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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Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-97)
Pale lemon colour. The power is immediately apparent on the nose, but in a good way. A wine for longer elevage before bottling and then worth the wait in bottle thereafter. This has all the expected volume of white fruit while retaining impeccable balance. Adds depth with time in the glass, before reaching quite a saline finish. A very youthful but impressive Clos des Mouches. I recently enjoyed a stunning bottle of the 2017, and this could very well match it in due course. Tasted: November 2021HK$9,120.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (91)
The 2021 Beaune Blanc Clos des Mouches 1er Cru has a fragrant, comely bouquet with white flowers, lemon verbena and just a hint of honeysuckle, a lick of vanilla pod from the new oak. The palate is rounded on the entry, quite powerful and lush for a Meursault, a real mouth-filling experience with tropical-tinged fruit that perhaps feels a little evolved for its age. Yet it has real chutzpah and is very drinkable now. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.HK$5,055.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (91)
The 2021 Beaune Blanc Clos des Mouches 1er Cru has a fragrant, comely bouquet with white flowers, lemon verbena and just a hint of honeysuckle, a lick of vanilla pod from the new oak. The palate is rounded on the entry, quite powerful and lush for a Meursault, a real mouth-filling experience with tropical-tinged fruit that perhaps feels a little evolved for its age. Yet it has real chutzpah and is very drinkable now. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.HK$10,910.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-96)
Fresh light lemon colour. The bouquet indicates a little more flesh, as is typical, but not at the expense of precision. As always this is extraordinarily intense on the palate, not yet as fleshy as it will become, but one can see into the future. Fine fruit and acid balance too, of course. 13.7% alcohol which makes sense for Clos des Mouches. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted: November 2023.HK$7,600.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-95)
Mid lemon, with the somewhat more sumptuous bouquet of Clos des Mouches, always more flesh right from the outset. This is a powerful fleshy wine, with a good oak support, probably higher in alcohol. Lower than expected yield here in white. May well be around 14% I suspect but that goes with this territory. Drink from 2029-2038. Tasted Nov 2024.HK$7,980.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019HK$6,915.00 -
Vinous (91-93)
The 2019 Beaune Cras 1er Cru has a very distinctive bouquet ,with granite, almost flinty aromas infusing the red berry fruit. A strong marine influence emerges with time. The palate is beautifully balanced, displaying fine delineation, good firm structure and a solid, quite edgy finish that feels crunchy in texture. Abundant freshness here. This Beaune should give 12–15 years’ drinking pleasure. Excellent.HK$4,245.00 -
Burghound (92)
Here the nose plays on the edge of reduction and while it doesn't completely mask the floral-scented nose of dark berries and earth, it does render it less expressive. The rich and notably denser medium-bodied flavors also flash a lovely minerality that adds a sense of lift to the much firmer, even robust finish that is presently somewhat youthfully austere. Patience required but this should ultimately be excellent.HK$4,455.00 -
Vinous (89-91)
The 2017 Beaune Grèves 1er Cru has a pure, quite expressive bouquet of maraschino cherries mixed with crushed strawberry and rose petal aromas. The palate is sweet and quite candied on the entry, featuring plush red currant and raspberry notes, and very smooth and open-knit toward the finish. This is a joyful Grèves, though not as long-term as other recent vintages.HK$2,915.00 -
Jancis Robinson (17)
Cask sample. Mid purplish cherry red. Lovely floral and open nose. So pure and scented with cherry and violets. On the palate, some oak in evidence in sweet spice. Incredibly smooth and rounded texture. Packed with fruit, generous and remarkably approachable. Just fresh enough. Very persistent with that fruit.HK$3,230.00 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2019 Beaune Grèves 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet of dark berry fruit, light seaweed and oyster shell scents, and the 30% whole cluster lends a subtle tertiary aspect. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, slightly chalky tannins. This is very well structured, delivering palpable energy. A saline finish gets the saliva flowing. Just a delicious Beaune Grèves.HK$3,400.00 -
(6x75cl) 2021HK$5,575.00 -
(6x75cl) 2020Savour the refinement of the Joseph Drouhin Blagny 1er Cru La Piece Sous le Bois 2020, a splendid French Chardonnay. This superior vintage originates from the esteemed Burgundy region, more specifically, Blagny's Premier Cru vineyard. The well-respected Joseph Drouhin, an innovative, family-owned wine producer known for sustainable viticulture since 1880, meticulously crafts this wine. With a firm commitment to biodynamic principles, the grapes are handpicked and gently pressed. Fermentation and ageing take place in French oak barrels, adding complexity and depth to this rich wine. Expect an aroma of ripe fruits, white flowers, and hints of toast. Savour the balance of minerality and freshness teasing the palate, leaving a persistent aftertaste. Make no mistake, the Joseph Drouhin Blagny 1er Cru La Piece Sous le Bois 2020 reaffirms the winemaker's prowess in delivering exemplary wine.
HK$3,965.00 -
(12x75cl) 1989Wine Spectator (93)
A real mouthful, with layers of plum, berry and other fruit flavors and a sweet, ripe fruit and tannin structure. Drinkable now. -HK$88,920.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-96)
3 barrels made. Vibrant purple with a little touch of whole bunch character. Very gracious soft dense dark fruit on the palate, the tannins are very fine here, which is not the case for every Bonnes Mares in 2018. This has been well judged.HK$27,360.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2020 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, which comprises of just two barrels this year, has a highly-perfumed and precise bouquet that is actually reminiscent of Christophe Roumier's Bonnes-Mares. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins that frame the multi-layered fruit. Fine grip, structured, saline and aristocratic on the finish. This will need time but will most certainly be worth the wait.HK$5,750.00 -
HK$15,860.00 -
(6x75cl) 2021HK$34,935.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022HK$29,545.00 -
HK$1,270.00 -
HK$1,935.00 -
HK$5,800.00 -
Vinous (92-95)
Tangy aromas of rose petal, spices and coffee. Wonderfully silky on entry, then precise and refined in the mid-palate, with subtly complex flavors of wild berries, herbs and mocha. Less obviously sweet and even more reserved than the Bonnes-Mares, but with a finer grain to its texture and tannins. Finishes very ripe and very long. Has all the elements to make an outstanding bottle.HK$54,090.00 -
(12x75cl) 2005Wine Advocate (96)
The Drouhin 2005 Chambertin Clos de Beze – which combines purchased fruit with a bit from their domaine – displays a classic nose of black cherry, licorice, white pepper, and rose petal; stains the palate with its intensity of fruit, herb and flower while displaying fantastic elegance, polish and silken refinement of texture; and grips for dear life in a finish marked by stunningly vivid floral perfume. This superb Pinot should not be revisited for at least 5-7 years and will doubtless be worth holding for twice that amount of time.HK$63,010.00 -
Burghound (93)
Much like the Musigny, this is really beautifully spicy but here there are intense earth and sauvage undertones to the mostly wild red berry fruit scents. There is excellent volume and plenty of minerality to the focused, energetic and overtly powerful large-scaled flavors that culminate in an austere finish that displays noticeable gas which accentuates the firmness of the tannins. Even so, this is clearly a long-distance runner and like the Griotte, I would strongly advise buying this only with the intent to cellar it for at least a decade.HK$29,650.00 -
Burghound (93)
Much like the Musigny, this is really beautifully spicy but here there are intense earth and sauvage undertones to the mostly wild red berry fruit scents. There is excellent volume and plenty of minerality to the focused, energetic and overtly powerful large-scaled flavors that culminate in an austere finish that displays noticeable gas which accentuates the firmness of the tannins. Even so, this is clearly a long-distance runner and like the Griotte, I would strongly advise buying this only with the intent to cellar it for at least a decade.HK$39,735.00 -
James Suckling (95)
This is dense and tannic with beautiful bright fruit such as dried strawberry and mineral. Full body, chewy tannins and a long finish. Very muscular. Try it in 2020.HK$32,930.00 -
(3x75cl) 2015Wine Advocate (96-98)
The 2015 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is a class act in the making, perhaps one of the finest barrel samples that I have tasted from Drouhin. This gem has a gorgeous and extraordinarily pure bouquet with crushed strawberry, pomegranate and overripe orange scents that are exquisite and beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with super fine, almost filigree tannin that seem to caress the senses. It constitutes the most sophisticated of Drouhin's 2015s with ineffable finesse on the finish that lingers so long in the mouth. This is simply a brilliant wine.HK$14,800.00 -
Wine Advocate (96-98)
The 2015 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is a class act in the making, perhaps one of the finest barrel samples that I have tasted from Drouhin. This gem has a gorgeous and extraordinarily pure bouquet with crushed strawberry, pomegranate and overripe orange scents that are exquisite and beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with super fine, almost filigree tannin that seem to caress the senses. It constitutes the most sophisticated of Drouhin's 2015s with ineffable finesse on the finish that lingers so long in the mouth. This is simply a brilliant wine.HK$26,440.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18.5)
Picked 8–11 September. High percentage of whole bunch – 40%. 'I had a crush on this wine this year', says Véronique Drouhin. Cask sample. Mid crimson. So pretty: red fruits, a stemmy freshness that is leafy but in a lovely way, not at all underripe. Fabulous depth and length but with an elegant shape, not exactly slim but perfectly proportioned, like the body of a yoga expert, sinewy and strong but not lean. Savoury with a marked oak flavour on the finish at the moment and a long peppery aftertaste.HK$13,505.00
