France: Wine, French Wine Regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, & More Profiled
One of the top producers in Chateaneuf and one with out a luxury cuvee. This is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah. Served pop and pour, this took about 30 minutes to really open and then drank beautifully. We shared the bottle with friends while listening to Latin jazz at an outdoor café.
This is apparently mostly from younger vines but it doesn't show in this excellent Chardonnay. Green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with lemons, beeswax and baking spices. Medium to full bodied. Slightly viscous in the texture. On the palate, lemons with a slight amount of oak. A bit bitter on the finish. Very refreshing. Good acidity. It will probably work better with food. Drink over the next three to five years. It will work nicely with lighter foods. Vegetarian Thai food would be a good match.
One of the best Roses in it price class. A blend of mostly Grenache, Cinsault and Vermentino grapes. Pale salmon pink with a touch of orange in color, clear and bright. The nose has strawberries and oranges. Lovely texture. Lots of depth. On the palate, cherries and strawberries with good acidity. Nice finish. This drinks great on its own but will work well with most foods. It would work great with heartier fish dishes.
From a 375 ml. Golden in color with slight orange hues, clear and bright. The nose is nice with honey, peaches and a slight dried orange rind note. Viscous. Sweet, not cloying. Enough acidity to match the sweetness. On the palate, honey, apricots and slight peach. Clean. Long finish. Very tasty. This probably has twenty years left. A nice match with a not too sweet cake.
This is made from 75% Le Mesnil Chardonnay blended with 25% Pinot Noir from Grand Cru vineyards in Ambonnay. 8 g/L dosage. Copper with slight pink notes in color, clear, bright and with a moderate amount of small bubbles. The nose is delicate but persistent with strawberries and slight cherries. Plenty of minerality. Medium bodied. On the palate, strawberries and black cherries with lots of minerality. Tart, especially on the finish. Very food friendly, this would work well with fried chicken or popcorn, too. Drink within five years of purchase.
Light golden in color, clear and bright with a steady stream of small bubbles. Very nice nose with some citrus (tangerine?), a hint of ginger, plenty of toast and slight CO2. Full bodied. On the palate, plenty of minerals with slight tangerine. Lots of depth. Long finish. This drinks very well and is very food friendly. It is should probably be consumed within three to five years of purchase.
Excellent Rose from the south of France. A blend of mostly Grenache, Cinsault and Vermentino grapes. Pale salmon pink with a touch of orange in color, clear and bright. The nose is lovely with strawberries, watermelons and a touch of salinity. Light bodied with no tannins. Crisp and delicious. On the palate, nice strawberry notes turning to watermelon on the lingering finish. There is a nice depth and complexity not often found in Roses. This is great on its own and would work well with all but the biggest beef dishes. Try with roasted chicken.
Another example of the wealth of fairly priced wines that Bordeaux produces once one gets past the trophy wines. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has spice and cherries. Light tannins. On the palate, cherries with some tobacco and spice. Good balance. This drinks well on its own and will work well with meat, fowl and pork. Lamb stew would be perfect. Drink over the next five to eight years.
Muscadet remains one of the best values in wine today. Silver/gold in color, clear and bright. The now is all about minerality although there are lime nuances. Medium bodied. Nice backbone of acidity. On the palate, lots of crushed rock and minerals along with some salinity and a bit of limes. Long finish. Lots of energy. This is lively. Dry. It is great on its own and very food friendly. While it will match with a wide vairety of food, oysters or any shell fish is a great idea. Drink over the next ten years.
In a great place right now. Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, tobacco, balsamic and spice. Full bodied. On the palate, this is pretty close to mature. Cassis, spice, with underlying earthiness. Great balance. Light tannins. Nice finish. This should drink well for another ten to fifteen years. It would match well with Lamb Stew.
