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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Bordeaux | 1 | 95 (DC) | HK$2,050.00 | |||||
Decanter (95)Expressive on the nose, so aromatic. The palate is so delicious - dense and structured, powerful and muscular but so well packaged. Uber glamour here. Real depth of flavour with lingering spice from the liquorice and sweet cedar, some bitter dark chocolate, floral touches and even soft savoury truffle aspects too. I love it, chewy almost balancing intensity with freshness and just such clarity that you know it's been well worked. Buy and hold on to. |
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Rhone | 1 | 99 (JD) | HK$5,195.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (99)A spitting image of the heavenly 2007, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis is a huge, opulent Grenache that delivers everything you could want from this variety. Layers of kirsch liqueur, garrigue, licorice, and herbes de Provence just cascade over the palate. This literal bomb of a wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and layered, yet like all truly great wines, it remains pure, balanced and graceful, with no sense of heaviness. It will most likely merit a triple-digit score in another 2-3 years and will keep for another 10-15 years, but why wait? |
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Rhone | 2 | 95-96 (VN) | HK$3,990.00 | |||||
Vinous (95-96)Glistening magenta. A complex, highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and blue fruits, potpourri and incense, along with smoky mineral and exotic spice topnotes. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering deeply concentrated yet surprisingly energetic boysenberry, Chambord, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that slowly tighten up on the back half. The strikingly long, floral- and spice-driven finish shows superb delineation and fine-grained, harmonious tannins. |
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Rhone | 6 | 97 (JD) | HK$6,175.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97)Tasted from bottle, the 2018 Châteauneuf du Pape Colombis comes from a single lieu-dit and is 100% Grenache brought up all in demi-muids. I thought it could be the wine of the vintage last year, and it’s certainly not far off, offering a sensational bouquet of Provençal garrigue, ground pepper, spiced meat, and red and black fruits. Reminding me of a slightly toned-down version of the 2007, it’s full-bodied and has a beautifully layered, elegant texture, sweet tannins, and a gorgeous finish. The 2018s do not get much better than this, and this beauty can be drunk any time over the coming 15 years or more. |
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Rhone | 7 | 97+ (JD) | HK$4,615.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97+)The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Colombis comes from more sandy soils and is all Grenache raised in demi-muids. Wild strawberries, cherries, flowery incense, lavender, and loamy earth all make an appearance, and it's full-bodied, has a deep layered texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's another wine that needs a few years of bottle age, but it will deliver the goods over the following 15+. This is Grenache at its most elegant and seamless. |
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Rhone | 3 | - | HK$6,405.00 | |||||
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Rhone | 4 | - | HK$6,050.00 | |||||
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Rhone | 16 | 97-99 (JD) | HK$6,640.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97-99)All Grenache and always more exotic and expressive, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Colombis just about jumps out of the glass with its ripe redcurrant and black raspberry-like fruit as well as notes of orange blossom, spring flowers, and spices. It's medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. If you love Grenache, don't miss this. |
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Rhone | 4 | - | HK$3,465.00 | |||||
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Rhone | 4 | 96+ (JD) | HK$3,275.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (96+)Reminding me of the 2020, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is based on 60% Grenache, 16% each Mourvèdre and Cinsault, and the rest Syrah. Its medium ruby hue is followed by a gorgeous perfume of black raspberries, white pepper, Provençal garrigue, and crushed stone-like minerality. With medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, and ripe, polished, yet building tannins, it's an absolute gem in the vintage that will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and cruise over the following decade or more. |
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Rhone | 3 | - | HK$2,220.00 | |||||
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Rhone | 4 | - | HK$2,585.00 | |||||
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Rhone | 6 | - | HK$3,770.00 | |||||
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Rhone | 6 | - | HK$3,770.00 | |||||
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Rhone | 1 | 92 (VN) | HK$10,850.00 | |||||
Vinous (92)The 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud offers melted cassis, ripe black fruits, a touch of licorice and forest floor with a hint of mushroom. Full-bodied, powerful and flamboyant, it remains bold throughout, perhaps missing a touch of elegance. It is best to drink this now as it is not improving further, and when tasted alongside, the Colombis shows a little better. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (WA) | HK$21,895.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)The utterly profound 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape Collection Charles Giraud (60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre) offers up a smorgasbord of roasted meats, black currants, smoked garrigue, graphite and licorice. Utterly perfect on the palate, with a massive, broad, expansive texture that just won’t quit, it has a stacked mid-palate, loads of sweet fruit and a heavenly finish. Chateauneuf du Pape doesn’t get any better! |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (WA) | HK$16,840.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)An incredible wine that I thought was pure perfection on release, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Collection Charles Giraud still stays at the top of my hierarchy today. The most masculine, powerful and concentrated of the trio, it possesses massive amounts of fruit to go with darker-styled fruits, pan drippings, charred steak and roasted herbs. It has everything you could want in a Southern Rhone. Give it another year or two and enjoy bottles through 2030. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (JD) | HK$6,595.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (100)A perfect wine that's up with the top handful of wines in this incredible vintage, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud (60/40 Grenache and Mourvèdre) boasts a sensational nose of currants, cured meats, kirsch, exotic spices, and sandalwood. Deep, full-bodied and powerful, yet with an incredible sense of elegance and purity, it just glides across the palate and, despite its awesome intensity, it never seems heavy or over the top. Give it 2-3 years, and it will keep for two decades or more. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (JD) | HK$10,850.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (100)Even better (as well as a perfect wine), the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Collection Charles Giraud checks in as a nominal blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre that was brought up in demi-muids. It reveals a deep purple color as well as heavenly notes of blackberry and currant fruits intermixed with loads of cured meats, spice box, Asian spices, and a distinct loamy soil and minerality. Always more structured and powerful than the Reserve Auguste Favier release (no doubt due to the Mourvèdre component), it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, building yet polished tannins, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. Pure perfection in a glass, it’s as good as wine gets. Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades. Hats off to winemaker Isabelle Ferrando for yet another thrilling wine! |
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