French Wine

Looking considerably more roasted in style than the 2019, the 2018 Crozes Hermitage la Guiraude features notes of grilled dark-skinned plums and savory black olives. It's full-bodied, rich and velvety, but with its layers... Read More

Disgorged with eight grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's 2012 Brut La Grande Année Rosé is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, plums, orange rind, walnuts and fresh bread that... Read More

Born out of the old Clair-Dau estate, Bruno Clair’s wings are spread widely over the Côte d’Or, covering nine appellations in total. Bruno, first and foremost, is a vigneron and, with the help of winemaker Philippe... Read More

The Château de Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin from those years was made mostly from very old Mourvedre vines yielding tiny quantities of intensely ripe, concentrated fruit. Those fortunate enough to have tasted... Read More

Tasted as a sample blended from several foudres, the 2018 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel features scents of sun-warmed stones and ripe raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, it's plush and open-knit, already giving a... Read More

A bright savory note leads off this red, followed quickly by sanguine and bay leaf accents, all melding nicely with the core of steeped blackberry, raspberry and plum fruit flavors as they move through the rich, licorice root–tinged... Read More

In the heart of the appellation Gigondas, the Château de Saint Cosme is an exceptional estate, with its Gallo-Roman fermentation vats perfectly preserved. The property has been in our family since 1490 and we have been vignerons... Read More

From a single parcel of old-vine Grenache, the 2018 Gigondas le Claux matured in a mix of new, one- and two-year-old barrels. Full-bodied, rich and expansive, it combines notes of black cherries, roses, black tea and asphalt with... Read More

This is packed together, with taut iron cables providing a platform for mouthwatering bitter plum, cassis and blackberry reduction flavors. Sage, bay tobacco and warm earth notes play equally important roles, adding superior range... Read More

The medium garnet colored 2009 Figeac features a very pretty perfume of rose hip tea, lilacs and cinnamon stick over a core of red and black currant preserves plus hints of dried herbs and sweaty saddles. Medium to full-bodied,... Read More

Large and in charge, this has a prodigious core of steeped plum, black currant and loganberry fruit flavors that show both compote and coulis aspects. While that steeps, this delivers a sturdy frame of roasted mesquite, smoldering... Read More

Abundant sweet cherry and truffle, new saddle leather and spice box notes are present in this medium to full-bodied, supple-textured, silky Pomerol. It is less concentrated than some of the big boys such as Gazin, Le Gay, L’Evangile... Read More

A stunning success for the vintage, and possibly the Margaux of the year, this wine, which achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, is a blend of 51% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot. Loads of barbecue smoke, licorice,... Read More

This wine is turning out much in the style of such wonderful Petrus vintages as 1967 and 1971. Although not as outstanding as either the 1998 or 2000, it displays beautiful intensity and finesse in a more evolved style than one... Read More