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
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 88-90 (VN) | HK$1,130.00 | |||||
Vinous (88-90)The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Les Chabiots 1er Cru has quite a stemmy nose that rather obscures the terroir and fruité at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with a chewy opening, quite firm in the mouth, just missing some finesse and Pinoté towards the finish. A bit too firm for a Chambolle, at least in my book. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$4,495.00 | |||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$11,630.00 | |||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$1,225.00 | |||||
|
|
Burgundy | 4 | 97 (TA) | HK$10,910.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (97)The stand out wine at Bichot in 2012, even though it was made from (very special) purchased grapes. Pepper spicy, concentrated, yet clearly defined it's silky, sweet and beguilingly fruity with very subtle oak integration, fine-grained tannins and a silky, palate-caressing finish. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 91-93 (WA) | HK$8,865.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (91-93)The 2016 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru was picked on 28 September, includes 30% whole bunch fruit and matured in 40% new oak. It has a clean, fresh and vibrant bouquet with red cherry, cranberry leaf and fine mineralité coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, impressive depth, quite saline in the mouth with a pinch of spice/black pepper toward the finish. This is a well-crafted Clos de la Roche that should age with style. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$20,140.00 | |||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 88 (VN) | HK$6,880.00 | |||||
Vinous (88)The 2015 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a primal, simple bouquet that struggles to get past the honeyed fruit, the aromatics overwhelmed by the growing season. The palate is slightly honeyed on the entry with notes of mango, passion fruit and a touch of spice, suggesting that there might have been some botrytis in the vineyard. This is not unattractive but falls short of other Corton-Charlemagnes of this vintage. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting. (DIAM 30 closure) |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 91-93 (VN) | HK$9,360.00 | |||||
Vinous (91-93)The 2020 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a light, fresh bouquet with pressed white flowers, white linen and light peachy aromas. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, quite taut for a Corton-Charlemagne, certainly one of the better Bichot whites with more mineralité on the finish. This should age well. Closure: Diam |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 87 (VN) | HK$1,795.00 | |||||
Vinous (87)The 2021 Chablis Vaucoupin 1er Cru has a primal, grapefruit and lemon thyme scented nose that feels a bit strict. The palate is well balanced with a sapid entry, though it needs more grip and substance on the finish. Fine, but early-drinking. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 93 (DC) | HK$1,900.00 | |||||
Decanter (93)Domaine Long-Depaquit is the Chablis arm of the Bichot family. Vaucoupin is one of their signatures and in 2022 it shows a great combination of sun-ripened peach fruit on the palate, balanced by zesty acidity and a hint of white pepper. Lovely purity here. Manages to be both powerful and elegant at the same time. Already drinking nicely, this has the concentration to age very well. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 3 | 90-92 (BH) |
HK$1,570 - HK$1,915 |
|||||
Burghound (90-92)(raised in ~15% wood). Here there is better Chablis typicity in the form of quinine, petrol, sea breeze and citrus on the floral and pear-scented nose. The mouthfeel of the medium-bodied flavors is at once rich yet refined with good vibrancy while delivering fine length on the dry but not really austere finale. As pretty as this is though, it definitely will need to develop better depth to merit the upper end of my predicted range. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 91+ (VN) | HK$1,385.00 | |||||
Vinous (91+)Reticent but complex aromas of lime blossom, hazelnut, minerals and wet stone. Drier and more austere than the Blanchots, with a juiciness verging on painful to its grapefruit zest and crushed rock flavors. Seriously mineral wine with excellent extract and chewy length. Boasts good depth but not quite the depth or dimension of the Blanchots. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 90-92 (VN) | HK$845.00 | |||||
Vinous (90-92)Very pure but restrained nose offers scents of white peach, lemon oil, spearmint and powdered stone, plus a hint of spices. Deeper and richer than the Blanchots but not showing quite as much personality or definition today. Less detailed but ultimately a broader-shouldered, larger-scaled wine, and less evolved today. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 90-92 (VN) | HK$3,960.00 | |||||
Vinous (90-92)Very pure but restrained nose offers scents of white peach, lemon oil, spearmint and powdered stone, plus a hint of spices. Deeper and richer than the Blanchots but not showing quite as much personality or definition today. Less detailed but ultimately a broader-shouldered, larger-scaled wine, and less evolved today. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 92-94 (VN) | HK$3,125.00 | |||||
Vinous (92-94)The 2018 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru is very airy, weightless and lifted. The 35% new oak is not especially evident. The 2018 shows real finesse and aromatic intrigue. Citrus, white flowers, chalk, white orchard fruit, white pepper and mint come together in a very pretty and gracious wine with a long, persistent finish. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 6 | 94 (IB) | HK$1,565.00 | |||||
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94)Fullish yellow. The complex nose shows the power of the vintage, a few drier tannins behind, fair acidity. I think the Clos character is there, but it is reticent today. The palate does deliver detail and layers of fruit though. The finish does also suggest the necessary class. Really good length here. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 94 (IB) | HK$1,045.00 | |||||
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94)Fullish yellow. The complex nose shows the power of the vintage, a few drier tannins behind, fair acidity. I think the Clos character is there, but it is reticent today. The palate does deliver detail and layers of fruit though. The finish does also suggest the necessary class. Really good length here. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 2 | 94 (IB) | HK$3,490.00 | |||||
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94)Fullish yellow. The complex nose shows the power of the vintage, a few drier tannins behind, fair acidity. I think the Clos character is there, but it is reticent today. The palate does deliver detail and layers of fruit though. The finish does also suggest the necessary class. Really good length here. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 93 (BH) | HK$3,570.00 | |||||
Burghound (93)Here too the nose is cool, airy and restrained with its combination of oyster shell, floral, quinine and green apple aromas that are trimmed in enough oak influence to merit pointing out. There is equally good refinement though not the same mid-palate density to the beautifully detailed and even drier finale. I like both the style and the balance, and this should amply repay extended keeping. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 6 | 95 (DC) | HK$3,655.00 | |||||
Decanter (95)Quite subtle and restrained on both nose and palate. Plenty of warmth of fruit, but as yet quite restrained. Lovely, salty, zesty notes promise a lot in the future. Ripe peach fruit characters develop with a few minutes in the glass. This will be a great example of Les Clos once in bottle. Tank sample. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 2 | 91-94 (BH) |
HK$3,675 - HK$4,495 |
|||||
Burghound (91-94)(from a 1.5 ha parcel; ~35% new wood). Slightly more apparent if still subtle oak influence is present on the overtly floral-suffused nose where notes of lemongrass, mineral reduction, oyster shell and iodine add breadth. There is impressive volume to the powerful and delineated yet reasonably refined larger-bodied flavors that possess solid density while delivering excellent length on the bitter lemon, youthfully austere and balanced finale. At least moderate patience will be required as this is pretty tightly wound at present. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 93 (VN) | HK$3,525.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)The 2020 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru has an attractive bouquet with orchard fruit, pressed white flowers and light flinty notes, gaining intensity in the glass. The palate is firm with nice acidity and has good weight (more than most Valmurs) with a persistent, classically-styled finish. Very fine. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 92 (VN (NM)) | HK$3,590.00 | |||||
Vinous - Neal Martin (92)The 2021 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru has a bit of reduction on the nose, although it conveys energy and seems well defined. The palate is fresh on the entry with a keen line of acidity. There is a veneer of oak but it is proportional to the fruit, rendering the finish balanced and focused with a dab of stem ginger on the aftertaste. This has certainly improved since I tasted it blind a couple of years ago. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | 2 | 93-94 (IB) | HK$3,600.00 | |||||
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-94)Glowing primrose colour. Evidently a fleshier wine, that is apparent from the nose. Very classy, a whisper of coconut from the oak, a surge of attractive fruit behind, not too much tension but certainly intensity. Good length with appley notes appearing at the very back. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted: October 2023. |
|||||||||
|
|
Burgundy | - | 93-94 (IB) |
HK$3,875 - HK$4,735 |
|||||
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-94)A fresh lemon colour, with energy on the nose, ripe grapes even yellow plum on the nose but well balanced. This has considerable class, has maintained tension, just the right flesh for Vaudésir, layers of white fruit, correct acidity and just a little marine overlay. 30% wood. Drink from 2028-2035. Tasted Oct 2024. |
|||||||||
