French Red Wine between $25 and $50

There’s a good case to be made that the clay/limestone plateau of Pomerol gives the greatest Merlot-based wines in the world – and indisputable that wines like Petrus and Le Pin are some of the most expensive Bordeaux... Read More

Once again a blend of Merlot and Cabernet, all aged in oak, from the tiny Saint Emilion “satellite” Saint-Georges. Separated from it’s more famous neighbor but just a small stream, Saint-Georges Saint-Emilion... Read More

Topline: This is crazy delicious Pinot Noir and very fine red Burgundy that's seriously under-priced. Grab it before the market catches on. Caroline Fyot and Alexia Russo created this small estate in Mercurey in 2018 and make... 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

The second wine of one of a very top Pessac estate, this delivers extra richness from 39% Merlot with plenty of Cabernet Sauvignon structure and grip, all polished by 30 months in 75% new oak. As Vinous says in the 91-93 point... Read More

Just outside Saint Emilion, this blend of Merlot plus a splash of Cabernet delivers a classic Right Bank drinking experience plus the benefit of bottle age. Lovely redcurrant, cherry and fresh blackberry fruit is wrapped in savory... Read More

Organic/Bio In a few weeks from this writing, I’ll have dinner with winemaker Lou Rochet and get her to explain the details here. For now we know that this is about equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot with a dollop of... Read More

Danielle Meunier's great-grandfather purchased this estate around 1860 and was winning awards in Paris by 1912. In 1959 her parents began bottling all of the production which Danielle continued on taking over in 1972. Although... Read More

Fronsac on the Right Bank shares soil type with St Estephe on the Left Bank and displays some of the same power and grip as well. In a warm, rich, vintage, here that structure is matched with terrific dark fruit. As Suckling says... Read More

Ignore the label - this is actually Ch Canon Chaigneau Cuvee 8A packaged with a different label because the importer didn't like the real bottle shape! While this is 96% Merlot plus Cab Franc, there's nothing plummy going... Read More

Two great Burgundy winemakers partner down in Minervois to create fascinating wines with the gutsy intensity of the south and just a touch of Burgundian elegance and flair. This is their 100% Syrah cuvee from vines they planted... Read More

Organic Julien Bertrand farms vines in 6 of the 12 Beaujolais Crus, and here he captures the essence of the most famous of those: Moulin-a-Vent. Dark, gripping, not at all plush, this is traditional Beaujolais with whole clusters... Read More

Organic/Bio Refined, pretty, Pinot Noir from 50 year-old certified organic vines in the north of the Cote d'Or. The old vine fruit ripened to elegant perfection in the difficult 2024 vintage and 12 months in 20% new French... Read More

Organic/Bio From France’s Basque country, this is a very Bordeaux-like blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Tannat. Rich blackcurrant and blackberry fruit aromas and flavors are framed by sweet spice... Read More

What a delicious old school red, one that harks back to the days when Gigondas was all about purity, minerality and - especially - deliciousness. As Wine Spectator says in the 92 point review, Inviting notes of mulled cherry,... 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

Organic/Bio From one of the first estates in Burgundy to go organic (the founders were ecology professors at the Sorbonne), this is lovely Bourgogne Pinot. The 16.5/20 review of the 2022 edition in JancisRobinson.com tells you... Read More

What happens with two Burgundy winegrowers join as a couple to create a new estate in the Languedoc’s sunny Minervois region? This: a darkly fruited, gutsy, wine with remarkably sleek and pure texture. A wine that’s... 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 lot going on here as 80 year-old vines give concentration and a site on the border of Fleurie's Clos de la Roilette adds purity and finesse. Vinous describes it well: offers Morello cherry, rose petal... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Decant this or, better still, wait a couple of years. As the 93 point Vinous review suggests, it has so much to offer! The 2023 Moulin-à-Vent Les Thorins comes from granite soils and tends to be more... 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

Lower ABV Jean-Pierre Large's day job is winemaker at Domaine Cheysson Chiroubles; this is what he does with old vines inherited from his grandfather in Morgon. Classic Morgon aromas and flavors of blackberry, black cherry... 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

Even though it’s one of the larger villages of the Cote d’Or (only Meursault, Gevrey and Beaune give more wine), Sauvigny-les-Beaune is easy to overlook. The south-facing slopes make it fairly easy to get good ripeness... Read More