Alsace, Rhône & Rest of France

Our delicious 2020 Reserve Rosé is especially Provençal in style this year due to the addition of 20% Cinsault to the blend. This lends a gorgeous finesse and herbal refreshment to the wine. It is a delicate and subtle dry rosé with a pebble stone purity and a delectably saline finish.

{***}
{region}Rhône{region}
{color}Rose{color}

{vintage}2020{vintage}

{maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text} {***}

We are delighted to once again partner with the esteemed Ch. la Mascaronne for this fresh and delectable rosé. The initial sensation of biting into a fresh red plum is followed by vivid notes of wild strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants. Above all, this is an energetic, pure and mineral wine with delicious freshness and a long, creamy finish.

{***}
{region}Provence, France{region}
{color}Rose{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{***}

Very pure, round and flavorful supported by beautiful acidity adding body and volume. there is a fine and elegant aromatic framework enhancing length. Beautiful, sharp structure.

{***}{region} Côtes de Provence{region}
{color} Rose {color}                                                               {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2019{vintage}{***}

The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul is just now starting to shed a tiny amount of its abundant baby fat that's been front and center since release. Still, it pulls no punches in its thrilling aromas and flavors of kirsch liqueur, roasted garrigue, black raspberries, incense, cured meats and licorice, and it is about as quintessential Grenache as you can find. Thrillingly concentrated, intense, perfumed and layered with incredible balance, this full-bodied beauty should hit its peak in another 2-3 years and keep for at least a decade after that.

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}                   {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2007{vintage}

{ratings}
 [] The Wine Advocate:: 99/100        
{ratings} 

{***}

Inky ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of ripe red/blue fruits, potpourri and smoked meat show excellent clarity and spicy lift. Offers deeply concentrated boysenberry, black raspberry, spicecake and violet pastille flavors. Hints of candied licorice and cracked pepper build on the back half. Finishes on a suave, alluringly sweet note of blue fruit liqueur, with slowly emerging tannins and outstanding focus. - Vinous

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}          

{maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2015{vintage}

{ratings}[]Wine Spectator:: 97/100
[] Wine Advocate:: 95/100

[] Vinous:: 94/100{ratings}

{***}

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}                                                              

 {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For Laying Down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2018{vintage}

{ratings} []Wine Advocate:: 95-97/100

[]Vinous:: 93-95/100

{ratings}

{***}

There is no Cadettes this year, rather surprisingly, so all the benefit goes into the domaine cuvée. What is more, La Nerthe have introduced a second wine called Les Granieres, to ensure that only the very best fruit is allowed into the domaine wine. This is a blend of half Grenache and nearly a quarter each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, with a little Cinsault making up the balance. An extremely impressive wine, the 2011 captures all the qualities that I have admired in the wine over the years, in particular aromatic restraint balanced by a wealth of ripe fruit.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

La Nerthe is by far the grandest of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape properties and now, under the guidance of oenologist Christian Voeux, it is making wines to match. Long feted by the French themselves, La Nerthe is now internationally recognised and lauded for a style which, appropriately enough seems to capture something of the structural grandeur of the greatest properties in Bordeaux.

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}                   {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2011{vintage}

{ratings}
 [] The Wine Advocate:: 90/100 

       
{ratings} 

{***}

Picked from Francois Cotat's youngest vines, from 5 years upwards, still within the confines of the village of Chavignol if on slightly flatter ground. The net result is a Francois Cotat wine that can be lapped up if its youth. As you would expect, the wine shows impeccable manners, along with a crystalline purity, freshness and scintillating detail. Perfect as an aperitif or with starters.

{***}
{region}Loire{region}
{color}White{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2019{vintage}
{ratings}      {ratings} 
{***}

Grenache (75 percent), Cinsault (15 percent), Syrah (five percent) and Mourvèdre (five percent) conspire to pay homage to a significant forebear. More approachable than some of Isabel’s range, the Auguste Favier has a gentle fruity charm, with silky top notes that are seductive and finely orchestrated. Drink 2022-2030+.

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}                   {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} 

{maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2015{vintage}

{ratings}
 [] The Wine Advocate:: 94/100

{ratings}

{***}

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}                                                              

 {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2009{vintage}

{ratings} []Wine Advocate:: 97+/100

{ratings}

{***}

{***}
{region}Sancerre{region}
{color}White{color}
{vintage}2019{vintage}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{***}

For the 2019 vintage, Jean-Luc Terrier has sourced fruit from older vines and higher-altitude plots. The addition of 10% Pinot Noir to the historically Merlot/Syrah-based blend has transformed this into a beautifully fragrant, complex and elegant wine brimming with sweet red cherry fruit and displaying super fine tannins. It is harmonious and perfectly in balance with real subtlety and a long, extremely enjoyable, refreshing finish.

{***}{region} Languedoc{region}
{color} Red {color}                                                               {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2019{vintage}{***}

For the 2019 vintage, Jean-Luc Terrier has sourced fruit from older vines and higher-altitude plots to produce a mineral and fresh white wine. The blend is largely Chardonnay, which gives an attractive stone-fruit and white blossom aroma, combined with the local variety Mauzac that gives a nervy acidity and roundness to the palate. Notes of ginger spice and nectarine are balanced by a salty character and chalky minerality on the finish.

{***}
{region}Rhône{region}
{color}White{color}

{vintage}2019{vintage}

{maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text} {***}

Our Côtes du Rhône is made for us by the talented Rémi Pouizin. The wine is so typical of the Rhône, with its herbal notes of dried basil and sage. Yet it’s also full of fresh blackberry fruit and the richness of macerated raspberries. The vibrant palate is brimming with ripe red cherries and an appealing kernel hint. Fine tannins move across the palate smoothly, and the lip-smacking freshness demands another sip.

{***}{region}Southern France{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                             

  {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2020{vintage}
{ratings}
 {ratings}       {***}

Nearly as good as the la Côte Blonde, the 2016 Cote Rotie La Belle Helene is plump, round and full in the mouth, yet it lacks some of the former wine's exotic perfume. It still shows lovely purity, with baskets of ripe red berries, a plush, creamy mouthfeel and a long finish. It's a terrific wine that suffers only by comparison. With its terrific concentration and balance, it should drink well for two decades or more.

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}                  

 {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}

{ratings}
 [] The Wine Advocate:: 92-94/100        
{ratings} 

{***}

There's something about Ogier's Lancement that strikes a chord with me. The 2016 Cote Rotie Lancement lacks a bit of power, but oh my, is it a silky, sexy mouthful of wine. Roses, black tea and raspberries set the stage on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is supple, silky and complex. Just terrific stuff that's built more on elegance than power. - The Wine Advocate

{***}{region} Rhône{region} {color} Red {color}

 {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}

{ratings}
 [] The Wine Advocate:: 97/100        
{ratings} 

{***}

This charming Sancerre rosé comes from Pinot Noir grapes grown on pebbly griottes soil; it’s this, a type of limestone, to which Simon Chotard attributes the wine’s finesse and floral aromas. Raised in stainless steel and bottled young, freshness is the order of the day. There’s a touch more weight here than you’re likely to find in a rosé from, say, Provence, so the wine works well with chicken, pork and even delicate red meat dishes. Drink now to 2022.

{***}
{region}Loire{region}
{color}Rose{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink Now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2019{vintage}
{ratings}      {ratings} 
{***}

Riffault presents an elegant Pinot Noir with a lot of breed. It is infused with a pleasantly present acid structure. It silkily lines the mouth. The fruit is now clearly brighter and more acidic - morello cherries become sour cherries. Its mineral framework gives it a lot of stability and the aforementioned linearity. The finish is very delicate and not nearly as dark as initially perceived. Juicy and animating to drink.

La Noue is ideal with dishes based on pork or beef that have been simply seared or smoked.

--

{***}
{region}Loire{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2019{vintage}
{ratings}      {ratings} 
{***}

The Viognier vines of Malleval grow on south-facing granite slopes at 300 metres’ altitude, where they receive plenty of sun and cooler, more temperate evenings. This is vibrant and energetic, with a swirling apricotty, orange sherbet nose. The palate is rich and medium-bodied, with a touch of honey, peaches, and dose of refreshing acidity to keep it fresh and poised. There is a delightful, lingering finish. Drink now to 2026.

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} White {color}                  

 {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink Now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2019{vintage}

{ratings}
 [] The Wine Advocate:: 93/100

{ratings}

{***}

Stéphane brings a Burgundian approach to the region’s terroir from his studies in Beaune. He works with multiple lieux-dits, both in and out of the appellation, vinifying each separately and using oak sparingly to allow the particularities of each to show.

Lieux Dits, which translates to ‘said location’, refers to a specific site akin to a single vineyard. Stephane has 6 Lieux Dits across both the Côte Blonde and Brune - feminine, masculine, floral, savoury, earthiness all come through. 

{***}{region} Rhône{region} {color} Red {color}

 {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}

{ratings}

[] Jeb Dunnuck ::95/100

{ratings}

{***}

Stéphane brings a Burgundian approach to the region’s terroir from his studies in Beaune. He works with multiple lieux-dits, both in and out of the appellation, vinifying each separately and using oak sparingly to allow the particularities of each to show.

Lieux Dits, which translates to ‘said location’, refers to a specific site akin to a single vineyard. Stephane has 6 Lieux Dits across both the Côte Blonde and Brune - feminine, masculine, floral, savoury, earthiness all come through. 

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}                  

 {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}

{ratings}

[] Jeb Dunnuck ::92/100

{ratings}

{***}

Stéphane brings a Burgundian approach to the region’s terroir from his studies in Beaune. He works with multiple lieux-dits, both in and out of the appellation, vinifying each separately and using oak sparingly to allow the particularities of each to show.

Lieux Dits, which translates to ‘said location’, refers to a specific site akin to a single vineyard. Stephane has 6 Lieux Dits across both the Côte Blonde and Brune - feminine, masculine, floral, savoury, earthiness all come through. 

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}                  

 {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}

{ratings}

[] Jeb Dunnuck ::94/100

{ratings}

{***}

Stéphane brings a Burgundian approach to the region’s terroir from his studies in Beaune. He works with multiple lieux-dits, both in and out of the appellation, vinifying each separately and using oak sparingly to allow the particularities of each to show.

Lieux Dits, which translates to ‘said location’, refers to a specific site akin to a single vineyard. Stephane has 6 Lieux Dits across both the Côte Blonde and Brune - feminine, masculine, floral, savoury, earthiness all come through. 

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}                  

 {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}

{ratings}

[] Jeb Dunnuck ::96/100

{ratings}

{***}

Stéphane brings a Burgundian approach to the region’s terroir from his studies in Beaune. He works with multiple lieux-dits, both in and out of the appellation, vinifying each separately and using oak sparingly to allow the particularities of each to show.

Lieux Dits, which translates to ‘said location’, refers to a specific site akin to a single vineyard. Stephane has 6 Lieux Dits across both the Côte Blonde and Brune - feminine, masculine, floral, savoury, earthiness all come through. 

{***}{region} Rhône{region}
{color} Red {color}                  

 {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}

{ratings}
      [] Jeb Dunnuck ::95/100
{ratings} 

{***}

Stéphane brings a Burgundian approach to the region’s terroir from his studies in Beaune. He works with multiple lieux-dits, both in and out of the appellation, vinifying each separately and using oak sparingly to allow the particularities of each to show.

Lieux Dits, which translates to ‘said location’, refers to a specific site akin to a single vineyard. Stephane has 6 Lieux Dits across both the Côte Blonde and Brune - feminine, masculine, floral, savoury, earthiness all come through. 

{***}{region} Rhône{region} {color} Red {color}

 {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}

{ratings}

[] Jeb Dunnuck ::96/100

{ratings}

{***}

Both the 2010 and the 2009 continue to blow me away every time I taste them, and to me, these represent the pinnacle of Cote Rotiealbeit in very different styles. The 2010 Cote Rotie la Turque is a much more masculine and edgy wine that's going to reward cellaring. Its inky black color is followed by classic notes of smoked meats, scorched earth, licorice and ample black fruits. Big, rich, tannic and structured, dont think about touching bottles until at least 2020.
Jeb Dunnuck - 28/12/2016

{***}{region} Rhône{region} {color} Red {color}

 {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2010{vintage}

{ratings}

[] Wine Advocate ::100/100

{ratings}

{***}