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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Burgundy | 1 | 98 (WA) | HK$151,470.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98)Tasted from bottle, the 2016 Chambertin Grand Cru claims the place of king of the Rousseau cellar this year, soaring from the glass with a complex bouquet of ripe red berries, cherries and plums, complemented by nuances of blood orange, peonies, raw cocoa, grilled meats and spices. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with terrific concentration, lively acids and a muscular chassis of ripe tannins that's largely concealed by a prodigious core of fruit. Long, sapid and penetrating, like the Clos de Bèze, this will make for fascinating comparisons with its 2015 counterpart in two decades' time. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 98 (VN) | HK$61,775.00 | |||||
Vinous (98)The 2017 Chambertin Grand Cru is just a glorious success. Vivid red fruit, Morello cherries, wild strawberry and pressed violets on the nose, the aromatics here feel so animated and exquisitely defined. The palate is perfectly balanced with a killer line of acidity: crystalline red fruit, filigree tannins and more freshness than it knows what to do with. There is a sense of "channeled intensity" in this Chambertin and whilst there is no question that it is a 20- to 30-years wine, I felt no guilt in polishing this off in its youth. Tasted at Maison de Colombier in Beaune. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 98 (VN) | HK$24,000.00 | |||||
Vinous (98)The 2017 Chambertin Grand Cru is just a glorious success. Vivid red fruit, Morello cherries, wild strawberry and pressed violets on the nose, the aromatics here feel so animated and exquisitely defined. The palate is perfectly balanced with a killer line of acidity: crystalline red fruit, filigree tannins and more freshness than it knows what to do with. There is a sense of "channeled intensity" in this Chambertin and whilst there is no question that it is a 20- to 30-years wine, I felt no guilt in polishing this off in its youth. Tasted at Maison de Colombier in Beaune. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 98 (VN) | HK$133,660.00 | |||||
Vinous (98)The 2017 Chambertin Grand Cru is just a glorious success. Vivid red fruit, Morello cherries, wild strawberry and pressed violets on the nose, the aromatics here feel so animated and exquisitely defined. The palate is perfectly balanced with a killer line of acidity: crystalline red fruit, filigree tannins and more freshness than it knows what to do with. There is a sense of "channeled intensity" in this Chambertin and whilst there is no question that it is a 20- to 30-years wine, I felt no guilt in polishing this off in its youth. Tasted at Maison de Colombier in Beaune. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 98 (VN) | HK$73,705.00 | |||||
Vinous (98)The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru has a very intense, brilliantly-defined bouquet with laser-like precision, incredibly focused and perfectly integrated oak. Less generous than Bichot's Chambertin at the moment though - this is biding its time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, insistent grip and plenty of freshness. Maybe just a little more confit in style than others. Still, a fabulous Chambertin that gains clarity and precision in the glass. Effortless. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 98 (VN) | HK$21,895.00 | |||||
Vinous (98)The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru has a very intense, brilliantly-defined bouquet with laser-like precision, incredibly focused and perfectly integrated oak. Less generous than Bichot's Chambertin at the moment though - this is biding its time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, insistent grip and plenty of freshness. Maybe just a little more confit in style than others. Still, a fabulous Chambertin that gains clarity and precision in the glass. Effortless. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 98 (VN) | HK$139,190.00 | |||||
Vinous (98)The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru has a very intense, brilliantly-defined bouquet with laser-like precision, incredibly focused and perfectly integrated oak. Less generous than Bichot's Chambertin at the moment though - this is biding its time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, insistent grip and plenty of freshness. Maybe just a little more confit in style than others. Still, a fabulous Chambertin that gains clarity and precision in the glass. Effortless. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 99 (DC) | HK$26,105.00 | |||||
Decanter (99)The reference standard in Chambertin. This is every bit the equal of the Clos de Bèze, if slightly less approachable young. Blended from four parcels including a cooler section near the southern end and another near the top of the slope, this gives a wine of incredible concentration if a bit reserved initially. Here, ripe berry fruit, a strong mineral/saline edge and a gamey note all emerge with time, and the texture is firm and tightly wound. This should age gracefully for the better part of a century. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 99 (DC) | HK$148,030.00 | |||||
Decanter (99)The reference standard in Chambertin. This is every bit the equal of the Clos de Bèze, if slightly less approachable young. Blended from four parcels including a cooler section near the southern end and another near the top of the slope, this gives a wine of incredible concentration if a bit reserved initially. Here, ripe berry fruit, a strong mineral/saline edge and a gamey note all emerge with time, and the texture is firm and tightly wound. This should age gracefully for the better part of a century. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 99 (BH) | HK$534,330.00 | |||||
Burghound (99)A distinctly cool and exuberantly fresh nose features reticent wonderfully spiced notes of various dark berries along with forest floor nuances that include humus and earth. The intensity of the imposingly broad-shouldered and muscular flavors is borderline painful with impressive power on the hugely long finish that is supported by incredibly dense but quite fine-grained tannins. This is magnificent and a wine of class and grace that will justly vie for wine of the vintage honors when it's time for such assessments. It's extremely rare that I put 30-year initial drinking windows for modern red Burgundies, but my prediction is that this stunningly brilliant wine will age glacially. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 99 (BH) | HK$20,775.00 | |||||
Burghound (99)A distinctly cool and exuberantly fresh nose features reticent wonderfully spiced notes of various dark berries along with forest floor nuances that include humus and earth. The intensity of the imposingly broad-shouldered and muscular flavors is borderline painful with impressive power on the hugely long finish that is supported by incredibly dense but quite fine-grained tannins. This is magnificent and a wine of class and grace that will justly vie for wine of the vintage honors when it's time for such assessments. It's extremely rare that I put 30-year initial drinking windows for modern red Burgundies, but my prediction is that this stunningly brilliant wine will age glacially. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 99 (BH) | HK$50,210.00 | |||||
Burghound (99)A distinctly cool and exuberantly fresh nose features reticent wonderfully spiced notes of various dark berries along with forest floor nuances that include humus and earth. The intensity of the imposingly broad-shouldered and muscular flavors is borderline painful with impressive power on the hugely long finish that is supported by incredibly dense but quite fine-grained tannins. This is magnificent and a wine of class and grace that will justly vie for wine of the vintage honors when it's time for such assessments. It's extremely rare that I put 30-year initial drinking windows for modern red Burgundies, but my prediction is that this stunningly brilliant wine will age glacially. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 99 (BH) | HK$173,580.00 | |||||
Burghound (99)A distinctly cool and exuberantly fresh nose features reticent wonderfully spiced notes of various dark berries along with forest floor nuances that include humus and earth. The intensity of the imposingly broad-shouldered and muscular flavors is borderline painful with impressive power on the hugely long finish that is supported by incredibly dense but quite fine-grained tannins. This is magnificent and a wine of class and grace that will justly vie for wine of the vintage honors when it's time for such assessments. It's extremely rare that I put 30-year initial drinking windows for modern red Burgundies, but my prediction is that this stunningly brilliant wine will age glacially. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 18 (JR) | HK$18,805.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (18)Cask sample. Mid-dark ruby. Sweet, red fruits (red cherry, laced with redcurrants and red-fruit coulis) this is glamorous, oozing refined, elegant luxury. There is fine, high-strung acidity which belies its firm, almost four-square structure. Very long, very fine, very nascent |
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Burgundy | 1 | 97 (VN) | HK$28,950.00 | |||||
Vinous (97)Now at 23-years of age, the 1996 Chambertin Grand Cru shows a little bricking on the rim, appropriate with its age. The nose is as fragrant as I remember: wilted iris petals gently waft from the glass, cool and reserved. Indeed, I found this bottle initially aloof and standoffish, like many Côte de Nuits this vintage, before developing more fruit intensity, mainly black rather than red laced with loam and Earl Grey. The palate is just beautifully balanced. It is a stout and swarthy Chambertin so much so that you risk overlooking what for a 1996 is its filigree tannin structure. The fruit profile becomes redder towards the finish with a kiss of sour cherry and orange rind that all feel so precise and sophisticated. This multi-faceted and cerebral Chambertin is reaching its lofty plateau. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 90-92 (VN) | HK$24,100.00 | |||||
Vinous (90-92)Good medium red. Cooler, more precise, perfumed aromas of cherry and flowers. Lovely clarity and intensity of flavor. Very long finish shows excellent grip. Demonstrates a lot of personality today. Rousseau's Clos de Beze is always showy at this stage, but the '97 seems a bit less oaky than usual. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (VN) | HK$25,575.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)The 2001 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has astonishing intensity on the nose, perhaps more like a 1999, with copious black cherries, black truffle, juniper berries and eucalyptus. It seems incredibly young even when juxtaposed against Méo-Camuzet’s Cros Parantoux from the same vintage. The palate is medium-bodied, quite structured and grippy, backward and rather masculine yet with disarming poise. This Clos-de-Bèze is only just beginning to step into its stride so don’t be afraid to cellar for another three or four years. Tasted at Empire restaurant in Hong Kong. |
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Burgundy | 2 | 97 (VN (NM)) | HK$31,990.00 | |||||
Vinous - Neal Martin (97)The 2002 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru could well be the best wine from Eric and Charles Rousseau that year. It definitely takes it up a level vis-à-vis the Ruchottes- and Charmes-Chambertin. Multi-dimensional aromas, a cornucopia of red and black fruit, hints of Earl Grey, forest floor and light tobacco scents. There is a sense of completeness, the oak invisibly binding everything together. The palate is well balanced with lace-like tannins and exquisite balance, Rousseau's signature transparency present and correct from start to finish. What a brilliant Clos-de-Bèze. Feel free to indulge now, though it will certainly keep. |
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