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 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (VN) | HK$23,875.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)My evening began with Pierre Rovani handing me a glass of Ramonet’s 1992 Bâtard-Montrachet, which was an incredible wine with which to start the night. Served from magnum, it was deeply-colored and packed with fruit and sweet toasted oak notes, showing stunning length on the palate and extraordinary balance. In a word: awesome. |
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Burgundy | 2 | 95+ (VN) | HK$10,150.00 | |||||
Vinous (95+)Brooding, unevolved, eau de vie-like nose hints at poire quetsche (plum liqueur), iodine and curry powder. Wonderfully silky entry, then thick but utterly vibrant in the middle. Superrich but uncompromisingly dry; builds inexorably from entry to palate-staining finish. Not especially oaky on the nose or mid-palate despite the 100% new oak, but shows some late grilled notes. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (BH) | HK$65,580.00 | |||||
Burghound (95)In the same fashion as the BBM there are soft notes of wood toast and petrol that set off the ripe and overtly ripe but not really exotic aromas of both white and yellow orchard fruit that flash background spice and citrus nuances. The wood is more prominent on the palate though there is so much concentration and sappy dry extract that the big-bodied flavors should have no difficulty ultimately integrating it. Interestingly, and has been the case in several recent vintages of this wine, it is no less refined than the BBM if a bit more broad-shouldered. Good stuff with sneaky good length and this too has most impressive underlying reserves that should permit it to also age effortlessly. |
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$45,650.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (BH) | HK$8,560.00 | |||||
Burghound (95)Here the nose is firmly reduced so in the unlikely event you're interested in opening a bottle right away, be sure to give it 30 minutes or so of air and decanting it would be better still. Otherwise, there is slightly better underlying energy to the rich yet nicely detailed, even precise, middleweight plus flavors that also deliver impressive length on the bitter lemon-inflected finale. While this isn't as structured as it usually is, it's still going to need close to a decade if you wish to see the '19 Bâtard at its peak. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (BH) | HK$61,605.00 | |||||
Burghound (95)Here the nose is firmly reduced so in the unlikely event you're interested in opening a bottle right away, be sure to give it 30 minutes or so of air and decanting it would be better still. Otherwise, there is slightly better underlying energy to the rich yet nicely detailed, even precise, middleweight plus flavors that also deliver impressive length on the bitter lemon-inflected finale. While this isn't as structured as it usually is, it's still going to need close to a decade if you wish to see the '19 Bâtard at its peak. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 94 (BH) | HK$7,375.00 | |||||
Burghound (94)A discreet though hardly invisible application of oak is present on the notably ripe and vaguely exotic nose of white and yellow peach, acacia and carnation, and even more phenolic character. There is better size, weight and volume though, somewhat surprisingly, not necessarily better concentration, to the succulent and caressing flavors that tighten up noticeably on the compact, tightly wound and built-to-age finale. This is very good and if not one of the domaine's all-time great vintages for the Bâtard, it's certainly no less than excellent. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 94 (BH) | HK$25,440.00 | |||||
Burghound (94)A discreet though hardly invisible application of oak is present on the notably ripe and vaguely exotic nose of white and yellow peach, acacia and carnation, and even more phenolic character. There is better size, weight and volume though, somewhat surprisingly, not necessarily better concentration, to the succulent and caressing flavors that tighten up noticeably on the compact, tightly wound and built-to-age finale. This is very good and if not one of the domaine's all-time great vintages for the Bâtard, it's certainly no less than excellent. |
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Burgundy | 2 | - | HK$25,440.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | 92 (VN) | HK$244,435.00 | |||||
Vinous (92)The 1992 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet continues to entrance, even if I believe it has lost some of its luster in recent years. Here it has an elegant bouquet that feels quite generous and rich for a 1992, a patina of toastiness that complements the citrus fruit. The palate is rounded in the mouth: hints of almond and coconut, perhaps a notch lower in acidity than I might have liked with a subtle honeyed tincture on the finish. It is a gorgeous Bienvenue if not in the same class as the 1988. Tasted at the La Paulée in Beaune. |
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Burgundy | 2 | 94 (BH) | HK$54,000.00 | |||||
Burghound (94)A touch of matchstick character is present on the cool if ripe aromas of honeysuckle, carnation, lemon-lime and crushed fennel. The supple and caressing medium weight flavors are rich to the point of opulence with excellent density and punch that carries over to the impressively long and sappy finale where the only reproach is again a touch of warmth. I would not describe the '19 BBM as a classic example from Ramonet but it's extremely good nonetheless. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 94 (BH) | HK$9,025.00 | |||||
Burghound (94)Here there is enough reduction to largely mask the nuances of the fruit though it's evident that the wood treatment is more prominent though not so much that it shouldn't progressively integrate over time. On the palate there is a beautiful texture to the expansive and sleek medium weight plus flavors that possess focused power on the impressively complex, persistent and impeccably well-balanced finale. In the context of the Ramonet BBM, the 2020 version is a big wine and perhaps not quite as refined as it normally is, though with that said, it's also more powerful than usual. Either way, this should amply repay 10 to 12 years of keeping. |
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$7,200.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 2 | - | HK$25,440.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 2 | - | HK$25,440.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$3,719.00 | |||||
