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

From 70 year old vines in Burgundy, this is a very nice Chardonnay.  Light golden/green in color, clear and bright.  The nose has minerals, lemons, hazelnuts and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, the lemons and minerals come thru.  Nice balanced.  Easy to drink.  drink this over the next ten to twelve years.  Nice on its own, this will be even better with lighter foods or sea food.  Tuna steaks would be a nice match.  

This is the basic Domaine bottling (they also make one that doesn't list Domaine that is a negociant blend).  Fevre is about the best producer of affordable Chablis.  Light golden in color with some green.  The nose has lemons, slight green apples and a hint of chalk.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, the lemons and slight green apples come out with a bit of chalk/minerals underneath.  Lots of energy here.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  A great value in white Burgundy.  This drinks great on its own but will work better with food.  Oysters or clams are classic but any seafood should work.  Drin

This is a Rhone blend wine with 50% coming from California and 50% coming from France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Maury.  The grapes were from the 2013 vintage though that is not on the label.   This wine is only available to members of Orin Swift’s Equinox Wine Club.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, black raspberries, char, spice and black pepper.  15.4% ABV.  This is not a shy wine.  Great lush texture.  On the palate, juicy black cherries and black raspberries with underlying charred dry earth.  No noticeable alcohol on the nose or palate.  Thi

Bichot makes a lot of wine and most of it is reasonably priced and of good quality.  This is no exception.  Green gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with lemons, slight chalk/minerals, and a slight apple quality.  Light bodied.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Lemon candy notes with some fresh lemon.  Some acidity.  A slight bitter note on the finish.  This needs to be consumed now.  It works well on its own but better with lighter foods.  It went well with a cheese pizza.  

Quite the treat!  Served to me by friends!  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose takes some time to open, and then orange/tangerine, peach, slight almond flour and a bit of a floral note.  Medium bodied with a slightly oily (in a good way) texture.  On the palate, this takes some time to open and then shows peach, tangerine, and stony minerality.  Delicious.  Long finish.  This is young and will undoubtedly improve over the next seven to ten years.  It should drink well for another ten to twelve after that.  That said, it offers up so much energy and intensity now, it would be

White Rhone wines are certainly unique and this one, at age 30, is no exception.  I quite enjoyed it for what it offered.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is interesting with pears, Crème Brûlée, honey countered by a bit of oxidation and minerality.  Full bodied and quite rich.  On the palate, it has a deep complexity.  Some fruit; baked pears with layers of minerals and some oxidized apples (not in a bad way).  Long finish.  This was served with a Gazpacho and it worked well enough for a difficult pairing.  It seems like it will be at this level for a while longer, but it shou

Not much more to say about one of the greatest wines on the planet from a great vintage.  This bottle was bought on release and cellared well.  Light golden in color with a lot of small bubbles.  The nose is concentrated with baked apples, some spice, slight lemon and a brioche/oxidized note that is classic Krug.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is still youthful.  Great acidity.  A bit of baked apple, spice and slight cider note.  Long finish.  This is still youthful and should easily go another ten to fifteen years at this level if well stored.  It will pair with virtually any

Great showing for this top Châteauneuf-du Pape! Served side by side with Hommage a Perrin, it held its own.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is clean with plums, black cherries, slight balsamic, some spice and slight meatiness.  Medium to full bodied.  Great texture.  On the palate, this is fresh and vibrant but pretty much at peak although with years left.  This release as some variability, but well stored bottles should easily go another decade or more.  It drinks great on its own, this worked very well with Indian food.  

Spectacular showing for this wine.  Opened, allowed to breathe for ten minutes then decanted for sediment and allowed to breath for another twenty minutes.  Totally exceeded expectations.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose is everything one could want from aged Bordeaux.  Cassis, black cherries, tobacco, slight leather, hints of funk and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is complex, layered and contemplative.  Layers of cassis, black cherries, funk and earth.  Great balance.  Long finish.  More elegant than a powerhouse, but it can hold its own as well.  This bottle seemed at

What a treat.  The cork was popped, waited ten minutes and decanted for sediment.  This is classic old Bordeaux.  Deep ruby in color with some bricking at the rim.  The nose is great with cassis, cherries, tobacco, some funk and dried cherries.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is complex and delicious.  Most likely past prime but not a whole lot.  This bottle had been purchased on release and properly cellared.  Flavors of cassis and cherries layered with dry earth and funk.  Great balance.  Nice finish.  Drink now if you own any.  A bottle like this will work with dinner but it