France: Wine, French Wine Regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, & More Profiled
This is an inexpensive Sauternes that retails for around $20. That is a great value for a nice dessert wine. Light gold/green in color. The nose has apricots and slight honey. It has just a hint of sweetness. Some apricots on the palate. Nice acidity. A nice choice for large groups or just a nice finish to a meal.
This is 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot from southwest France. Purple in color, ruby swirls. The nose is dusty with plums. Some cherries come out later. On the palate, this is a bit reticent. Some cherries. Firm tannins. This could use a few years of cellaring. Good acidity. Would work well with food especially heavier dishes.
Made from a blend of Niellucci, Syrah and Grenache. Nielluci is genetically identical to Sangiovese but to the Corsicans, it is a native grape. Very interesting as Corsican wines often are. The nose has raisins, and spice along with a bit of sweet red currants. On the palate, this is quite tannic so perhaps it is just young and will develop.It has a sweet tart quality which is fun. Raisined cherries with a slight chocolate note. Long finish. This retails for $16 and is probably more interesting than great, but it is solid. Seemingly grown in hot conditions, it would work with or wi
I love Muscadet. They are some of the best values in the wine world. Rarely do the cost more than $15 and even the very best are under $30. And they age much better than many people think. Light green gold in color. The nose has slate, green apples, sea air and slight crushed shells. A bit of salinity as well. On the palate, this is slightly oily. Nice mineral streak, crushed shells and slight grapefruit. Slightly warm on the finish, but serving a bit cooler might help that. It retails for $15 which is a very fair price and well worth it.
This is a blend of four grapes in the French portion of the Alps; Jacquere, Chasselas, Chardonnay, and Altesses. Light green gold in color. The nose is all about the minerals. Not much fruit. Oily texture. Good acidity. Lean minerality on the palate. This win begs for food but nothing too heavy. It retails for $14. A nice lunch wine but more pleasing for those with European wine tastes.
100% Chardonnay. Light copper/gold in color. The nose is interesting with lanolin, yeast and very slight ginger. It dies have a nice acidity. On the palate, a light citrusy note along with some ginger. Slightly sweet. Good finish. This retails for $25 and competes with Champagnes in that price point. Food friendly with a wide variety of foods.
Ruby in color, purple at the core. The nose has cinnamon, cherries, and dark cherries. Some cedary spice. On the palate, this has nice tart cherries with an underlying earthiness. It seems open and drinking well although will certainly mature. Some depth to it. Would work with a lot of different foods. This retails for around $35 which, for Burgundy, makes this a nice entry point.
This is always one of the best Cotes du Rhone and in good vintages it is worth stocking up on. It cellars well for five to ten years. Drinking great right now. Purple/ruby in color. The nose is very nice with black cherries, violets, spice and slight cedar. On the palate, juicy black cherries, spice and gravel notes. Not quite layered but more of a mosaic. Good acidity. Food friendly. This retails for close to $20 which makes it a great value. Better than a lot of Chateauneuf du Papes!
Light ruby in color. The nose is great but a bit tighter than the Clos Vougeot. Cherries, and some rhubarb and cranberries. Also some cedar. On the palate, this is medium bodied with nice cherry and cranberry fruit. There are slight tannins. Lots of depth. This continued to improve in the glass but really needs more cellar time. It has good acidity. Long finish. A lovely wine proving why the better wines from Echezeaux justify its Grand Cru status.
This was way above my expectations for a not so great vintage and their regular cuvee (although they didn't make a Felix in 2014). Deep ruby in color. The nose is a bit musty but clears to show raspberries, slight strawberries, a bit of pine and spice. On the palate, this has a lovely slick-ish texture that makes it imminently drinkable. Bright acidity. Nice finish. Drinking quite well right now, this is not going to make old bones.
