France, of course, is an amazing source for wine, from elite to every day. From Bordeaux to the Languedoc, Rhone, Burgundy and the Loire, I offer you several excellent options to begin your exploration.
It’s been a long time since most of us could afford a first-class Bordeaux. Wisely, many of its famous estates found a way to offer us value priced wines by producing what is referred to as a “second” wine as anintroduction.
Les Pagodes de Cos (2019, $54) is such a wine. From the famed Château Cos d’Estournel, it is mostly cabernet sauvignon, with merlot, petit verdot and cabernet franc. It is refreshing, dense yet elegant, with black and red fruits, accented with iron notes, chocolate, and licorice riding on velvety tannins.
G d’Estournel (2019, $39) is another offering this mostly merlot, with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot grown in vineyards north of the estate. It is fresh, harmonious, generous, with notes of mint and minerals.
2022 Tempo d’Angélus ($25), from Château d’Angélus, an elite Saint-Émilion estate, is ideal for immediate enjoyment. From vineyards in the Castillon and Francs sectors, it delivers fresh red berries, chocolate, and a smooth texture.
2021 Gérard Bertrand Chateau L’Hospitalet La Clape Grand Vin ($50) is an impressive blend of grenache, mourvèdre and syrah from the Languedoc. Enjoy vibrant red fruits, appealing mix of herbal, spice and floral notes, fine tannins.
2023 Souleil Vin de Bonté Le Rouge ($17), from the same area but a very different wine, is playful, fresh and exuberant, combing organic syrah, grenache and mourvèdre. It is low alcohol, bright, and ideal for casual drinking.
The 2019 Domaine de la Mordorée “La Reine des Bois” ($36), a Lirac Côtes du Rhône Cru, is equal parts organic and biodynamic grenache blanc, viognier, and roussane, it has fruity, creamy citrus and stone fruit.
2023 Jean Defaix Chablis ($34) is a classic example of a regional Chablis (the most northern of the Burgundy wine regions), offering crisp green apple, citrus, minerality, and a luscious texture.
The Loire Valley is one of France’s most diverse wine regions, notable not just for its Châteaux but its abundant agriculture. Passerelles is a brand that offers an exploration of several of the most prominent grape varieties (2023 vintage):
- Sauvignon Blanc: brisk Touraine Oisly ($30); vibrant, pure Sancerre ($40)
- Chenin Blanc: mineral-driven Anjou Blanc ($25)
- Cabernet Franc: Robust Saumur Rouge ($35)