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

2003 was an extremely hot vintage across all of Europe.  The heat had two different effects on the vines.  Some of the grapes got withered and raisened from the heat.  Other vines just shut down an the grapes never got fully ripe.  And, a few places thru a combination of luck, micro-climates and hard work in the vineyard made good wines.  This wine seems to have a bit of all three of those.  Still, at age 15, it is drinking very well.  Medium deep golden in color.  The nose is sugary with apricots.  On the palate, this has nice apricot fruit.  Slightly sweet.  Not a lot of depth or complexi

Purple with a thin ruby rim.  The nose is dusty with black cherries.  On the palate, this is nice, but not a great vintage.  In great vintages, this can really punch above its weight class.  Black cherry fruit.  Easy drinking.  I would drink these up in the next year or two.  

Light ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, slight dust and slight funk.  On the palate, this is open and drinking nicely.  Some depth.  Cherries with slight minerality.  This might have a bit of upside with good cellaring but won't make old bones.  That's fine as it will make enjoyable drinking over the next 7 to 10 years.  

Verget is a very good producer in Burgundy.  They make some of the better values.  This is a lower level wine labeled under the Vin de France designation.  Deep golden in color.  The nose is more about minerals.  Also some lemon.  On the palate, this has a sweet tart quality to it.  Light tannins.  Light tannins.  Refreshing.  Verget is known for being a bit heavy handed with his use of oak.  None of that was an issue here.  This sells for around $10 a bottle is a really good value.  Great for a party or large crowd.  Food friendly.  Not a complex or amazing wine, but very solid and enjoyab

This carries the Euro label of IGP or what used to be called Vin De Pays (VdP).  It is grown in the Provence are of France on an Island in the Rhone River.  It is a Bordeaux blend of grapes though certainly has a unique personality that is quite different.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is dusty and earthy with some cherry fruit.  With air, some cloves emerge.  It is light bodied with tart cherries and cranberries.  Slight tannins.  A bit of anise on the finish.  At $9, this is a very nice value.  Food friendly for a wide variety of foods.  Very much a European styled wine but

$12.  This is a nice value although the world of Muscadets in filled with nice to amazing values.  The best Muscadets will age, many will hold if not improve in the cellar and some need to be drunk younger.  This one seems to be in the later category.  At this point, it doesn't have that crisp freshness that makes Muscadets so welcome.  Medium gold in color.  The nose has apples and slight dust and even slighter lemon juice.  On the palate, this is fat.  Sour apple notes.  A bit clipped on the finish.  That said, it is reasonably food friendly.  A solid wine at a very fair price.  Perhaps a

This is really drinking quite well now.  It has taken some time, but is finally ready for prime time.  Purple in color.  Black raspberries, black cherries, slight cedar, slight dust and slight dried violets.  On the palate, this still has fresh black raspberry fruit layered with dry forest floor and spice.  Complex.  Very nice texture.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This would work with heartier foods.  It demands attention but is quite delicious too.  Probably nearing peak, I would drink in the next decade.  

Great showing for this.  Silvery gold in color.  The nose is great with slight orange peel and quince.  Nice minerality.  On the palate this has a great texture.  Slightly oily texture.  Notes of oranges and minerals.  Great acidity.  This kept improving in the glass.  Long finish.  Very food friendly.  This wine retails for under $30 and is great now but should hold and maybe improved for a while.  This is made from Chenin Blanc which ages better than most people think.  

What a delicious wine.  Golden in color.  The nose has honey, quince and slight apricot.  On the palate, this is viscous.  Sweet but not overtly.  Good acidity.  Honey and slightly bitter apricot notes make it easy to drink a second glass.  Long finish.  Easily has a couple of decades left.  Just delicious.  

A collaboration between Gérard Bertrand, and Jon and Jesse Bon Jovi.  HW Wine Company is essentially a company that commissioned this wine to be made in France to celebrate the good life.  Light salmon pink in color.  The nose is all about watermelon and strawberries.  It has a nice texture.  Nice acidity.  This wine is really all about summer fruit.  Not a lot of depth or complexity but tasty and easy drinking.  While it is probably made as a summer sipper it went well with a summery watermelon salad. Fun wine.