growths.  A blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, plums, spice and char.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this has some depth.  Notes of cherries, black cherries and black raspberries with some spice and a bit of earthiness.  Nice finish.  A very pleasant wine that is better with food.  This would work well with roasted fowl or meat or even root vegetables.  Drink over the next

Pages