2021 French Wine

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

Organic/Bio Ok, technically this is “Bordeaux” but spiritually it’s Loire Valley glou glou wine – meaning wine to gulp with delight. From iron-red soils, it’s 90% Merlot plus Cabernet Sauvignon fermented... Read More

Organic/Bio A big wine at a very big (or small depending on how you look at it) savings price! Like the Montfaucon winery, these vines grow just across the Rhone River from Chateauneuf du Pape. The surface of the vineyards look... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV The most common reason today for not drinking white Bordeaux is just not knowing what the heck it is. This lovely, no oak, example will fix that. From Graves, south of the city of Bordeaux, and the best white... Read More

Organic/Bio A terrific Chateauneuf-du-Pape estate creates their great value and very high-quality Cotes du Rhone from Grenache (80%) Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault, all from organically farmed vineyards. Some whole-clusters are... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Take the wild and delicious character of the Brana Ilori, source the grapes from older vines and age 30% in barrel and you get this – what Chablis would taste like if a bunch of Basque wine-people grew... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV It's not surprising that this racy Gamay comes from a former bicycle racer, Vincent Canard. After retiring from racing in 2015, Vincent joined his father, Marc, to take the old family domaine in Beaujolais... Read More

Organic/Bio What happens when a long-time benchmark Chateauneuf du Pape winemaker (Mont Rendon, La Nerthe) goes home to make wine from his retiring parents vines? One taste of this delicious Cotes du Rhone Villages from Sguret... Read More

Organic/Bio Decanter called Ferme Saint-Martin a “hidden gem,” and that applies to Beaumes des Venise reds in general. In the hills above the more famous Muscat vines, the soils and climate read like a cross between... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV A natural crossing of Folle Blanche and Malbec, Jurancon is a traditional grape of Gaillac in the southwest of France. At Philemon, it’s bush-trained in the old style and gives the plush purple black... 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

If there were a prize for most consistently delicious red wine under $25 in the world...well, here's your winner! As Wine Enthusiast says in their 92 point review, Bright and concentrated black cherries, rose petal, and fresh... 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

Organic/Bio 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.... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Jeremie Huchet has emerged as one of Muscadet's young stars, and this single-vineyard, organically farmed, Melon de Bourgogne shows why. As Wine Advocate says in the 91 point review, aromas of crushed... 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

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Morgeot’s relatively heavy, warmer, soils helped mitigate 2021’s April frost damage and then drive lovely ripening in a cool, crisp, year. This opens with very pure, lifted, scents of crisp pear,... 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

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Perched above the 1er Crus, this bowl-shaped sited was clobbered in the 2021 frosts. The tiny crop remaining gave beautiful Chassagne, with intense citrus and green orchard fruit, a double handful of crushed... Read More

Running up the lower slopes towards Corton Renardes, the 1er Cru Lolliers vineyard gives dark red fruit with plenty of structure and excellent cellar potential In 2021, Pascal’s rendition is a touch more fresh and bright... Read More

With around 3,000 cases made, this is Pascal Maillard’s signature wine. It comes from five plots in the village, all farmed with great care and minimal intervention (although they will use commercial sprays when absolutely... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV A substantial departure from the ripe and fruity Macon wines we see so often, this is organically farmed Chardonnay, picked fresh, fermented long (9 months) and kept still in steel until bottling with minimal... Read More