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 | 94 (VN) | HK$4,370.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)The 2011 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er Cru has a generous and detailed bouquet with ample dark cherry, raspberry and subtle balsamic notes, later some lovely scents of morels and tobacco. It feels mercurial but utterly absorbing. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, harmonious and demonstrating much more vigor than its peers. This Premier Cru is bounding with energy and focus with a detailed, mineral-driven finish that is a pure joy. Superb. Tasted at Flint Wines Burgundy 2011 tasting. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 93 (VN) | HK$2,040.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)The 2017 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er Cru presents a pure, well-defined nose offering sous-bois character and good focus. The palate is well balanced, nicely structured, not amazingly complex but strict, with a fresh, spicy finish that lingers. This needs time to resolve, but it should come through nicely. A little introverted, so be patient... this is Grivot, after all. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (DC) | HK$6,995.00 | |||||
Decanter (95)Always one of Etienne and Mathilde Grivot's stand-out Premier Cru reds, this is not the most immediate of their cuvées at a young age, often displaying some grip and tannic backbone as well as a hint of meaty reduction, but the fruit concentration and depth is remarkable here, supported by chalky minerality and scented 30% new wood. Wonderfully patrician and well-structured. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (DC) | HK$11,025.00 | |||||
Decanter (95)Always one of Etienne and Mathilde Grivot's stand-out Premier Cru reds, this is not the most immediate of their cuvées at a young age, often displaying some grip and tannic backbone as well as a hint of meaty reduction, but the fruit concentration and depth is remarkable here, supported by chalky minerality and scented 30% new wood. Wonderfully patrician and well-structured. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 92-94 (VN) | HK$7,070.00 | |||||
Vinous (92-94)The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges 1er Cru has "grown up a lot over the last 10 years," according to Etienne Grivot. It is one of the more reticent cuvées on the nose this year, reluctantly unfolding to reveal more tertiary red berry fruit laced with garrigue and iodine. Good complexity, but these aromatics will need time to open. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, lithe tannins. Quite compact at the moment, this has good grip and a saline, marine-influenced finish that fans out beautifully. A succinct, understated Les Rouge that will give 20-plus years of pleasure. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 92-94 (VN (NM)) | HK$6,510.00 | |||||
Vinous - Neal Martin (92-94)The 2023 Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges 1er Cru is a little riper and richer on the nose than the Les Chaumes. Its bouquet features finely delineated wild strawberry and raspberry aromas with just hints of kirsch and blackcurrant leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. Taut and fresh, this has just the right amount of bitterness with a dash of black pepper toward the finish. Give this three or four years in bottle because there is plenty of substance and time will temper its precocity. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 91-93 (BH) | HK$8,960.00 | |||||
Burghound (91-93)A restrained but cool and elegant nose reflects pretty spice, floral and red berry scents. The beautifully textured if not especially dense middle weight flavors flash evident minerality on the dusty, youthfully austere and complex finale that is both balanced and persistent. This is lovely and understated. |
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Burgundy | 3 | 95-97 (WA) | HK$3,400.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (95-97)The 2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots has an exquisite bouquet, extremely pure with scents of redcurrant, blueberry, violets, cola and wet limestone. Like the 2015 Les Beaux Monts, there is wondrous focus and precision here. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin. This is full of energy and tension, with a killer line of acidity and wonderful structure and precision towards the mineral-rich finish. It will require several years in bottle, but it has the substance and complexity to repay patience. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (DC) | HK$12,610.00 | |||||
Decanter (95)Always one of my favourite Vosne premiers crus from Mathilde and Etienne Grivot, this textured, stylish, deftly oaked red has all the most appealing features of the 2017 vintage, with lots of sumptuous, summer-pudding fruit, filigree tannins and a foundation of acidity. It's deceptively forward, as this has the minerality and focus to age. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 93-95 (VN) | HK$7,070.00 | |||||
Vinous (93-95)The 2021 Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru perhaps has the most mineral-driven bouquet of Grivot’s Premier Crus: graphite-infused red fruit, touches of forest floor, very precise and detailed. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-sculpted tannins. There is unerring symmetry here and whilst it may miss a bit of substance on the finish, this may well be addressed by the time it finishes its élevage. Superb. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 93-95 (IB) | HK$7,915.00 | |||||
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-95)Clear bright ruby purple. The nose flickers in and out, and while there is a fine tensile line of red berry fruit, this is not too demonstrative. Perhaps some of the refined detail of an Echezeaux. A slight sucrosity of strawberry fruit, and very persistent. Very good and extremely typical of Suchots this year. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: November 2023. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 94-96 (VN (NM)) | HK$9,235.00 | |||||
Vinous - Neal Martin (94-96)The 2023 Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru has a lifted, perfumed, quite floral bouquet that is more flirtatious than the Les Beaux Monts. The red berry fruit comes out and hugs the senses. Its palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit and fine acidity, conveying a sense of symmetry. It's not a powerful Les Suchots and it just tapers in a little toward the finish. This is very controlled and perhaps more linear than presupposed. This should be intriguing to observe maturing in bottle. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 87-89 (VN (ST)) | HK$16,460.00 | |||||
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (87-89)Bright, dark red. Redcurrant, leather, iron and tobacco on the nose; I might have picked this as Echezeaux. Sweet on entry, then firm and nuanced in the middle, with flavors of tobacco, earth and minerals. Fuller and chewier than usual for this wine at this stage. Finishes with ripe tannins and good length. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 90 (WS) | HK$1,860.00 | |||||
Wine Spectator (90)With air, this reveals spicy cherry, raspberry, cinnamon and floral aromas and flavors. Rich and persistent, with a supple texture and a lingering aftertaste of spice and red berries. Best from 2016 through 2028. 150 cases imported. -BS |
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Burgundy | 1 | 89-92 (BH) | HK$4,290.00 | |||||
Burghound (89-92)(from 8 different vineyards the most important of which is Aux Ormes). Here the nose is firmly reduced today though there is good freshness and verve to the intense, sleek and beautifully defined medium weight flavors that possess very fine concentration that helps to buffer the moderately firm but fine tannic spine supporting the balanced and impressively persistent finish. This too is a very good wine in the context of its level. (89-92)/2027+ |
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Burgundy | 1 | 89-91 (VN) | HK$3,940.00 | |||||
Vinous (89-91)The 2021 Vosne-Romanée Village has a very pretty nose with brambly red fruit briary and light sous-bois aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with tart red fruit, fine backbone, quite tannic with a touch of white pepper on the finish. A lovely Vosne-Romanée. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 89-92 (IB) | HK$3,960.00 | |||||
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (89-92)Not so deep in colour, but quite elegant on the nose. A lighter red fruit profile. Beautifully generous through the middle, perfumed strawberry and raspberry, with a structure built more on acidity than tannin. Drink from 2028-2035. Tasted: November 2023. |
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