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

This bottle was decanted for an hour and then double decanted back in the bottle.  It might have needed a bit more than that but that was good.  Ruby/purple in color.  Clear and bright.  The nose is a bit of a dusty attic at first.  With air, cherries and cedar come out.  Light tannins on the palate.  Cherries with sandalwood and slight forest floor on the palate.  This has a nice complexity with good layering.  This seems at peak now.  No hurry but it probably should be drunk by 2030.  It will work better at the table at this point, roasted meats, fowl or veggies would be great.  

Pop and pour, this probably should have been decanted.  It took some time to open up.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has cassis, pencil lead, cedar and tobacco.  Cherries come out with air.  This has a slight funk at first but cleans up with air.  A wonderful velvety texture.  Complex and deep.    Lot of cassis and cherries on the palate.  Some cherry cough syrup.  Tart acidity which begs for food.  Long finish.  This seems to finally be at peak though no hurry.  At least a decade more at this level.  This will go well with meat or fowl dishes though not too spicy.  

The first bottle that we opened was corked.  A second bottle proved quite fresh indeed.  This was a surprise as it showed quite well.  Still, in the older style.  The label was actually in very good shape as well.  Purple in color with just a slight bit of bricking at the rime.  Clear and bright.  The nose has cherry fruit, with a slight bit of funk.  With air it becomes a bit more cigar box.  On the palate, this is clean and fresh.  Certainly mature but nice cherry fruit, just a wisp of tannins with underlying barnyard.  The finish is a bit drying.  Older wines can be a gamble, mostly due

This is certainly not today's Pavie.  A very different style of Bordeaux.  Whether that is good or bad is subjective.  Ruby/brown in color though clear if a bit muted.  The nose is all about the earthy funk.  There is some slight mine and slighter cherry fruit.  Tart acidity.  On the palate, this starts out with thin cherries.  As it blows off bottle stink, it adds some weight but tastes old and past prime.  Certainly no sin for a 37 year old wine.  There is a lot of funk on this wine.  One of the people sharing this wine called it "dirty" which might (or might not) be a bit strong.  Still,

Salon is my favorite Champagne.  Unfortunately, it's price makes it a very rare treat indeed.  Having tasted this wine on release, it didn't seem worth the price, but with some bottle age, this wine was spectacular.  It is, of course, 100% Chardonnay.  Silver gold in color with ton of very tiny bubbles.  The nose has slight toast, a slight amount of oxidation, plenty of green apples and just a slight ginger note.  Wonderful minerality.  On the palate, this has great acidity.  It is a very lively wine that dances across the palate.  Crisp apples, minerals and slight lime/lemon notes.  A long

Medium golden in color.  A nice head of tiny bubbles.  This is 100% Pinot Noir.  The nose is nice with slight toast, a bit of lemons, and slight ginger.  On the palate, a bit of strawberries play with the lemons.  Underlying yeast.  No hint of oak on this wine, it is clean and lean and very refreshing.  It will go well with most foods.  It probably is getting to the point where it should be drunk up in the next few years.  

This is a big wine, but it was surprising how well it is drinking now.  Purple in color.  Plums, black cherries, spice, slight floral all make up an enticing nose.  On the palate, this has a lush but crisp texture.  Plenty of juicy fruit; plums black cherries and even some black raspberries intertwined with spices and charcoal over a slight earthiness.  Good energy.  Long finish.  This seems so good today, it doesn't appear that it will get better but will certainly change as it matures.  It will go great with casseroles and stews as well as burgers and steaks.  It has another five to seven

This is a great value Rosé from Provence.  It comes in a "flute a corset Provençal" shaped bottle.  This wine is pink/orange in color.  It has a lovely nose of strawberries with some apricots and slight citrus.  On the palate, the strawberries come thru along with a bit of cherries.  This is clean and easy to drink.  very tasty.  It has a nice energy which will fade quickly.  Though this wine may last for a few years, it should be drunk now to best enjoy it.  It will drink well on its own or with lighter fare but will also work with ribs or other grilled foods in a refreshing way.   

This was from Magnum.  Deep purple in color.  The nose is great with black raspberries, black cherries, garrique and char.  On the palate, this is as good as many Chateauneuf du Papes.  Deep black raspberry notes with underlying charred wood.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is young and has at least a decade left and probably more.  The juiciness and char would make it great with burgers or steaks on the grill.  At $43 for a Magnum, this is a great value.  

A very pretty Rosé from the heart of Provence.  52% Grenache, 23% Syrah, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cinsault, and 3% Rolle.  Salmon pink in color.  The nose is nice with cherries, slight floral and strawberries.  On the palate, this is dry.  Slightly viscous.  Nice strawberry fruit.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This won't drink better than this but should be good for another year.  It goes well with lighter food and salads.  Great value.