France: Wine, French Wine Regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, & More Profiled
This is 100% Cabernet Franc from the difficult 2014 vintage. Ruby in color with a purple core. The nose has black cherries with slight coffee. Medium bodied. Medium tannins. This is probably a bit past peak but still drinking well. Nice depth. Good finish. The wine will work better with food. Drink over the next couple of years.
Muscadets have been some of the best values in the wine world for some time and although the price has risen, they still hold that distinction. This was the final year that Mark Olivier, whose reputation is at the top of Muscadets, was working at his winery. It is 100% Melon de Bourgone grown organically. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has an interesting herbal (almost minty) note along with slight citrus and plenty of salinity and minerality. A bit of crushed shells as well. Slightly oily texture. On the palate, almonds and citrus. Nice finish. Refreshing. This
This sparkling wine from the Loire Valley is 100% Chenin Blanc. Light golden in color with a fair amount of quickly disappearing medium bubbles. The nose has seltzer and minerality. Medium bodied. On the palate, bitter almonds with a hint of orange peel. Shorter finish. A very pleasant wine as an aperitif. Nice on its own, it should be very food friendly. Fried appetizers would work well. Drink over the next year or two.
This is an iconic bottling from one of the controversial masters of Loire wines. He has long used "natural winemaking techniques" long before they were en vogue. The lack of preservatives in the wines leads to a higher amount of spoilage at times, so one needs to be careful with ordering, shipping and storage. No worries here, this wine was stunning. It is made from 100% Chenin Blanc grown biodynamically since 1984. Golden in color (not deep), clear and bright. The nose is great with orange peel, apricots, salinity and just a slight note of nuttiness. Medium to full bodied. On the p
Purchased off the list at The Arbor in Pasadena. This is Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley in France. Light golden in color with slight green hues. The nose is nice with a slight grassy note but also a slight tropical fruit note. Light bodied. Slightly sweet, but just a hint. Good finish. This is a lovely way to start a meal and was popular with everyone at the table. Drink over the next year or so.
Purchased off the list at The Arbor in Pasadena California. Kudos to them for this inspired and affordable choice. $65 or so off the list. Purple in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose is deep with black raspberries, slight blueberries, hints of bubble gum and black licorice. Medium bodied. Nice texture. On the palate, this is young but tasty. Blueberries and black raspberries with a slight sour note. Nice finish. This is drinking well now and should drink well for the next five to eight years. It went very well with Pappardelle Pasta, Pesto and Burrata.
Domaine Huet makes some of the best Chenin Blanc wines anywhere in the world from dry to sweet to sparkling. This one is semi-dry and is wonderful. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is great with citrus (lemons and slight tangerine), salinity and chalk. Medium bodied. Light tannins. Good balance and acidity. On the palate, citrus with nice minerality. This is sweet but not at dessert levels. The acidity balances it nicely. This drinks great on its own and will work well with spicy Thai food. Drink over the next fifteen to twenty years.
As prices for white Burgundy in general and Chablis in particular continue to rise, it is nice to find still affordable producers making great wine. This is one such producer. the wine is made in a concrete egg and sees no oak. Light golden in color with some green hues, clear and bright. The nose is nice with crushed shells, slight chalk/minerality and lemon. Medium bodied. Lean and racy texture. Good acidity. On the palate, lemons and crushed shells. Long finish. This is drinking well now and should continue to drink well for another ten to twelve years. Nice on its own, this w
Not a whole lot more to say about Yquem that hasn't been said, but it is arguably the greatest winery on the planet. The 2013 is a very good if not top vintage, but still a thrill to drink. Golden in color, light with just a tinge of orange. The nose is great with apricots, slight honey and slight tangerines. Viscous. Full bodied. Great balance. On the palate, this is delicious. Flavors of apricots and tangerines. Sweet with enough acidity to not be cloying. The finish goes on forever. This is drinking well now and should drink well for another twenty to thirty years. Great on i
The 2005's are really starting to come into their own now and this is one more data point supporting that. This is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, char, slight cigar box, leather and spice. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, this is complex. Flavors of cassis and black cherries, slight leather and char. Great balance. Long finish. This is about at peak but should stay there for another ten years. Nice on its own, but better with food. This would wo
