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

2020 Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie Le Verger, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$21.00USD

From one of the top producers of Muscadet, this is a crisp white and excellent value.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is clean with crushed shells, salinity, and slight lemon.  Medium bodied.  A bit rounder in texture than many Muscadets.  On the palate, minerals, crushed shells and slight lemon.  Good finish.  This wine is nice on its own but better with food.  A great choice with shellfish, but also nice with Artichoke Dip (not an easy match).  Drink over the next few years.  

2010 Maison Ilan Chambertin, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$275.00USD

Red/brown in color, mostly clear and bright.  It does look slightly older than expected, but just a bit.  The nose shows fresh strawberries, some cherries, slight clay.  It is a persistent nose although much more "feminine".  Soft texture.  On the palate, cherries and sour cherries.  Plenty to depth and complexity.  Good energy.  Nice finish.  This is drinking very well and at age 13 it seems very close to peak.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  It is nice on its own but better with foods.  It went well with assorted flat bread "pizzas".  

2017 Maison Dampt Chablis Grand Cru Bougros, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Drank this bottle among friends at the end of an evening and it was perfect in that spot.  Refreshing and energetic.  Light golden in color with green hues, clear and bright.  The nose has green apples, slight quince, minerality and a tweak of lemons.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is crisp and refreshing on a beautiful summer evening.  Flavors of citrus and green apples with slight minerals.  Long finish.  Great on its own, this is food friendly and would work well with vegetarian or seafood dishes.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

2005 Château Pape Clément, France, Bordeaux, Pessac-Leognan, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$263.00USD

A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The cork was popped at 9:00 am, a half ounce poured off, then a neutral cork inserted before being transported and served at 7:00 pm.  The wine took about 30 minutes to really open and hit its stride.  Purple in color with a ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose shows black cherries, cassis, smoke, slight chocolate, and leather.  With air, a subtle earthiness emerges that is classic Bordeaux.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is complex and deep.  Cassis, black cherries, chocolate cigar box notes and earth.  Layers that un

2002 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, France, Burgundy, Cote de Beaune, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2002
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

Great showing for this bottle.  This is a big, round white Burgundy that at age 21, is just about at peak.  Deep golden in color with some orange hues, clear and bright.  The color likely influenced by both the time spent in oak and the age of the wine, but certainly proper.  The nose is nice with red apples, with air, some lemon cream, just a very slight brown sugar note, and great minerality.  Almost viscous, but crisp at the same time gives this a nice texture.

2015 Patrick Jasmin Côte-Rôtie La Giroflarie, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$70.00USD

Pop and pour, this took a few minutes to open, then just kept getting better.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great; earthy with black cherries, some black raspberries, smoke and black olives.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is tight but unwinds in the glass.  Layers of black raspberries, black pepper, black olives and char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is not a big wine, but has all the stuffing.  It still will improve a bit more.  Drink over the next twelve to fifteen years.  A nice match for a lamb or beef stew.  

2002 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Clos du Bourg, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2002
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

Excellent showing for this bottle at age 21.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with orange peel, sea air, slight apple cider, peach and minerality.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is complex but also delicious.  Deep with apples, peach and minerality.  Plenty of depth.  Long finish.  Great on its own, this went quite well with vegetarian spicy Indian Food.  Drink over the next ten years.  

2005 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Clos de la Mousse, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Great showing for this 1er Cru.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, spice and slight sandalwood.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  Great texture.  On the palate, this is complex and layered.  Cherry fruit with some earthiness and spice.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own but better with food.  This would be nice with Salmon.  Drink over the next ten years.  

2005 Château Pontet Canet, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$198.00USD

Popped the cork, allowed to breathe for an hour or so.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, slightly flat and opaque.  The nose is classic Bordeaux.  Some Bordeaux earthy funk along with cassis, cigar box and cedar.  Firm tannins.  Nicely balance.  Great texture.  On the palate, this is just about at peak but maybe not quite.  Layered complexity.  Cassis, earthiness, tobacco and slight char.  Long finish with some dark chocolate on it.  Delicious.  Everything one could have hoped for on purchase.  This drinks well on its own but would be great at the dinner table with Roasted Lamb.  It still

2018 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
100
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$340.00USD

This started a bit tight, but with three hours of air, this was absolutely singing.  80% Marsanne with 20% Rousanne grapes from multiple vineyards.  Golden in color with some green hues, clear and bright.  The nose initially shows tightly with limes, some melons and spice.  With air, more notes come out; salinity, butterscotch, almonds but also more melons and slight lemons.  Really complex.  Great "slick" texture with pin point balance and energy.  The palate mirrors the nose and really explodes with lots of air.  Melons, quince, spice, minerality and a bit of almonds on the finish.  Layer

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