French Wine between $50 and $75

In this very short harvest, there's a little more oak influence to Sylvain's village Puligny (not more new wood, but more second and third use barrels that needed to be kept full!). It just makes this lovely Chardonnay... Read More

I believe the technical tasting note for this wine, as approved by all the most serious wine writers, is: Hubba Hubba. There’s this thing white Burgundy winemakers do where they let the wine sit in the barrel on what’s... Read More

The second wine of Margaux’s Chateau Boyd-Cantenac. The history of this estate dates back to 1754 when nobleman Jacques Boyd bought a property which included some vineyards in the commune of Cantenac (hence the name). Chateau... Read More

83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot aged in 60% new French oak, this is a richer-feeling Pauillac with a refreshing mineral streak on the firm finish. Very enjoyable now and over the next 20 years.

Organic/Bio We think of Pomerol as being all about power, but Mazeyres goes the finesse route in 2019. As Vinous says in the 93 point review, “The 2019 Mazeyres is bright, effusive and so inviting. Blood orange, mint, rose... Read More

Organic/Bio For decades, the Dekeyne family sold their 5 HA of grapes from the Cote de Sezanne to large houses in Epernay and Reims until brothers Gael and Baptiste recently began to bottle their own Champagne. It's outstanding,... Read More

Organic/Bio This is sunshine in a bottle and for winemakers in Burgundy, 2022 came as “a year of relief,” or at least according to the Berthelemot family. There is a freshness about this wine that just makes you get... Read More

Organic/Bio Only 1er Cru for white since 2001, Sous Fretille is on the limestone rich and south-facing lower slopes of a hill next to Corton. Made all in barrel (25% new), it’s a lovely, almost delicate, expression of white... Read More

Organic/Bio Charbonniere always does a great job of balancing southern Rhone richness with drinkability. This blends 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 15% Mourvèdre done in large cask, steel and barrique and pumps out plenty... Read More

Lower ABV From old vines in one of the oldest named vineyards of Sancerre, this gets the full luxury treatment: old vines, organic and biodynamic farming, hand harvest, and fermentation and a full year’s aging in barrel.... Read More

Lower ABV As Vinous says, “Servin is a rather under-estimated Chablis producer” as Austrlian-born winemaker Marc Cameron turns out classic, cellar-worthy, Chablis year-after-year. This is from the top 1er Cru in Chablis,... Read More

Lower ABV As Burghound says, “If you're unfamiliar with the Thibert wines you owe it to yourself to try one of two examples as the best are excellent.” Here’s the place to start with a wine that draws on... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Jerome Seguin's 0.7 acre plot of Chambolle Musigny vines are just above the village chapel, an unfortunately prime location for the damage from 2021's April frosts. But the 40-50 year-old vines then... Read More

In the far north of the Cote de Nuits, Fixin can be a bit robust and rustic. Here Seguin draws from 40-50 year-old vines and smooths and rounds out the wine with 12 months in oak (25% new). Incisive aromas of wild cherry and tart... Read More

Sometimes a wine really announces itself, which is what happens here as the first sniff says, Gevrey Chambertin with authority. Autumnal underbrush and iron ore minerality surround the fresh black cherry and berry fruit. On the... Read More

Julie is a child of the Northern Rhone and her husband, Graeme, from New Zealand and they met while working for legendary Norther Rhone aster Stephane Ogier. Now they are making some stunning Northern Rhone wines themselves, It's... Read More

Dom Perignon - yes, he was a real winemaking monk! - pioneered the making of white Champagne from black Pinot Noir grapes in the 1600s. The techniques were refined by the large houses in Champagne's northern regions, but somehow... Read More

The Jeeper house style is to emphasize wininess, and you'll find that here in a blend of 60% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meaunier with barrel-aged reserve wines, four years on the lees and a mellow dosage. Lemon... Read More

A joyful, plump and fun rosé Champagne from old plantings of Pinot Meunier in the eastern part of the Marne Valley. It’s a 60/40 blend of the current and most recent previous vintages (so 2021/2020 here) and built... Read More

Always a darker, richer, Pinot than you'd expect from Chassagne, the touch of extra freshness from 2021's cooler growing season makes this even harder to resist than usual. Black and red cherry fruit serve as the wine's... Read More

From arguably the finest red wine site in Chassagne and, unusually, from above the village where most 1er Cru sites feature Chardonnay instead of Pinot. Here the flatter terrain and walls of the clos have kept enough clay for... Read More

At the western edge of the St Aubin hills, Pucelles is too flat to be 1er Cru but has a perfect S/SW exposure to generate plenty of ripeness. In 2022, this his has the vibrancy and lightness needed to balance very ripe flavors... Read More

As Champagne expert says of Marc Hebrart’s Champagnes, “If you like to think about your wines, they’re intellectually engaging enough to satisfy you; on the other hand, if you’re just looking to drink,... Read More

Lower ABV Cornas has the reputation as one of the more austere, strict, Syrahs of the Northern Rhone, but if there’s such a thing as “fun Cornas,” this is it. From three plots, partially destemmed and aged in... Read More