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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Rhone | 1 | 94-97+ (WA) | HK$3,985.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (94-97+)Even better than the Vendange cuvee, and I suspect one of the wines of the vintage, Stephane’s 2015 Châteauneuf du Pape Côtes Capelan is the top wine of the estate and is made from 80% Grenache and 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, raised 70% in concrete and 30% in barrels. There’s under 500 cases of this beauty and it reveals a deep purple color as well as decadent notes of blackberries, blackcurrants, crushed rocks and melted licorice. Full-bodied, thick, unctuous and massively concentrated, with ripe tannin and a killer finish, don’t miss it! |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 32 | 88 (WA) | HK$2,395.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (88)This delicious, fruit-forward, exuberant St.-Emilion is meant to be drunk in the next 5-7 years. Attractive, elegant, round and well-made, it offers copious notes of cherries, plums and dark fruits. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 7 | 78-80 (WA) | HK$2,315.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (78-80)This wine is light, pleasant and fruity, but diluted. Drink it up over the near-term. La Fleur has been on a qualitative tier of late, but the 2013 is certainly not in that category. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 16 | 86-89 (VN (AG)) | HK$2,470.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (86-89)The 2014 La Fleur is deep, dense and authoritative in style. A host of black cherries, smoke, mocha, licorice, violets and plums blossom as this pliant, expressive wine shows off its bold personality. Today the tannins are quite overpowering. It will be interesting to see if the 2014 develops a bit better balance in bottle. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 86-89 (VN (AG)) | HK$1,520.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (86-89)The 2014 La Fleur is deep, dense and authoritative in style. A host of black cherries, smoke, mocha, licorice, violets and plums blossom as this pliant, expressive wine shows off its bold personality. Today the tannins are quite overpowering. It will be interesting to see if the 2014 develops a bit better balance in bottle. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 15 | 87 (VN (AG)) | HK$3,040.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (87)The 2016 La Fleur is racy and super-ripe, with elevated alcohol, hard tannins and oxidative notes that make it hard to find much pleasure. I expected more from this Saint-Émilion. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 5 | 87 (VN (AG)) | HK$1,605.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (87)The 2016 La Fleur is racy and super-ripe, with elevated alcohol, hard tannins and oxidative notes that make it hard to find much pleasure. I expected more from this Saint-Émilion. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 24 | 90-93 (VN (AG)) | HK$2,965.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (90-93)The 2018 La Fleur (Dassault) is racy and sumptuous to the core. Inky red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, sweet spice and mint are all laced together. This luscious, creamy Saint-Émilion has plenty to offer. Fine tannins support a finish of real substance and persistence. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 7 | 90-93 (VN (AG)) | HK$2,965.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (90-93)The 2018 La Fleur (Dassault) is racy and sumptuous to the core. Inky red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, sweet spice and mint are all laced together. This luscious, creamy Saint-Émilion has plenty to offer. Fine tannins support a finish of real substance and persistence. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 5 | 94-95 (JS) | HK$2,555.00 | |||||
James Suckling (94-95)Blackberry, dark chocolate and spice aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Solid core of fruit and tannins that run the length of the wine. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 91 (WA) | HK$4,835.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (91)At present, this estate is the reference point for high quality wines from Lalande de Pomerol. The basic cuvee from proprietor Hubert de Bouard and his wife Corinne, the 2006 La Fleur de Bouard is composed of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Sensationally rich, with abundant quantities of blue and black fruits, spring flowers, graphite, licorice, and hints of espresso roast as well as toasty oak, it is supple enough to be drunk now, or cellared for a decade. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 3 | 95 (WS) | HK$4,390.00 | |||||
Wine Spectator (95)Supersilky and round, with lovely berry, licorice and black chocolate character. Full and gorgeous. Like it. Score range: 92-95 |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 50 | 88-90 (VN (ID)) | HK$2,830.00 | |||||
Vinous - Ian D'Agata (88-90)(85% merlot, 12% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon): Inky purple. Deep aromas of cassis, cocoa, violet and vanilla. Smooth, rich and dense; with lovely precision to the floral and cocoa flavors. Finishes smooth, with a persistent blackberry note and captivating juiciness. Finishes with copious, mounting tannins but remains smooth and balanced on the long, creamy finish. Excellent. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 92 (VN (AG)) | HK$1,080.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)The 2016 La Fleur de Boüard is gorgeous. Sweet, floral notes lift the red berry fruit in this gracious, mid-weight wine. Raspberry, wild flowers, mocha, spice and mint all run through this lithe, silky wine. The 2016 possesses notable silkiness, nuance and finesse. This is a terrific showing. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 3 | 93 (VN (NM)) | HK$2,745.00 | |||||
Vinous - Neal Martin (93)The 2018 La Fleur de Boüard is very well defined on the nose, gorgeous scents of blackberry, blueberry, violet and potpourri bursting from the glass but retaining fine delineation and focus. The palate is crisp on the entry, with graphite-tinged black fruit framed by fine tannins and a structured, tensile finish. This is one of the best La Fleur de Boüard vintages that I have encountered. Excellent. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 20 | 93 (VN (NM)) | HK$1,500.00 | |||||
Vinous - Neal Martin (93)The 2018 La Fleur de Boüard is very well defined on the nose, gorgeous scents of blackberry, blueberry, violet and potpourri bursting from the glass but retaining fine delineation and focus. The palate is crisp on the entry, with graphite-tinged black fruit framed by fine tannins and a structured, tensile finish. This is one of the best La Fleur de Boüard vintages that I have encountered. Excellent. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 5 | 93 (VN (AG)) | HK$1,435.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)The 2019 La Fleur de Boüard is gorgeous. Sweet floral and spice top notes meld into a core of red/purplish fruit, blood orange, menthol, spice and cedar. Creamy and open-knit, with lovely perfume and fine balance, the 2019 Le Plus is impressive, not to mention a real charmer. In a second tasting it was even more exotic and sexy. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 4 | 93 (VN (AG)) | HK$1,435.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)The 2020 La Fleur de Boüard is gorgeous. Freshly cut flowers, bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint and cinnamon lend notable vibrancy to this mid-weight wine from the de Boüard family. It's great to see a style that shows greater freshness than in the early days here. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 89-92 (VN (ST)) | HK$14,490.00 | |||||
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (89-92)Bright ruby-red. Meaty dark berries and leather on the nose. Dense, sweet and highly concentrated, with very ripe flavors of plum, cassis, licorice and spices. Finishes with dusty but sweet tannins, a cool suggestion of menthol that gives it life, and sneaky length. |
|||||||||
