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

2010 Domaine Tempier Bandol La Migoua, France, Provence, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

Great showing for this wine.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has some funk/brett.  Also, black cherries and slight plums.  Full bodied.  The palate has minerals, plums, and black cherries.  Layered and complex.  This at the young side of peak but it is mature.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is great on its own and will work well with food.  Roasted duck is a nice choice.  drink over the next eight to twelve years.  

2016 Producteurs Plaimont Saint-Mont Les Vieilles Vignes

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$19.00USD

From the southwest of France, this is a blend of Tannat, Cabernet and Pinenc from the southwest of France.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, spice, and oak.  Full bodied.  Very tannic.  On the palate, boysenberries, ash, and black cherries.  Good finish.  This needs some air although the tannins will certainly outlast the fruit in this wine.  It is just part of the drinking experience.  Due to that, food is probably a good idea.  Cassoulet would work well.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  Nice Value.

2020 Cave de la Petite Fontaine Sancerre Cuvee Prestige, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley in France.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has minerality, salinity and slight cat pee notes.  Light bodied.  On the palate, lemon/lime notes.  Good acidity.  Some depth.  This works better with a bit of food.  A roasted beet & goat cheese salad would be nice.  Drink over the next couple years.  

2021 La Roche Palais Rosé Les Vignes De Reve, France, VdF, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$10.00USD

60% Grenache and 40% Cinsault from the south of France (carrying a Vin de France designation).  Pale pink/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has orange rind and slight strawberries.  Nice texture, slightly creamy.  On the palate, orange citrus.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Nice, long finish.  A nice value in a Rosé.  This should be very food friendly and a bit better with food.  A nice with with a Niçoise Salad.  Drink over the next year.  

2020 Joseph Drouhin / Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

This is a very nice Chardonnay made from estate grown and purchased fruit.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some green apple often found in Chablis, but mostly grapefruit with some lemon.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is moderately crisp with a bit of chalky minerality.  Good finish.  It drinks well on its own and worked well with a caprese salad.  Drink over the next few years.  

2001 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2001
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$125.00USD

From Magnum.  Very nice showing for this wine.  Deep golden in color, clear and bright.  This has slight petrol, orange peel, and apricot on the nose. Quite enticing.  Medium bodied.  Viscous.  Dry.  On the palate, this has a nice vibrancy.  Not really showing old although certainly mature.  Apricot, peaches and minerality with good acidity.  Long finish.  This is delicious on its own and worked very well with fried onion rings and tater tots.  In this format, this could probably go another ten to twenty years.  (Price listed is for a 750ml)

2020 Domaine de Grangeneuve L'Initiale H, France, Rhone, Grignan-les-Adhémar, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

This is from the northernmost AOC in the southern Rhone Valley in France.  It is a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries and black raspberries with spice and slight floral note.  Full bodied.  Nice balance.  On the palate, lots of deep black cherry fruit.  A bit chunky in a rustic sort of way.  Good finish.  This is a nice value wine that will work well with a pizza or or burger.  Drink over the next few years.  

2020 Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Grade: 
Current Price: 
$14.00USD

Muscadets are usually tremendous values.  Crisp, inexpensive and delicious white wines from the Loire Valley in France.  This one is all of those.  Pale silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has crushed shells, lemons and sea air.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this has lots of minerality, crushed shells, salinity but also lemons to tie it all together.  Some depth and complexity.  These will age longer than one might think, maybe ten to fifteen years, but they are best when young and crisp.  The perfect foil for oysters.  

2020 Domaine de Châteaumar Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Vincent, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$19.00USD

One of my go value wines.  Just about every vintage in the southern Rhone is good these days, so this is usually good, too.  Certainly 2020 fits right in with prior vintages.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  The nose is nice with black cherries, char, spice and slight floral notes.  Medium to full bodied.  Nice texture.  This drinks easily with lots of black cherry fruit and underlying char.  Nice finish.  I suppose it will age for five to seven years, but I usually just drink mine right away.  Nice on its own, this is great with chili, or stew.  

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