France

• Alsace
• Bergerac
• Bordeaux
  • Barsac
  • Bordeaux Supérieur
  • Margaux
  • Graves
  • Haut-Medoc
  • Listrac
  • Pauillac
  • Pomerol
  • Saint Emilion
  • Saint Estephe
  • Saint Julian
  • Sauternes
• Burgundy
  • Beaujolais
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  • 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

Pop and pour, this is in a good place right now.  Light golden in color.  The nose has a nice salinity with some orange peel.  On the palate, this is barely sweet.  It has an almost dry pineapple quality if that makes sense.  Underlying minerality with a touch a salt (and yes, salt is also a mineral).  Good finish.  This is close to peak but will continue to morph and mature.  No hurry on well stored bottles.  Went well with cheeses.  

This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Lorie Valley in France.  Yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a nice minerality with crushed shells.  Slight grassiness.  On the palate, this is slightly oily with nice minerality.  Clean finish.  This is a solid wine that is a very nice value at $13.  It will drink well on its own or with lighter foods.  

Pale silvery/gold in color.  A very nice head of smaller bubbles.  The nose has a nice seltzer quality with good minerality and slight soap.  On the palate, this is clean with good acidity.  Lemons with a slight mint note.  Good finish.  A really nice way to begin an event and share with friends.  Probably better to drink sooner than later.  

Beautiful showing for this bottle.  Gorgeous color if a bit worrisome.  A deep burnt orange color.  The nose is very nice with a slight petrol quality along with apricots and slight honey.  On the palate, this is slightly viscous.  Not as sweet as it was in it's youth though still some sweetness.  Peaches, slight honey, slight almond note on the finish.  Complex and deep.  It is evolving nicely and well stored bottles should continue to be a treat for a while.  This went well with a salad and will probably have more synergy with lighter foods at this point in its life.  

Nice to revisit this one again (other notes are posted on this site).  It is always interesting to follow a wine over time.  What was a very concentrated and precise wine on release has started to broaden out and showing some development.  It is still a youthful wine with plenty of energy at 13 years from vintage.  Light golden in color with a nice frothy mousse with tiny bubbles.  The nose has a bit of yeast/baked bread with a lemon peel note.  On the palate, this has a nice citrus over a slightly earthy quality.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is showing a nice complexity and depth.  W

This is a Trader Joe's wine made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is an easy drinking rose that is easy on the budget.  Deep pink/orange in color.  The nose has some watermelons and strawberries.  Light bodied.  On the palate, a bit of clean strawberries.  Drank well enough on its own and worked with a variety of garden and fruit salads.  Drink up this summer.  

A very pretty white wine from the Rhone.  This is a big, round wine that is unique and outstanding.  Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette and Roussanne.  Golden in color.  The nose is gorgeous with peaches, minerals, slight lime, toast and a slight waxy/floral quality (not unlike my late Aunt's apartment).  On the palate, this is round with a slightly oily texture.  very nice acidity.  Long finish.  In a very good way, this is somewhat like a white Burgundy with a peach candle melted in.  Delicious.  It would go great with food especially vegetarian grain dishes (couscous, quinoa, etc.). 

Purchased off a store shelf, pop and pour.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, charcoal, a slight floral note and with air some roasted meats.  On the palate, this is leaner bodied.  Slight tannins.  Black raspberry fruit with some earthiness.  The wine is drinking well already and doesn't seem like it will get much better.  It is very good right now though.  It will work great with stews and casseroles.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

This is coming along quite nicely.  It's not yet at peak and still drinks big and young.  Purple in color.  The nose is big with black cherries, some black raspberry, spice, some chocolate and a bit of coffee.  On the palate, this has medium tannins.  Lots of black cherry and black raspberry fruit over a bit of char/dark chocolate.  Slight black licorice on the finish.  This is delicious and great on its own or with bolder roasted meat (or vegetable) dishes.  It will continue to improve for another five to ten years, and be good for another ten to fifteen after that if well stored.  This bo

This is from a region typically more known for their whites.  The owner of this winery is the son and nephew of the owners of Clos Rougeard, a "cult" wine in the Loire Valley.  This is Cabernet Franc from old vines.  It is a very nice wine.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has a slight barnyard with cherries, black licorice and slight hay quality.  On the palate, concentrated cherries.  Nice layering as this unwinds in the glass.  It has a soft texture but at the some time intense.  Long finish.  Certainly not over ripe, this wine will work better with food.  It would be interesting to try