France
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More-so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
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This is always the demure wine of the group; shy and subtle. A beautiful ruby/garnet colour, very lifted and bright. Very fine aromas, delicate - red fruit, strawberries, jellied cherries. Very fine, very attractive. This has considerable finesse and ... Learn More -
Domaine Matrot is a sixth-generation family estate with exceptional holdings in the Cote de Beaune. With six hectares of village-designated plots, plus four hectares of premier cru vineyards in Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet, they have access to some truly special fruit. ... Learn MoreDomaine Matrot Meursault 2019$125.00 Per item -
Domaine Pierre Gaillard is a well-regarded wine producer based in Malleval, in the northern Rhône Valley. It is perhaps best-known for its range of local Côte Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, Condrieu, Cornas, and Crozes-Hermitage wines. It also owns vineyard ... Learn MorePierre Gaillard Cote Rotie 2010$125.00 Per item -
This wonderful estate is run by brother-sister team of Christophe and Isabelle Sabon, though their father (who celebrates his 50th vintage with this 2016 harvest) lends his ample experience. "As autumn is drawing to a close and the wine presses have ... Learn MoreDomaine De La Janasse Chateauneuf Du Pape 2016$125.00 Per item -
The 2013 Coutet has one of the most complex aromatics you will find this year - a smorgasbord of citrus fruit, lime zest, orange blossom and white peach that is beautifully interwoven with compelling mineralite. The palate is extremely well-balanced, very ... Learn MoreChateau Coutet Sauternes-Barsac 2013$128.00 Per item -
"Delamotte has always been somewhat of an insider’s house, producing high quality at realistic prices. One of the best buys in exquisitely crafted Champagne." - Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate Herbal with hints of jasmine, white peach, mint, ... Learn MoreDelamotte Blanc De Blancs NV Champagne$129.00 Per item -
Château Haut-Bages Libéral is a certified organic and biodynamic Bordeaux producer in the Pauillac appellation, making Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant red wine. It is one of the 18 estates deemed a Fifth Growth in the 1855 classification of the Médoc and ... Learn MoreChateau Haut-Bages Liberal 2010$129.99 Per item -
In France’s Northern Rhone Valley, there are few names as revered as Graillot. It was in 1985 that the now legendary Alain Graillot, who after working with the venerable Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac, came back to his home in ... Learn MoreMaxime Graillot Domaine des Lises Equis Cornas 2009$129.99 Per item -
Jean-Manuel Jacquinot obtained a degree in Oenology at the esteemed University of Reims. After this he became trainee oenologist at the world famous house of Veuve Clicquot. Today, Jean-Manuel has over 20 years of experience in making Champagne, is a Member ... Learn MoreChampagne Jacquinot 'Symphonie Rose Millesime' 2013$129.99 Per item -
A large plot with the evocative name of "Les Champs au pied du Mont" (or, "The Fields at the Foot of the Mountain"), located on the slope overlooking the outskirts of Beaune. The wine is barrel-fermented and aged in barrel ... Learn More -
The "Clos de l'Écu" appellation dates back to the Middle Ages. This clos enabled owners at the time to pay the sums they owed to the Dukes of Bourgogne. It is a monopole parcel and was purchased in 2003 by ... Learn MoreFaiveley Beaune 1er Cru Clos de l'Ecu (monopole) 2005$130.00 Per item -
Outer quote mark The Château Coutet 2014 is a blend of 75% Sémillon, 23% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle and delivers...cue the drumroll...a whopping 162 grams per liter of residual sugar, the highest level of any Sauternes that I have data ... Learn MoreChateau Coutet Sauternes-Barsac 2014 (750ml)$130.00 Per item -
The 2018 Monbousquet is composed of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested September 27 to October 9 with yields of 39 hectoliters per hectare. The wine has a pH of 3.78 and 14.38% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it sashays out of the glass with ... Learn More -
The wine beautifully expresses its old vine origin, with intense, concentrated fruit upon first smell, displaying aromas of blackberry, cherry, raspberry and a delicious jamminess. The palate shows great balance and structure, framed by velvet tannins and a smooth mouthfeel. ... Learn More -
Champagne Gosset is the oldest wine house in Champagne. This Blanc de Blancs is both mineral and floral, with aromas of flowers mixed with white fruits, apricot and Mirabelle plum. There are very light notes of lemon and other citrus ... Learn MoreGosset 'Grand Blanc De Blancs' Nv$135.00 Per item -
A blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. Produced only when the harvest is of exceptional quality. The nose offers a mellow fruitiness with white and yellow fleshed fruit such as William pear, greengages and mirabelle plums. This is followed by ... Learn MoreChampagne Taittinger Brut Millesime 2014$139.99 Per item -
The best Sauternes from Barsac, as rated by US President Thomas Jefferson in 1787, Chateau Coutet has a long-standing record of excellence. The winery's exceptional terroir benefits from old vines with exceptionally deep roots that concentrate the flavours of the fruit. ... Learn MoreChateau Coutet Sauternes-Barsac 2018$140.00 Per item -
Domaine Rostaing, often called René Rostaing after its founder, is a leading wine estate in the Côte-Rôtie region of the Northern Rhône, and particularly known for its Syrah-based wines. ... Learn MoreRene Rostaing 'Ampodium' Cote-Rotie 2011$140.00 Per item -
The deep ruby/purple-colored 2018 Château Fombrauge is a beauty and one of the finest examples of this cuvée to date. Smoked black fruits, tobacco, graphite, and hints of chocolate all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, rich, impressively ... Learn More -
The vineyard is just east of the Meursault village bordering Lafon’s ‘Clos de la Barre’. Classic clay-limestone soils. Bottled unfiltered after 18 months in oak, 10% being new. Fleshy and full in style, it displays richness, complexity and concentration this wine ... Learn MorePierre Boisson Bourgogne Blanc ‘Les Herbeaux’ 2019$145.00 Per item -
Checking in as a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot from very old vines and still aging in 50% new French oak, the 2018 Château Saint-Pierre reveals a saturated purple color to go with rich, full-bodied aromas and flavors of crè ... Learn More -
The glass of Champagne Drappier was lifted by the hands of the greatest men. General De Gaulle, for example, was a fan of the estate's vintages. This success is mainly due to the application of winegrowers, from generation to generation, ... Learn MoreChampagne Drappier Grand Sendree 2009$149.99 Per item -
Domaine Michelas st Jemms are the oldest individual winery in Crozes Hermitage established in 1961. They were the first family to leave the Cave de Tain cooperative, becoming the first independent in the region, and setting the stage for many others ... Learn MoreDomaine Michelas St Jemms Hermitage Terres D'Arce 2015$149.99 Per item -
Another rocking sweet wine is the 2017 Château Coutet. This big, full-bodied, opulent beauty has serious notes of orange blossom, buttered citrus, and honey, yet also shows the more pure, precise, and elegant style of the vintage on the palate. ... Learn MoreChateau Coutet Sauternes-Barsac 2010$150.00 Per item -
The young vines of this plot make it a purplish coloured wine, with a very intense fruity nose from the first nose. It is undoubtedly a Volnay with character, full in the mouth and always carried on the fruit felt ... Learn MoreDomaine Chavy Chouet Volnay Sous La Chapelle 2020$150.00 Per item -
A "casse tête" in French is a conundrum or puzzle and the name of this plot refers to the hardness of the soil and the challenge it was for our ancestors to plant vines on this pebbly limestone ground. ... Learn MoreDomaine Chavy Chouet Meursault Les Casse Tetes 2020$150.00 Per item -
Rich and concentrated on the palate, with layer upon layer of flavour, this is an extraordinary wine from vines running alongside Coche-Dury. ... Learn MoreDomaine Chavy Chouet Meursault Les Narvaux 2020$150.00 Per item -
Sourced from vines with an average age of 65 years old. Matured for 10 months in 40% new French oak. Higher percentage of new oak maturation evident on the nose. More ripeness from fruit to match this however. More nutty and creamy but ... Learn MoreDomaine Chavy Chouet Meursault Clos Des Corvees 2020$150.00 Per item -
Made by Romaric Chavy, one of the up and coming young producers of the Cote d'Or. Exclusive to United Cellars. Sourced from 60 year old vines on a tiny 1 hectare plot in Puligny Montrachet, known the world over for exceptional Chardonnay. ... Learn More -
"The disarmingly modest Thierry Glantenay is emerging as one of the Côte de Beaune's most exciting producers of red wine." -William Kelley, The Wine Advocate Perhaps the Glantenays are not well known because not much was bottled and sold ... Learn MoreThierry Glantenay Pommard 1er Cru Riottes 2019$150.00 Per item -
The Château Palmer is a 3rd Grand Cru classé in Margaux, in the Médoc. The Château Palmer itself was built in 1856 by brothers Emile and Isaac Péreire, great industrialists of the time since they invested as ... Learn MoreAlter Ego de Palmer 2020 (En Primeur - Delivery 2023)$150.00 Per item -
A truly classic, age worthy style of wine from Pauillac, Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste is one of those Fifth Growth wines that shine in great years, rivalling the very best from the region. Aromas of red plum, black cherries and cedar. The ... Learn More -
Another success from Grand-Puy-Lacoste -- it’s bright and full of juice, prioritising vibrancy over power. As such, it has a touch less Pauillac typicity than in the absolutely brilliant 2016 vintage at this estate, although as it unfurls through the ... Learn More -
Lots of ripe black cherry and cassis fruits as well as graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth notes emerge from the 2018 Château Giscours, a medium-bodied Margaux that has a fresh, focused texture, plenty of underlying structure, and the purity ... Learn MoreChateau Giscours 2018 (Ex Chateau arrival time 4 months)$155.40 Per item -
The grand vin 2018 Château Haut-Batailley is a beauty and is comprised of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot brought up in 60% new French oak. It's an attractive, elegantly styled wine that has lots of juicy Merlot notes of black cherries, graphite, ... Learn MoreChateau Haut Batailley 2018 (Ex Chateau)$155.40 Per item -
Back to a freshness – more compact but vibrant – quite an invitation again. Extra width, bub- bling freshness – here with a touch of barrel – complex, mouth-watering – more concentrated than my favourite – the Remilly. An excellent wine I just prefer that more ... Learn MoreJoseph Colin Saint-Aubin 1er cru "Les Combes" 2020$158.00 Per item -
A young vine so just the second harvest. All on high here but the first 1er to be harvested. Here the nose is more of a width – still fine and sizzling with energy. Wow in the mouth – open, airy, melting ... Learn MoreJoseph Colin Saint-Aubin 1er cru "Les Champlots" 2020$158.00 Per item -
Château L'Arrosée is a former Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé estate, purchased by Domaines Clarence Dillon (of Château Haut-Brion fame) as part of the takeover of Château Tertre Daugay in 2011, and renamed Château Quintus – it is ... Learn MoreChateau L'Arrosee 2010$159.01 Per item -
I was only able to taste the 2018 Château d'Issan once, but it showed beautifully, with a full-bodied, plump, sexy style as well as classic notes of cassis, fresh plums, licorice, and high-class cigar tobacco. Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% ... Learn MoreChateau Issan 2018(Ex Chateau)$159.60 Per item
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