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 | 88-90 (VN) | HK$7,155.00 | |||||
Vinous (88-90)The 2021 Chablis-Villages comes from two parcels, the main one just opposite Epinottes. It shows quite a bit of reduction though you can still tell there is plenty of vibrant, citrus-fresh, blood orange-tinged fruit underneath. The palate is well balanced with a lilting entry, fine weight, just a very slight honeyed texture on the mid-palate and smile-inducing purity towards the finish. Enjoy this over the next decade. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 92 (BH) | HK$48,700.00 | |||||
Burghound (92)A background note of pain grillé frames a notably ripe and still attractively fresh nose that displays notes of white orchard fruit that is cut with floral and discreet oyster shell nuances. The generously proportioned and ullterly delicious medium-bodied flavors possess fine complexity and punch on the mouth coating, mineral-driven and impressively long citrus-infused finish. Like most '05 Chablis this is not a laser beam of Chablis character yet for those who enjoy richer and full-bodied examples of Blanchots, this certainly qualifies. Note that for my taste this has just arrived on the front edge of its peak drinkability though it will easily hold for years to come. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 92+ (VN) | HK$36,410.00 | |||||
Vinous (92+)Bright, pale yellow. Reticent aromas of white peach, lemon and resiny oak, with a violet topnote. Suave, full and quite dry, in fact downright austere on the back half. A more opulent but less refined style than the Montee de Tonnerre or Butteaux but at the same time almost musclebound today and very difficult to taste. Blanchots makes a heavy wine in the hot years, notes Raveneau, adding that this holding features the estate's oldest vines. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 93 (WA) | HK$126,605.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (93)The 2009 Chablis Blanchots is deep, powerful and intense, particularly in the way it blossoms on the palate with layers of radiant fruit. This is a striking wine graced with an expressive, open personality that resonates through to the generous finish. I especially like the raciness of the fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 93 (WA) | HK$5,195.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (93)The 2009 Chablis Blanchots is deep, powerful and intense, particularly in the way it blossoms on the palate with layers of radiant fruit. This is a striking wine graced with an expressive, open personality that resonates through to the generous finish. I especially like the raciness of the fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 93 (WA) | HK$18,940.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (93)The 2009 Chablis Blanchots is deep, powerful and intense, particularly in the way it blossoms on the palate with layers of radiant fruit. This is a striking wine graced with an expressive, open personality that resonates through to the generous finish. I especially like the raciness of the fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 92+ (WA) | HK$6,585.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (92+)The 2013 Chablis Grand Cru Blanchots is much more reserved on the nose, biding its time, not wishing to make a grand entrance like some of the more expressive premier crus at this stage. The palate is fresh and crisp, again with impressive salinity and hints of ginger lending spiciness on the back palate. It does not quite deliver grand cru weight and penetration on the finish, mainly due to the vintage, but it does linger incredibly long afterward. |
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Burgundy | 2 | 94 (VN) | HK$5,955.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)The 2016 Chablis Blanchots Grand Cru has a complex, quite beguiling bouquet with scents of dried honey, acacia, pressed flowers and orange blossom that unfold in the glass and attain quite a high level of intensity. The palate is very well balanced with a fine line of acidity, taut and poised with hints of spice, orange rind and grapefruit towards the pixelated finish. What a great Blanchots from Isabelle Raveneau. Tempting in its youth for sure, but it will reward those with the nous to cellar for five years. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 94-96 (VN) | HK$5,195.00 | |||||
Vinous (94-96)The 2018 Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru is a wine of tremendous aromatic lift, perfume and energy. Bright citrus peel, white flowers, crushed rocks and intensely saline notes inform this bright, tightly wound Chablis. The 2018 is going to need a bit of time in the cellar to fully come together. It is a classically austere, forbidding young Chablis in a style that is unusual for the year, and I mean that in a positive sense. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 96 (BH) | HK$5,195.00 | |||||
Burghound (96)As is often the case, this is aromatically quite similar to the Montée de Tonnerre with just a touch more wood in evidence. Here too the slightly richer flavors possess an equally gorgeous texture with a bit more mid-palate stuffing to the intense, powerful and bone-dry finale that exhibits simply huge length. This beauty is even firmer, and I wouldn't even think about opening a bottle for at least 10 years, research purposes aside! |
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Burgundy | 1 | 96 (BH) | HK$65,415.00 | |||||
Burghound (96)As is often the case, this is aromatically quite similar to the Montée de Tonnerre with just a touch more wood in evidence. Here too the slightly richer flavors possess an equally gorgeous texture with a bit more mid-palate stuffing to the intense, powerful and bone-dry finale that exhibits simply huge length. This beauty is even firmer, and I wouldn't even think about opening a bottle for at least 10 years, research purposes aside! |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95-97 (VN) | HK$23,655.00 | |||||
Vinous (95-97)The 2021 Chablis Blanchots Grand Cru has the most "classic" or what you might call "old school" bouquets amongst Raveneau's 2021s and I love it: razor-sharp, struck flint and granite scents. The palate is very taut on the entry, linear, a vertical Chablis that feels very long with a saline finish that lingers in the mouth. What a superb Blanchots - one for Chablis purists. |
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$34,175.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | 93 (VN) | HK$12,915.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)Very pale color, especially in the context of the year. Reticent but vibrant nose hints at fresh apple, spearmint, talc, ginger and gun metal. Rich, full, sweet and pure, with highly concentrated, brisk flavors of lime, mint and spices. The wine's glyceral richness is leavened by brisk acidity. A 2001 of uncommon energy, and extremely long on the aftertaste. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95-98 (VN (ST)) | HK$49,680.00 | |||||
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (95-98)Ineffable, pure aromas of lemon, crushed stone and white pepper, all lifted by an ethereal suggestion of violet reminiscent of sea salt from the Camargue. Almost painfully intense on entry, then dense, full and seamless in the middle palate, with brilliant cut and lift to its palate-staining flavors of lemon, lime, powdered stone and violet. Wonderfully high-pitched, weightless wine with great class, purity and length. This is at another level of quality. One of the two or three longest wines of the vintage, and built for a glorious evolution in bottle. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (VN) | HK$10,080.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)It's all there in the 2009 Chablis Les Clos. White flowers, lime peel, oyster shells and petrol are some of the nuances the run through the wine. Les Clos possesses a striking inner perfume, layers of expressive fruit and a sumptuous, kaleidoscopic finish. This is a stunning effort from Raveneau. |
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