Vintage 2014 Region By Region : Part 2
In Part 1, I focused solely on Bordeaux. Thanks to the Primeurs tasting that take place in April, it’s easy to get an early opinion of the overall quality of a vintage. In this… Continue reading
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of the world’s most prestigious wines, produced in the town of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and in 4 neighboring villages. Located in southeastern France between Avignon and Orange, this small town is surrounded by… Continue reading
When you are French or travel in France, lunch and dinner are probably two of the most important moments of the day. Even though this tends to disappear in big cities, most families… Continue reading
“The wine from Monbazillac is powerful, cordial, dynamic and euphoric ; it brings cheerfulness to men and youth to old people.” This is how Armand Got, poet from the 19th century, was describing the… Continue reading
I had a very bad experience recently in a wine bar in Sarasota (Florida) where approximately 75% of the wines were BAD. I’m not saying the wine selection was necessarily awful in the first… Continue reading
Rosé wine consumption (and therefore production) has increased tremendously over the last 10 years everywhere in the world. There are multiple reasons for that; based on fruitiness and acidity it’s an easy-to-approach wine; it… Continue reading
I was in Burgundy last week and visited the cellars of a well-known name in the town of Beaune : Maison Albert Bichot. Still a family business after six generations, Bichot is a… Continue reading
Thanks to Franck Fouratier, France sales director of Maison Chanson, I recently took part in a fantastic tasting at the château in Beaune. Burgundy is a fascinating area when it comes to wine. Maison… Continue reading
Last week, a friend was telling me how he usually buys bottles with labels mentioning “vieilles vignes” (AKA old vines) because he considers it an indicator of quality. While there is some truth… Continue reading
Château La Nerthe is located in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a famous appellation in the southern Rhône valley, which covers 3 200 hectares of land over 5 different villages. It is the most acclaimed appellation in the southern Rhône and… Continue reading
I had the opportunity to go to Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion a few times over the last months and wasn’t disappointed. A family owned vineyard since the end of the 18th century (8 generations), Château… Continue reading
First of all–before talking about wine, the Loire valley is one of my favorite places in France. Also called the “Kings valley”, you can find countless splendid castles all along the river. It… Continue reading
2013 is a very heterogeneous year in Bordeaux. The differences from bottle to bottle are sometimes very surprising during this year’s tastings. In a nutshell, sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac are a great… Continue reading
I wanted to begin my first of many posts with my last visit to Cos d’Estournel in early February. This château is a second growth in the Médoc classification of 1855 and located in the… Continue reading
In Part 1, I focused solely on Bordeaux. Thanks to the Primeurs tasting that take place in April, it’s easy to get an early opinion of the overall quality of a vintage. In this… Continue reading
In the old Europe’s vineyards (especially the northern ones), the notion of vintage is critical. A vintage informs us on two things: the climatic conditions of that specific year and therefore the quality and… Continue reading
A recent study by Beverage Grades revealed excessive contents of Arsenic (a poison for the human body) in some well-known bottles on the US market such as Korbel, Cupcake, Menage a Trois, Sutter… Continue reading
Two weeks ago, I attended a tasting of the 2012 Bordeaux wines in the beautiful Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami. A lot of prestigious châteaux were there, from all appellations, which gave a… Continue reading
Monthélie is a small village in the heart of Burgundy in the vicinity of better known towns, Volnay and Meursault. Monthélie is a small appellation that very few people know. It makes it an… Continue reading
Château Palmer is a (beautiful) winery located in Margaux, in the Médoc region next to Bordeaux. A third growth in the 1855 official classification, I consider Palmer, in terms of quality, a second growth. Certain… Continue reading
Cahors is a town in the southwest of France and one of the oldest wine-making region in the country. Yet, these highly historical vineyards almost completely disappeared after the phylloxera crisis (late 19th century) and… Continue reading
– Temperature : After multiple dinners, tastings and various events all summer long, I noticed how the weather really affects our attitude towards wine and drinking in general. During summertime, wine tends to… Continue reading
In my past job as a wine broker, I was often in the Saint-Emilion area looking for Merlot wines. Contrary to what I often hear or read online, Merlot (and not Cabernet-Sauvignon) is the major… Continue reading
There is no world class wine in Limoux. However, it is possible to find quality bottles at interesting prices. – Red wines are average for the most part. It seems like there is no real… Continue reading
Limoux is a little town in the western region of Languedoc, in Southern France. It is also the name of a wine appellation centered around the town, mainly known for its sparkling wine. Unfortunately,… Continue reading
Mouton Rothschild is a prestigious name in the wine business. This 207 acres estate is located in Pauillac, a well known appellation in the Médoc region, near Bordeaux. A combination of factors made… Continue reading
One of the most impressive vineyards in the country is located in the northern Rhône Valley next to the town of Vienne : Côte-Rôtie. Not only is the scenery impressive, but so is the quality… Continue reading
Last month, I spent plenty of time in four big wine making regions of France : Languedoc, Provence, Rhône Valley and Burgundy, and tasted hundreds of wines. During this amazing trip, one place really… Continue reading
Originally posted on French Wine World :
I had the opportunity to go to Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion a few times over the last months and wasn’t disappointed. A family owned vineyard since the end of…