Category Archives: France
Chateau Thieuley, Reserve Francis Courselle, Bordeaux Supérieur AC, Bordeaux, France, 2002, 13% abv, US$19
This Bordeaux Supérieur is a deep garnet with some bricking near the rim and aromas of blueberry and ripe plum with vanilla and baking spice. The palate is dry with well-integrated alcohol and the tannins are strained and become … Continue reading
La Cave d’Augustin Florent, Tannat, Madiran AOC, Southwest France, 2012, 13.5% abv.
This wine surprised me. Being from Madiran AOC (which is located in South West France in the Pyrénées Mountains on the border with Spain) I anticipated it would be very concentrated and tannic. Wines from Madiran AOC may only be red (there’s … Continue reading
Domaine Huet, Clos du Bourg, Moelleux, Première Trie, Vouvray AC, Loire, France, 2002, 12.5% abv, US$ 45 (half bottle)
Chenin Blanc is one of the most versatile grapes. This wine is a botrytised, sweet version from Domaine Huet located in Vouvray, Loire Valley, France. If you actually knew what these grapes look like when picked, you may not want to … Continue reading
Domaine de Ferrand, Philippe Bravay Vignobles, Châteauneuf du Pape, Orange, France, 2012, 15% abv, bottle #03458, US$54
Here’s a GSM from 5 ha of vines located in the region of La Gardiole and Cabrières near Orange, in the northern part of Châteauneuf du Pape. The recipe on this wine is 95% Grenache with 2% Syrah, 2% Mourvèdre and a … Continue reading
Chardonnay, Louis Jadot, Pouilly-Fuissé AOC, Mâconnais, France, 13% abv.
Pouilly-Fuissé is located in Burgundy’s Mâconnais subregion and Chardonnay is its only grape. Its wines are usually good deals and cheaper than those from the north of Burgundy. There, a good tip for when all those wines are swimming in front … Continue reading
Champagne Gatinois, Aÿ Grand Cru, Brut Tradition, Champagne, France, NV, 12% abv. C$60
Here is a champagne from deep in the Marne in tiny Aÿ, located to the east of Épernay. This is a 90% Pinot Noir based champagne with 10% Chardonnay, but it’s 100% Grand Cru and grown on the 7.3 ha … Continue reading
Le Clos des Grillons, Les Terres Blanches, Côtes du Rhône AC, France, 2012, 14.5% abv.
This wine is produced by vigneron Nicholas Renaud who came to winemaking from teaching in 2008. He works from 18 ha of 70-80 year old vines, 80% of which he rents. The soil of the Les Terres Blanches vineyard is … Continue reading
Miraval, Rosé, Jolie-Pitt & Perrin, Provence AC, France, 2014, 13% abv. 19.50 GBP / C$29 ++
There’s not much about this famous Brangelina – Perrin brothers product you can’t find on the internet. A quick search brings up a mere 27,900 links on Google. It was named on Wine Spectator’s 100 top wines of 2013 as the … Continue reading
Pinot Noir, Cumières Rouge, Champagne Geoffroy, Coteaux Champenois AC, Champagne, France, 12.5% abv.
This is actually THE bottle that is the pictured headliner on this very site. I snapped that picture in June 2014 when visiting Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy, his lovely wife and tribe of spirited daughters in Aÿ. The cork used is a traditional … Continue reading
Domaine Huet, Clos du Bourg, Sec, Vouvray AC, Loire, France, 2011, 13.5% abv.
These are a few of my favourite things – the Loire Valley, Domaine Huet and Chenin Blanc. We visited this classic biodynamic benchmark winery in June 2014 but opened this bottle in July 2015. A second bottle was opened in October 2015 (notes … Continue reading
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