France: Wine, French Wine Regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, & More Profiled
From the venerable Chateau Haut Brion, this is an inexpensive rose. A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Light salmon in color. Strawberries on the nose. The palate is clean with "red berries", mostly strawberries. This is easy and drinks well. Perhaps not the energy or brightness it had last year, so these should probably be drunk sooner than later. Works well with food.
Consumed from a Magnum. Purple in color, ruby swirls. The nose is clean with black cherries and spice. On the palate, this has a soft texture. Black cherry fruit. Slight, slight bitterness to it. It seems advanced considering the format and the age, but that's fine. Drinking well now. While it has some complexity it is broader rather than deep. This is very good for the vintage and should be good for the next ten years. Not sure if there is any upside though.
Kirkland is the in house brand for Costco. They contract out a wide variety of wines and many of them including this one are very good and great values. This sells for $7.Silvery green and gold in color. A modicum of medium sized bubbles. The nose is reticent but with minerals and limes/green apples. It opens with a bit of air but is never strong. It is better and stronger on the palate. Clean. Just a hint of sweetness, just barely. Good acidity. Good finish. This is food friendly and easy to drink. Made for immediate consumption, for $7, this is a no brainer for parties and coo
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.
