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

2008 Veuve Doussot Champagne Ernestine Millesime, France, Champagne, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

Light golden in color.  Nice mousse with lots of small bubbles.  The nose is nice almonds, slightly yeasty, and some ginger.  This is spry and a bit shy at first.  Ginger and slightly chalky.  Good acidity.  Works well with food.  Some complexity.  Good finish.  Not a big wine but certainly persistent.  Good value for Champagne.  

2012 Domaine de la Côte Sainte-Epine St. Joseph Vieilles Vignes, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, slight bacon fact, black olives and slight violets.  On the palate, this is drinking well.  Not yet at peak, but getting there.  Some depth.  Great balance.  Black raspberries, slight char and a bit or earthiness.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This has a bit more fruit than a "typical" St. Joseph but still shows a nice sense of place.  Should be good for a decade or more.  Around $25 on release, a great value.  A Fass Import wine.  

2003 Château Montrose, France, Bordeaux, St. Estèphe,Wine Review

Vintage: 
2003
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+

Pop and pour and consumed over two nights.  Much better on night 2.  I know many people say 2003 was such a warm vintage that the wines are already mature.  That might be true, but this one's best days are still to come.   62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, graphite, cedar, and smoked cigar.  On the palate, this is full bodied with medium tannins.  Lush cassis and black cherry fruit layered with forest floor, damp earth and tobacco.  Tightly layered.  Long finish.  This is delicious but very much from Bordeaux a

2015 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain, France, Alsace

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

Light golden in color.  What a gorgeous nose.  Lychees, peaches and minerals.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet but not much.  Great minerality.  Some peach notes.  Wonderful mouthfeel.  Good acidity.  Went great with spicy Indian food.  Long finish.  A beautiful wine.  It is still quite young and will continue to improve for a decade at least and be good for another decade after that.  $75 but might just be worth it!

2009 Château Faugères, France, Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

This is drinking youthfully but quite nice right now.  Purple in color.  The nose has cherries, dark cherries, chocolate and cigar tobacco.  On the palate, this has a lovely lush texture.  Lots of fruit; black cherries, some cherries with a bit of earth.  There is some oak but mostly integrated.  Light tannins.  Nice very smooth finish.  Drinking very well, it works well with food.  There may be some upside as it develops but I think mostly this is as good asa it gets.  

2015 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

Really a tremendous value.  The annual production for this wine is four million bottles.  To make that much wine and be so consistent and of such quality is an amazing thing.  This is certainly a wine where vintage does matter and 2015 is a very good vintage.  For around $15 or less, it is hard to find a better red wine.  Purple in color.  The nose is nice with black cherries, some black olive and a bit of black pepper.  On the palate, this has nice black raspberry and black cherry fruit.  Some depth.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Works well with food.  I would drink these right away.  Th

2005 Domaine Monpertuis (Paul Jeune) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Tradition, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Purple in color.  The nose is clean with dusty cherries and garrique.  On the palate, this has silky tannins.  Layered complexity of cherries, spice and earth.  With air some dark cherry fruit.  Nice finish.  This is at peak now and should be drunk in the next five to seven years.  Outstanding right now.  

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