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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Wine Advocate (96)
Shockingly good given that it’s 100% Grenache (which struggled in the vintage), the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Grenaches de Pierre comes all from sandy soils in La Crau and Pignan. Aged all in concrete, it’s more focused and concentrated than the Gallimardes, with beautiful minerality, dark fruit, roasted garrigue and assorted Provencal nuances. Serious stuff, with full-bodied richness and chewy tannin, it will have a broad drink window. Count me a fan. Drink 2015-2027.HK$855.00 -
(1x150cl) 2012Vinous (93)
Brilliant ruby-red. Fragrant, mineral-laced scents of ripe red fruits, olive paste and candied rose, along with notes of chalky minerals and garrigue. Taut, focused and spicy on entry, then fleshier and weightier in the mid-palate, offering juicy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a touch of anise. Closes gently tannic and very long, with resonating minerality and spiciness.HK$1,985.00 -
Vinous (93)
Brilliant ruby-red. Fragrant, mineral-laced scents of ripe red fruits, olive paste and candied rose, along with notes of chalky minerals and garrigue. Taut, focused and spicy on entry, then fleshier and weightier in the mid-palate, offering juicy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a touch of anise. Closes gently tannic and very long, with resonating minerality and spiciness.HK$995.00 -
Vinous (93)
Brilliant ruby-red. Fragrant, mineral-laced scents of ripe red fruits, olive paste and candied rose, along with notes of chalky minerals and garrigue. Taut, focused and spicy on entry, then fleshier and weightier in the mid-palate, offering juicy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a touch of anise. Closes gently tannic and very long, with resonating minerality and spiciness.HK$4,180.00 -
Vinous (93)
Deep ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of raspberry and cherry liqueur, potpourri and Asian spices, joined by a smoky mineral nuance that builds in the glass. Juicy, penetrating and alluringly sweet, offering intense red and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors and supple, seamless texture. Effortlessly balances richness and vivacity and shows no excess weight. Finishes very long and sweet, with smooth, harmonious tannins and a strong echo of candied flowers.HK$1,045.00 -
(1x75cl) 2016Jeb Dunnuck (98+)
Almost at the same quality level, yet very different in style, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grenaches de Pierre is more classic as well as elegant. Awesome amounts of black raspberries, graphite, crushed rocks, violets, and spring flower notes emerge from the glass, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, perfect balance, plenty of tannins, and a more fresh, focused, oh so pure style. It’s going to merit a triple-digit score in 4-5 years and keep for two decades.HK$1,275.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
Drawn from sandy soils in the lieux-dits of La Crau and Pignan, the all-Grenache 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Grenaches de Pierre features wiry, herbal threads sewn into a fabric of tart cranberries and raspberries. It's full-bodied and tannic, needing a few years to loosen up. Ultimately, it should reward the patient with a complex, silken tapestry of flavors.HK$1,015.00 -
Vinous (95)
Limpid ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes mineral-accented red fruit preserve and floral aromas, complicated by Moroccan spice and incense flourishes. Juicy and expansive on the palate, displaying impressive energy to the spice-laced raspberry preserve, kirsch and fruitcake flavors. Rich yet energetic in character, with supple tannins building slowly through a very long, floral-driven finish.HK$1,205.00 -
Vinous (92-95)
Opaque violet color. Extremely powerful, heady nose evokes cassis, boysenberry, olive, lavender and printer's ink. Broad, fleshy and deep, offering vivid red and dark berry preserve flavors, a velvety texture and supple tannins. The fruit seems to suck up the tannins on the clinging finish, which strongly repeats the cassis note. Very impressive.HK$1,310.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Bigger and richer, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Gallimardes is mostly Grenache (there’s 10% Syrah) all from incredibly old vines in the Les Gallimardes lieu-dit located in the southern part of the appellation. This estate owns a tiny parcel here, and this cuvée is incredibly limited, with just 250 cases made. Possessing a huge, incredible nose of blackberries, black raspberries, crushed rocks, garrigue, melted licorice, and cured meats, this full-bodied 2016 has a wealth of fruit and richness, no hard edges, building tannins, and awesome purity of fruit. It’s the finest example of this cuvée ever made and a perfect wine. Don’t miss it!HK$940.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Bigger and richer, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Gallimardes is mostly Grenache (there’s 10% Syrah) all from incredibly old vines in the Les Gallimardes lieu-dit located in the southern part of the appellation. This estate owns a tiny parcel here, and this cuvée is incredibly limited, with just 250 cases made. Possessing a huge, incredible nose of blackberries, black raspberries, crushed rocks, garrigue, melted licorice, and cured meats, this full-bodied 2016 has a wealth of fruit and richness, no hard edges, building tannins, and awesome purity of fruit. It’s the finest example of this cuvée ever made and a perfect wine. Don’t miss it!HK$5,595.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)
Awesome notes of blueberries, black raspberries, exotic spices, and floral notes dominate the bouquet of the 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Gallimardes. It too shows the sunny style of the vintage, yet has nothing overripe, has remarkable purity, and sweet tannins, all pointing to another beautiful vintage for this wine. It’s unquestionably the most traditional and flamboyant of the three Châteauneuf-du-Pape releases.HK$825.00 -
(12x75cl) 2007Vinous (90-93)
Inky purple. Powerfully scented bouquet of kirsch, mulberry and candied lavender. All primary fruit right now, offering dense red and dark berry flavors and no apparent tannins. The finish is broad and sweet, echoing the seductive floral note. Marie Giraud and her brother Francois's first vintage on their own was 2005, and the quality leap has been dramatic in just a few short years. Marie told me that this wine will be bottled earlier than the others, to preserve freshness, and that these vines range from 60 to 80 years of age.HK$3,805.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019Vinous (93)
Vivid ruby. Spice-accented black raspberry and cherry aromas are complemented by suggestions of garrigue and succulent flowers. Supple and seamless in texture, offering appealingly sweet and well-concentrated red berry, cherry liqueur and lavender pastille flavors sharpened by a spicy jolt of white pepper. Finishes on a repeating floral note, showing excellent clarity and polished tannins. Giraud's entry-level bottling has been going from strength to strength in recent vintages.HK$2,565.00 -
Ascend to the zenith of viticultural excellence with the tantalising Giraud Chateauneuf-du-Pape Tradition 2020. This stellar vintage emerges from the esteemed house of Giraud, a family-run estate headquartered in the historic, sun-drenched vineyards of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France. Remarkably, the Giraud siblings’ dedication to organic viticulture yields grapes of supreme quality from their old Grenache vines. Superior manual harvest and rigorous berry selection culminate in a wine that exudes impeccable purity.
Fortuitously, the 2020 vintage marks a feat in the winemaking world with its profound concentration and balance. Burgeoning with dark berry flavours and sprinkles of spice, the Giraud Chateauneuf-du-Pape Tradition 2020 tastefully acknowledges its terroir's earthy and stony streaks. Veering towards full-bodied, its palate-coating, silky tannins and vibrant acidity add to the harmony. Aged predominantly in old oak foudres, this French red encapsulates the beauty and finesse of the Southern Rhône valley, offering a wine experience par excellence in every sip.
HK$3,115.00 -
(6x75cl) 2011Wine Advocate (90)
This experimental, concentrated, 100% Merlot from a vineyard planted with 10,000 vines per hectare, is treated like a pampered child in its viticulture, fermentation and upbringing in barrel. Made by the Despagne family, this luxury cuvee has been a brilliant success in just about every vintage they have released to date. The 2011 is a big, robust effort whose exuberant tannins, which are not fully integrated, suggest caution may be needed. Loaded with sweet, rich, chocolaty berry fruit intermixed with graphite and vanilla notes, it still reveals some new oak, so some additional time in the bottle is warranted. It is hard to believe that a wine that carries a Bordeaux appellation exhibits the courage and visionary zeal needed to produce something like this. This offering should drink well for a decade, but the tannins need to be better integrated for it to fully merit an outstanding score.HK$1,785.00 -
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(1x300cl) 1982HK$4,345.00 -
(12x75cl) 2004Wine Enthusiast (93)
92-94 Château Giscours. A delicious, fresh wine, with some new wood, good red and black fruits, ripe tannins and some dense character. The aftertaste leaves fresh acidity.HK$5,350.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (93)
92-94 Château Giscours. A delicious, fresh wine, with some new wood, good red and black fruits, ripe tannins and some dense character. The aftertaste leaves fresh acidity.HK$900.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (93)
92-94 Château Giscours. A delicious, fresh wine, with some new wood, good red and black fruits, ripe tannins and some dense character. The aftertaste leaves fresh acidity.HK$3,885.00 -
(12x75cl) 2006Wine Enthusiast (94)
After initial tastings suggested there was too much tannin, the wine has undergone a welcome transformation. It has become powerful and ripe, deliciously sumptuous, allying the tannins with densely ripe, sweet black fruits. It keeps its sense of balance, but all this density gives aging potential.HK$6,465.00 -
(12x75cl) 2007Wine Enthusiast (93)
Firm, solid, chunky, a great success from a château that is currently in top form, even in more difficult years. The bright fruits charge through the tannins, giving some richness, balancing with the elegance and freshness of the year. Worth aging.HK$5,875.00 -
(12x75cl) 2009James Suckling (95)
Aromas of blueberries, blackberries and flowers. Very beautiful. Full body, with a solid core of fruit and firm tannins. Balanced and refined. This is ultra-refined. Best wine from here since 1970. One of the great values of the vintage. Best after 2018.HK$7,025.00 -
James Suckling (95)
Aromas of blueberries, blackberries and flowers. Very beautiful. Full body, with a solid core of fruit and firm tannins. Balanced and refined. This is ultra-refined. Best wine from here since 1970. One of the great values of the vintage. Best after 2018.HK$4,360.00 -
James Suckling (95)
Aromas of blueberries, blackberries and flowers. Very beautiful. Full body, with a solid core of fruit and firm tannins. Balanced and refined. This is ultra-refined. Best wine from here since 1970. One of the great values of the vintage. Best after 2018.HK$6,700.00 -
James Suckling (91)
A fresh and clean red with bright acidity and lively fruit. Medium to full body, fine tannins and lively finish. Beautiful intensity on the finish for the vintage. Delicate. Drink or hold.HK$4,190.00 -
James Suckling (95)
Blueberries, tar and licorice on the nose. Full-bodied, solid and dense. Velvety tannins. Long finish. Down on this! Needs at least two or three years to soften.HK$5,390.00 -
James Suckling (96)
Plenty of violets and dark berries on offer here. This has a striking sense of purity as well as an energetic, regal palate. The structure is impressively groomed with effortless depth and length. A standout wine. Try from 2022.HK$6,395.00 -
(1x600cl) 2015James Suckling (96)
Plenty of violets and dark berries on offer here. This has a striking sense of purity as well as an energetic, regal palate. The structure is impressively groomed with effortless depth and length. A standout wine. Try from 2022.HK$6,815.00
