2023 French Wine

Organic/Bio In the foothills of Mount Ventoux, the Jaume family crafts this delicious southern Rhone blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah, all done in steel. Nicely mouthfilling in texture with bold black raspberry and blackberry... Read More

Lower ABV Savoie's Jacquere grape inclines to salty stone minerality anyway, but in the village of Chignin that's amped up even more. Fourth generation winegrower Guillaume Quenard captures the minerality in spades and... Read More

Pinot Blanc is often the overlooked grape in Alsace, but – especially in these warming times – its ability to hold onto crisp, refreshing, acidity is prized! Done all in tank, this shows pretty scents and flavors of... Read More

Smells great, tastes even better, crazy good price for high quality white Burgundy. That’s really what you need to know here, but we’ll try to give you a little more. It’s from vineyards on the Puligny border... Read More

I certainly didn’t expect to write this, but Sylvain Bzikot’s 2023 village Puligny Montrachet is even better than his outstanding 2022 edition. It’s from several plots of vines above the village of Puligny including... Read More

Lower ABV This does just what good Languedoc Chardonnay is supposed to do: give you a nice dollop of Chardonnay varietal flavors with no oak or butter to get in the way of thirst-quenching delight. You’ll enjoy the sliced... Read More

From the south of France, this is easy-drinking Pinot Noir that will satisfy at table as well as just sipping with a crowd. Dark black and Bing cherry fruit show on the nose and palate with a fine juiciness that lifts the flavor... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Fiefs Vendéens is a tiny region south of Muscadel in the western Loire Valley, warm enough to ripen Chenin Blanc but still cool enough to give fresh, vibrant, wines. Here 20% Chardonnay joins the blend... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Cabernet Franc has been grown and bottled here since 1813 in a cooler slice of Anjou. The cooler soils and intensive biodynamic farming give consistent freshness even in the face of climate change warmth.... Read More

Organic/Bio Pure, fresh, flavorful Sancerre grown organically and made all in cool stainless steel. There’s a lot going on here, with swirling aromas and flavors of white grapefruit, lemon, tangerine skin and the traditional... Read More

Lower ABV Fifth-generation winegrower Cyril Gautheron’s home is across the road from the Fourneaux vineyard, so he certainly knows this sunny site well! Here he’s crafted a classic 1er cru Chablis, showcasing the region’s... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV The 3HA plot of 50 year-old vines across from Mont de Milieu was meant to be a test for the winery’s conversion to organic farming. But the wine was so good that today it’s bottled on its own.... Read More

Lower ABV I certainly wouldn’t try to tell the 2023 Chauveau Pouilly Fume La Charmette apart from a $40+ Sancerre when tasting blind. Not surprising: its from the same Sauvignon Blanc grapes, Kimmeridgian marl and limestone... 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 Julien Bertrand grows great Beaujolais and then gets it in the bottle with as little fuss as possible. The approach turbocharges everything we hope for in Bojo, giving plump fruit with just-right crunch and bite, a handful... Read More

Lower ABV Burgundy's other white grape shines here in a zesty wine with richness and vibrancy, cut and depth. Aromas and flavors of crunchy pear, white pepper, orange peel and salty stone sing out in a wine that balances roundness... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Wow, is this ever good, especially coming from the hills up above the Cotes de Beaune. From a small vineyard with cool clay soils, Jerome and Elizabeth Billard captured brilliant ripeness in the form of sweet... Read More

Lower ABV Melon de Bourgogne grown on schist soils gives more cut, energy and freshness than pure limestone, and schist around 15 inches under the top-soil is the secret to this delicious seafood and sipping white. Green apple,... Read More

Organic/Bio The little village of Visan in the middle of the Cotes du Rhone always seems to give wines with a sleek black fruit and a hint of something we might call “ink” (but in a good way – really!). The blend... Read More

Organic/Bio The kind of wine we often call “cheerful.” There’s plenty of substance to the ripe red cherry and redcurrant fruit and a whiff of the wild herb and black olive notes the French call “garigue.”... Read More

Organic Lower ABV This family-run estate delivers the classic textures and flavors of Anjou Chenin Blanc at superb value prices. From schist soils, this delivers juicy pear, green apple and honeysuckle aromas and flavors with... Read More

Lower ABV Think of Coteaux du Giennois as the front door to Sancerre (technically the “back door” since it’s down river, but that doesn’t sound nearly as good!). The limestone soils here were given over... Read More

In the deep south of Languedoc, growers discovered that flooding their vineyards for 40 days in spring could kill the phylloxera louse, and that's how Ferrandiere still farms it's own-rooted vines just 12 miles from Carcassonne.... Read More

Lower ABV There’s something about the vineyards around Carcassonne in Languedoc that creates wonderfully fresh whites in this sunny, hot, spot. A bit of access to cooling breezes and a lot of limestone, to be specific. A... Read More

Frank Faugier is a little charismatic, definitely funny, and not terribly serious about anything other than making truly terrific Syrah in Crozes-Hermitage. He worked for Mars in Lyon for a while before coming back to his family's... Read More