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

Another great vintage in the southern Rhone valley in France.  Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, black cherries, slight anise and floral notes (Violets?).  Medium bodied.  On the palate, the cherries and dark cherries come thru with underlying spices and roasted herbs.  Nice texture.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue to do so for the next seven to ten years.  It drinks well on its own but will work better with foods.  Ribs off the grill would be a nice choice.  

What more can be said about one of the truly great wines made.  Golden in color, deep and shimmering bright.  On the nose there is honey, some dust, pineapple and orange marmalade.  Viscous.  On the palate, this is so smooth as it coats the mouth.  Notes or apricots, honey, pineapple and slight caramel.  Long, long finish.  This is not an opulent year for Yquem nor is it lean.  It drinks great on its own.  It would work with a less sweet dessert, but this is one of those wines that deserves 100% attention.  Drink over the next thirty years.  

One of my favorite dessert wines.  At age 12, this is drinking beautifully from a 375ml bottle.  Light to medium golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is gorgeous with oranges, blood oranges, honey and spice.  Full bodied.  Viscous texture.  Excellent balance and acidity.  On the palate, oranges, orange peel and honey, layered and complex.  The finish is quite long.  Delicious.  As good as this is, it may still get better with age.  This is contemplative on it own but will work for less sweet (not chocolate) dessert.  A polenta cake would work nicely.  

Excellent Rhone wine that is in a great place right now.  This bottle tasted much better and more mature than a bottle tasted two years ago.  That review can be found here:  https://www.intowine.com/reviews/2013-rotem-mounir-saouma-ch%C3%A2teaune...

First time trying this vintage and it is awesome if still young.  I hate to call it elegant as that is not correct, but it is the kind of wine that fans of the "less is more" philosophy of wine will love.  Light silvery/gold in color, clear and bright with a lot of tiny bubbles.  The nose is great with green apples, minerality, slight lanolin and chalk.  But it is not big, just intense.  The palate is similar.  At first taste, it seemed to be missing something, but it has an energy and persistence that keeps building.  Intensity without volume.  The green apple and minerality carry thru to

An interesting wine.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has almonds, grapefruits, slight chalk and a hint of salinity.  medium bodied.  On the palate, those qualities came out as well.  Very nice acidity.  Overall, a bit reticent but refreshing.  Perhaps because it came in a 500ml bottle, but I presumed it would be at least semi-sweet.  Not to be, but it did work well with home made vegan ginger snaps.  Well made Vouvray can last a long time as this showed no real signs of age.  I wouldn't worry about another five or ten years.  

Wonderful wine.  Finally worth opening after waiting all these years.  Bought on release and cellared.  This was open and decanted for sediment and allowed to breather for an hour or so before trying.  Deep ruby in color, purple at the core, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is classic with cassis, pencil lead, tobacco and a hefty amount of earthy funk.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is complex and layered but still fresh and vibrant.  Cassis with underlying earthiness and a bit of coffee and mushroom.  Long finish.  Contemplative.  This drinks great on its own and will work well with

From the excellent 2008 vintage.  This is 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and,10% Pinot Munier.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  A fair amount of tiny bubbles.  The nose has apples, slight cider notes, and a touch of chalk.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  The fruit is ripe which comes off a bit sweet but that calms down with air.  Nice apple fruit.  Solid finish.  This is drinking quite well now and should continue to do so for the next decade.  It went well with a varied menu from Shishido peppers and garlic to sharp Cheddar.  

This was purchased on release during a visit to the winery.  It has improved a bit in the intervening four years.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a lot of lemons with underlying minerality.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is dry.  Great minerality with a bit of lemons.  It has some depth though still drinking youthfully.  Very concentrated.  Nice finish.  This went great with Thai food.  It will drink fine on its own but would work better with food.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

This sweet Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France so no signs of ageing at all.  Light yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has pears, honey, white peaches, with a bit of crushed shells and salinity.  Full bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this is sweet but just a bit, certainly not cloying.  Good acidity.  The honey, peaches and and minerality come thru.  A very long finish.  This wine is deep and stops the drinker in his or her tracks.  It drinks great on its own and might be harder to match with food.  A not too sweet shortbread cookie or a soft goat cheese wo