France
The vast and diverse wine regions of France, each with its own unique terroirs, grape varieties, and winemaking techniques, are a treasure trove.
In Bordeaux, the birthplace of some of the world's most iconic wines, esteemed vineyards such as Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Haut-Brion produce exceptional red wines, showcasing the art of blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The region is also renowned for its exquisite white wines, with vineyards like Château d'Yquem and Domaine de Chevalier producing legendary sweet wines.
Moving to Burgundy, the vineyards of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, and Domaine Armand Rousseau capture the essence of the region's revered terroir, crafting exquisite red wines from the Pinot Noir grape. Meanwhile, Domaine Leflaive and Domaine Coche-Dury are celebrated for their world-class white wines, predominantly made from Chardonnay.
The Champagne region, known for its sparkling wines, boasts illustrious houses such as Krug, Dom Pérignon, and Moët & Chandon, as well as grower-producers like Pierre Péters and Jacques Selosse. These vineyards create exceptional sparkling wines using the traditional method, offering a symphony of delicate bubbles, elegant flavors, and vibrant acidity.
In the Rhône Valley, iconic vineyards like Chapoutier, E. Guigal, and Château de Beaucastel produce remarkable red wines in the northern appellations of Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Cornas, showcasing the elegance and power of Syrah. Further south, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is celebrated for its rich and full-bodied red blends, with Château Rayas and Clos des Papes leading the way.
In Alsace, vineyards such as Domaine Zind-Humbrecht and omaine Trimbach craft exquisite white wines, including Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris, expressing the region's unique terroir and varietal character.
These are just a few highlights among the diverse array of wines that France offers. From the Loire Valley's crisp whites and elegant reds to the Languedoc-Roussillon's bold and robust wines, each region presents its own vinous treasures.
France
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From the celebrated Clos Rougeard vineyard, the Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux 2006 is a luxury personified in a bottle. This exquisitely crafted red wine, hailing from France's illustrious Loire Valley, is a testament to Clos Rougeard's unparalleled dedication to excellence. This vintage is a 100% Cabernet Franc, a variety unique to the region. The wine is meticulously fermented in oak barrels for 18-24 months, giving it layered complexity and depth. The resultant pour offers a truly immersive tasting experience, enveloping the senses with mature, fruity notes, sultry undercurrents of spice, and a pleasing minerality. Reflecting its distinguished terroir, the Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux 2006 exhibits a beautiful harmony of strength and elegance, culminating in a strikingly prolonged finish. This fine wine is a crowning jewel in the vast offerings of Clos Rougeard, celebrated for their unwavering commitment to traditional, biodynamic wine making practices. A bottle of Les Poyeux 2006 is a compelling addition to any discerning wine collection.
HK$12,230.00 -
(12x75cl) 2008Vinous (92)
Bright ruby with a hint of garnet at the rim. Fascinating aromas of plum, cherry and wild spices. Suave, discreetly sweet and savory, with enticingly pliant flavors of red fruits, game and sage. Finishes lush and silky, with very smooth tannins and lingering notes of redcurrant and spicecake. Rather Burgundian in character, this cabernet franc is built to age. That said, it is the only cabernet franc from Clos Rougeard that I tasted for this article that is approaching the stage where I would open a bottle.HK$68,260.00 -
(6x75cl) 2010Vinous (93)
Dark ruby with a blackish core. Ethereal strawberry and raspberry aromas are lifted by rose petal, violet and wild spices. Juicy and intensely perfumed on the palate, with red berry flavors complicated by floral and saline elements and a note of tobacco. Extremely rich but still very closed, this cabernet franc boasts perfectly balanced acidity, fine-grained tannins and excellent spicy persistence.HK$15,165.00 -
(6x75cl) 2011Vinous (92+)
Deep ruby. Lovely lift to the gamey aromas of blackberry, violet and wild flowers. Discreetly sweet, layered and seamless, showing perfectly integrated acidity and a chalky quality to the vibrant tannins. Juicy, vinous, intense and delicately suave, this distinguished cabernet franc finishes with subdued cassis fruit, subtle spices and superb length, reminding Nady of the 1993.HK$13,835.00 -
Decanter (94)
Another 2015 with a floral scent of violets and roses along with a blood-like iron element, on a foundation of brisk blackcurrant fruit. The tell-tale minty top-note comes to the fore after aeration, and the juicy palate is both fleshy and fresh, sustained by racy tannins. It has a vibrant finish with a salty tang.HK$18,425.00 -
Vinous (95)
There's a gorgeous nectarine-like character that runs through Les Poyeux when young and the 2016 is no different. It's silky and seductive in a non-opulent way. Finesse is a word that crops up repeatedly when I tasted this wine: finesse of fragrance - this is delightfully perfumed, pure and precise; finesse of tannins with their fine chalky texture. It is long, scented and charming, thus it could be approached now if you wished but it has a medium to long life ahead.HK$15,460.00 -
(3x75cl) 2016Vinous (95)
There's a gorgeous nectarine-like character that runs through Les Poyeux when young and the 2016 is no different. It's silky and seductive in a non-opulent way. Finesse is a word that crops up repeatedly when I tasted this wine: finesse of fragrance - this is delightfully perfumed, pure and precise; finesse of tannins with their fine chalky texture. It is long, scented and charming, thus it could be approached now if you wished but it has a medium to long life ahead.HK$6,320.00 -
Vinous (95)
There's a gorgeous nectarine-like character that runs through Les Poyeux when young and the 2016 is no different. It's silky and seductive in a non-opulent way. Finesse is a word that crops up repeatedly when I tasted this wine: finesse of fragrance - this is delightfully perfumed, pure and precise; finesse of tannins with their fine chalky texture. It is long, scented and charming, thus it could be approached now if you wished but it has a medium to long life ahead.HK$19,340.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18)
Elegant and poised with red-berry and floral notes. As is often the case, a burgundian feel. Huge intensity on the palate, the tannins tight and firm but fine as well. Lovely balance. Should age well.HK$6,225.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18)
Elegant and poised with red-berry and floral notes. As is often the case, a burgundian feel. Huge intensity on the palate, the tannins tight and firm but fine as well. Lovely balance. Should age well.HK$15,315.00 -
(6x75cl) 2018Jancis Robinson (17+)
Nose complex and restrained with just a hint of chocolate. Rich and almost sweet on attack then tightens to give length and drive. Slight ‘solar’ feel but quality of tannins exceptional.HK$12,755.00 -
(12x75cl) 2005Vinous (89+)
(European bottling) Deep ruby. Gamey cherry and blackcurrant scents are complicated by smoked meat, licorice and dark chocolate. Chewy and sweet, with deep blackcurrant and bitter cherry flavors, and a potent olive quality on the back. Gains sweetness with air but this is pretty brooding today.HK$3,775.00 -
Wine Advocate (91)
The 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape offers gorgeous kirsch and strawberry-styled fruits to go with notions of spring flowers, licorice and rose petal. A perfumed, medium to full-bodied effort, it has loads of charm and class and will have a decade of overall longevity.HK$3,725.00 -
HK$3,145.00 -
HK$2,755.00 -
HK$2,100.00 -
(12x75cl) 2010Wine Advocate (100)
Deeper and richer, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus ex Machina has been nothing short of perfection on the 3-4 times I’ve been lucky enough to try it. Muscular and powerful, with a serious, full-bodied profile, it gives up incredible aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, licorice, graphite, beef blood and loamy earth. Like most 2010s at this stage, it’s backwards and dense, and needs to be forgotten for another couple of years. This beauty will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.HK$31,845.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
Deeper and richer, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus ex Machina has been nothing short of perfection on the 3-4 times I’ve been lucky enough to try it. Muscular and powerful, with a serious, full-bodied profile, it gives up incredible aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, licorice, graphite, beef blood and loamy earth. Like most 2010s at this stage, it’s backwards and dense, and needs to be forgotten for another couple of years. This beauty will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.HK$12,660.00 -
HK$1,225.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
More cured meats, spice, loamy soil notes, and an incredible core of kirsch and currant fruits emerge from the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Deus Ex Machina. Deep, incredibly concentrated, multi-dimensional and long, it reminds me of the 2007 at this same point in time. This cuvée is always a 60/40 split of Grenache and Mourvèdre, brought up in tank and new demi-muids, and in top vintages, needs 2-5 years of bottle age to really shine, yet I always also fine a certain accessibility given its balance and purity. It’s capable of lasting for two decades.HK$6,860.00 -
HK$5,320.00
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Jeb Dunnuck (97)
A much more powerful wine based on 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Deus-Ex Machina reminds me slightly of the 2011 with its spicy, perfumed, complex bouquet of red and black fruits, dried flowers, pepper, and Provençal herbs, with more gamey, meaty notes emerging with time in the glass. Full-bodied on the palate, it's balanced, has ultra-fine yet building tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It needs a solid 4-5 years of bottle age and should have 20+ of overall longevity.HK$4,750.00 -
(6x75cl) 2021HK$5,785.00 -
(6x75cl) 2005Vinous (91-94)
Bright red. Strong cherry and blackcurrant scents, with complicating lavender and espresso nuances. Very rich on the palate, with deep dark fruit flavors, dusty tannins and a long, highly spicy finish. This eminently ageworthy wine is currently showing its good dose of 100-year-old syrah vines.HK$11,080.00 -
(12x75cl) 2007Wine Advocate (100)
The two special cuvees are both as good as wine can get. The 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous is the more pure, elegant and seamless of the two, but it’s still a huge wine that has overflowing notions of smoked meats, ripe black currants, toasted spice, liquid smoke and garrigue. It’s utterly seamless on the palate, with fine tannin, no hard edges and incredible purity of fruit. It’s firing on all cylinders but certainly has another decade or more of prime drinking.HK$29,980.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The two special cuvees are both as good as wine can get. The 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous is the more pure, elegant and seamless of the two, but it’s still a huge wine that has overflowing notions of smoked meats, ripe black currants, toasted spice, liquid smoke and garrigue. It’s utterly seamless on the palate, with fine tannin, no hard edges and incredible purity of fruit. It’s firing on all cylinders but certainly has another decade or more of prime drinking.HK$12,515.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
One of the vintage's top wines, the 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous continues to drink splendidly. Brandied cherries and dried herbs mark the nose, while the full-bodied palate is velvety and open-knit, with shadings of cocoa and a bit of savory, meaty development. It does dry out a bit as it sits in the glass, but it should continue to drink well through 2020 at least.HK$940.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
One of the vintage's top wines, the 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous continues to drink splendidly. Brandied cherries and dried herbs mark the nose, while the full-bodied palate is velvety and open-knit, with shadings of cocoa and a bit of savory, meaty development. It does dry out a bit as it sits in the glass, but it should continue to drink well through 2020 at least.HK$5,425.00 -
Vinous (94)
Full ruby. An exotic, highly perfumed bouquet evokes red and dark berry preserves, star anise and a whiff of Grand Marnier. Juicy, palate-coating raspberry and boysenberry flavors show a felicitous blend of power and vivacity, with no rough edges and slow-building spiciness. Closes on a sweet note, with lingering anise and floral notes.HK$1,235.00 -
(6x75cl) 2009Vinous (94)
Full ruby. An exotic, highly perfumed bouquet evokes red and dark berry preserves, star anise and a whiff of Grand Marnier. Juicy, palate-coating raspberry and boysenberry flavors show a felicitous blend of power and vivacity, with no rough edges and slow-building spiciness. Closes on a sweet note, with lingering anise and floral notes.HK$10,325.00
