France

• Alsace
• Bergerac
• Bordeaux
  • Barsac
  • Bordeaux Supérieur
  • Margaux
  • Graves
  • Haut-Medoc
  • Listrac
  • Pauillac
  • Pomerol
  • Saint Emilion
  • Saint Estephe
  • Saint Julian
  • Sauternes
• Burgundy
  • Beaujolais
  • Bourgogne
  • Chablis
  • Côte de Nuits
  • Mercurey
• Cahors
• Champagne
• Cognac
• Corsica
• Gascony
• Jura
  • Arbois
• Languedoc-Roussillon
  • Minervois
• Loire Valley
  • Bourgueil
  • Jasnières
  • Muscadet
  • Mont Louis
  • Sancerre
  • Saumur
  • Savennières
  • Touraine
  • Vouvray
• Rhone (Rhône)
  • Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  • Cornas
  • Crozes-Hermitage
  • Gigondas
  • Hermitage
  • Lirac
  • Saint Joseph
• Provence
  • Bandol
• Savoie
• Tavel

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

This is an 80/20 blend of Grenache and Syrah from the Rhone region of France on the border with Provence.  Deep garnet in color with some ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with black cherries, black raspberries, black pepper, spice and slight lavender notes.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, black cherries and black raspberries with some minerality.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own and is food friendly.  It will work well with stew or cold cuts.  Drink over the next five years.  Great value.

This is a great value in Pinot Noir.  Deep garnet/purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, and spice.  Clean.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, black cherry fruit with some spice.  Good finish.  This is a surprisingly bigger and riper Pinot (for France) than expected.  That is not to say over done.  Good finish.  Nice on its own, this should work well with many foods.  Salmon would be nice.   It was nice with pasta in a mushroom sauce.  Drink over the  next five to seven years.  

This is from a top Sancerre producer and while this is not labeled as such, it is better than many with the name.  A lovely, lighter wine that is clean and mineral driven although there is some fruit, too.  Light pale golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has minerality with apples and just the slightest grassy note.  Light bodied.  On the palate, more minerals with some apples and slight citrus.  Nice acidity.  Good finish.  This drinks fine on its own but is better with food.  It worked well with Mini French Onion Soup with Grilled Gruyere Sandwiches although better with the later.

Most times when one reads Blanc de Blancs it is assumed Chardonnay.  In this case, however, the blend is 10% Gewurztraminer, 30% Pinot Blanc, 30% Pinot Gris, and 30% Riesling.  The wine is light golden in color and has a nice mousse of smaller bubbles.  The nose has pears with some lemon/citrus.  Nice minerality.  Medium bodied with good acidity and good balance.  On the palate, this has some citrus along with minerality.  Good finish.  Very food friendly, it went well with an Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Chive Tart (no easy match).  Drink now.  

No label, identified from the cork.  Brown in color.  Mostly shot but still has something to offer.  Coffee, honey, dried fruit.  Age 60, unknown provenance.  

DOA.  Maybe not cellared well but the best of these is unlikely to be good at age 51.

This is available only in Magnum.  The vines were planted in 1966.  Silvery/gold in color with a nice mousse of very tiny bubbles.  The nose is great with biscuits, pears, slight lemon peel and minerality.  Great backbone of acidity.  Full bodied but not blowsy.  On the palate, despite being Brut Nature there is a slight sweetness which is more ripeness than residual sugar.  The lemon peel comes thru along with a great minerality.  Long finish.  This is really delicious and still young.  It should improve but is great today.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years (more if you like older

Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is deep with boysenberries, black pepper, spice and roasted meats.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is very concentrated.  It opens in the glass nicely though.  Boysenberries with char and some black pepper.  Good finish.  This is drinking well but not yet at peak.  Drink over the next ten years.  It will work well with roasted veggies or roasted meats and also went well with Moroccan food.  

A blend of 80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, and 4% Mourvedre plus another 10% in various permitted varietals.  Not the best vintage, but this wine rocked.  At age 13, it was close to peak.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, herbs (Garrique), slight black pepper and spices.  Great texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is vibrant and complex.  Also delicious.  Cherries, black cherries and spices.  Deep.  Long finish.  Great on its own, this will work well with meat dishes.  Cassoulet is classic.  Drink over the next five to ten years.