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Location

France

France has gone on a roller coaster ride. A booming industry was decimated by mildew and phylloxera in the second half of the 19th century, then two World Wars in the 20th century. Thirst won in the end, and, France is now the World’s #2 wine producer by volume.

Without doubt the two greatest drivers of the French wine industry have been the concept of Terroir and the establishment of the Appellation d’origine contrôlée.

Combined these have defined a philosophical approach to growing and making wine and enforced strict controls of grape varieties that can be planted in each region and winemaking practices that can be employed.

Frances has come through with flying colours, successive generations have been better trained, spent time in the New World exposing them to different techniques for growing vines and making wine, and, have been able to push the boundaries to achieve excellence.

First Records of Wine Production – Go back millennia to the 6th century BC. The Greeks kicked things off with the Romans ramping things up. Those Romans got around and took their vines and wines with them! Over time the wealth of the Monastries took over much of the production. Nobility took their turn until the guillotine fell!

Founding Figures – In ‘recent times’, technical advancement in the industry were driven by Minister of the Interior, Jean-Antoine Chaptal following the French revolution, work done by Louis Pasteur in the 19th century, and, the Emperor Napoleon III commissioning of the 1855 classification of Bordeaux.

Area Planted – with around 630,000 hectares of vines France produces 17% of the World’s wine

Established Regions – When we think French wine, the regions that immediately come to mind are Champagne with its fizz, Bordeaux’s Cabernet blends and Sauternes, Burgundy’s Pinot and Chardonnay, the Rhône Valley’s Shiraz, Grenache, Marsanne & Roussane, and, Alsatian Riesling.

Most Common Varieties

White – From greatest area planted down the top red varieties are Ugni Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne, Sémillon, Chennin Blanc, Colombard, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and, Riesling.

Red – The list doesn’t surprise the order they come in does from greatest area planted down the top red varieties are Merlot, Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cinsaut, Pinot Meunier and Mourvèdre.

Up and Coming Regions – In recent times we’ve seen the Rosé of Provence, the hidden gems from the Languedoc, Jura and Loire Valley increasing in popularity.

Filters & Sorting

Showing 692 Delicious Wines!

About Mongeard-Mugneret The Mongeard family arrived in Vosne-Romanée in the 1620, with records showing a Mongeard working as vigneron for Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in 1786. Their legacy now spans over eight generations, however they continue to produce wine with the utmost respect for tradition. In 1945, Jean Mongeard, whose mother was a Mugneret, found […]
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A discreet application of wood suffuses the restrained and beautifully layered nose of mineral reduction, iodine, tidal pool, white orchard fruit and a vague hint of phenolic character. The super-sleek, dense and intense broad-shouldered flavors possess a palate etching mouthfeel while delivering simply remarkable length on the stony, austere and very dry finale that is akin to rolling small rocks around the mouth. The intensity really builds as it sits on the palate and overall, this beauty is

Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine 2019

Cabernet Franc | Touraine, France

A dense, savoury style with wonderful aromatic spice and earth character that feels very true to the Cabernet Franc variety. Le Domaine has a meaty, ferrous, animal nose so typical of top-notch Chinon and this particular Baudry cuvée shows a complex, fluid, sappy palate with roasted meat, wet earth, blackberry pastille and menthol characters. This is not at all a modern, pure, fruit-driven red, but rather it harks back to the more rustic, complex, sauvage, Rabelaisian Chinons of old. That said,
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Great refreshing red. Light on foot it packs plenty of flavour into a thirst-quenching drink. Great refreshing red. Light on foot it packs plenty of flavour into a thirst-quenching drink. Crunchy fruit and fine acid match red fruits a little spice and flowers. So easy to devour, perfect as the weather warms. 50% Grenache 50% Syrah. Made from 40 year old vines this is 100% tank fermented.
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House Fizz!

R.H.Coutier Ambonnay Cuvée Tradition Grand Cru HALF NV

Blend | Montagne de Reims, Ambonnay

Coutier is to Ambonnay what Clouet is to Bouzy! Coutier is to Ambonnay what Clouet is to Bouzy! Two villages just around the corner from each other. Two makers dishing out some seriously tasty vino. Ambonnay is the home to so many great vineyards. Judging by the vino Coutier is playing with the best of them. Their NV along with Clouet’s would have to rate as two of the best value Champagnes at the mo. The Brut tradition is 30-40% Chardonnay 60-70% Pinot in any given release and around 40% r
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Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Moussière HALF 2020

Sauvignon Blanc | Sancerre, France

There’s Sauvignon and then there is Sauvignon from Sancerre. There’s Sancerre and then there is Dagenau. Then a pack chasing him. Mellot right at the front of that pack. Beautiful poise, delicacy and vertical long shape to the palate. Lovely bright fruit that has shifted beyond primary to aromas and flavours of intrigue. Crisp fine acid. This is an impressive drink. There’s a little passion fruit and gooseberry if you look for it. Overall it’s just a wonderful seemless Sauvignon Blanc.
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Lovely plump juice that caresses the palate. Loads of energy here. Crunchy fruits perfumed with violets and baking spice. The texture here is exceptional incredibly fine tannins even tannins. Line and length of juicy acid. Loving the finesse here. Superb drinking. Sate the deepest of thirsts!
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"Opening in the glass with aromas of raspberries, plums, spices and smoke, the 2021 Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Melanie is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and succulent, with a sweet core of fruit, tangy acids, powdery tannins and penetrating finish. It's one example of a 2021 that I prefer to its riper, more powerful 2020 counterpart." William Kelley, The Wine Advocate 92 Points
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Roches Neuves Samur-Champigny 2021

Cabernet Franc | Saumur-Champigny, D'Anjou-Saumur

Beautiful, plump yet linear fruit average 25 up to 70 years. Wild and tank only ferment. Bright lovely balance and flow. Great way to start the range. A little spice woody herb a little violets and blue fruits. A herbal note in a refreshing & very nice way. Moderate weight and length. Restrained crunchy and delicious. As per Gibb's note could easily be drunk with a couple of degrees knocked off it. “The 2021 Domaine des Roches Neuves is made in a light bodied, delicate and fragrant
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DRY

Domaine Marcel Deiss ‘Ribeauvillé’ 2018

White Blend | France, Alsace

Riesling ~ Sylvanner ~ Pinot Blanc = Seamless, Delicious, Expressive, Beautiful! A blend of mostly Riesling and a small percentage of the Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc. Planted on essentially marl and clay soils. Riesling shining through here with white flowers, citrus, a little pear / lightly poached quince, feijoa and baking spices. There is richness yet a transparency to the wine. Wonderfully expressive at this young age, the depth and length here is impressive. A palpable energy. Wonderful harmon
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Château Pierre-Bise Savennières ‘Clos de Coulaine’ 2018

Chenin Blanc | Savennières, D'Anjou-Saumur

The extra couple of years here gives us an idea of where the 2020 Roche Aux Moines will head. Honeyed, lemon, baking spices a little of the lanolin character that seems to come through in Chenin from Anjou-Samur. Again the transparency of pear fruit with textural phenolic elements at play. Divine wine. Thirst quenching and delicious.
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Ridiculous Yields!
"One cuvée that really doesn't miss a beat in this more challenging vintage is the 2021 Morgon Corcelette Vieilles Vignes Sable, a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine evocative of plums, sweet berries, spices and forest floor. Layered and concentrated, with an enveloping core of fruit and melting tannins, it will delight readers nostalgic for more classically proportioned Beaujolais." William Kelley, The Wine Advocate 94 Points
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This wine used to come to us simply as Morgon Vieilles Vignes, without the name of the vineyard or lieu-dit. It comes from a single hectare of 93-year-old vines located on the Morgon-Chiroubles border, at the end of the Corcelette valley in a terroir historically known as Delys. Bouland’s vines were planted in 1926 on a southeast-facing slope at 10,000 vines per hectare. "The 2021 Morgon Les Delys Vignes plantées en 1926 is deep and brooding, unwinding in the glass with aromas of wild
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Ridiculous Yields!
Year after year Bouland has turned stunning, beautiful wines! The 2021 Morgon Corcelette Vieilles Vignes Cailloux opens in the glass with aromas of cherries, mulberries, sweet spices, licorice and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, it's deep and impressively concentrated, combining classical proportions with superb ripeness. It's another excellent wine from one of Beaujolais's most dependable growers. William Kelley, The Wine Advocate 93+ Points
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Celebrate in Style!

André Clouet Grande Reserve Brut HALF NV

Pinot Noir | France, Bouzy

Superb expression of bubbles made from Pinot Noir! Clouet is a Pinot specialist and this is a seriously good Blanc de Noir (White of Black). Incredible fruit intensity, rich full style with plenty of personality. Heaps going on. Bubbles that you can take beyond an aperitif, it'll happily sit alongside a decent plate of nosh. Available in Magnum!
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Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022

Gamay Noir | Morgon, Beaujolais

Super refined and long with the finish offering all kinds of florals and exotic spice! I haven't had a chance to taste these and reviews aren't out yet. Given the consistency and the comments on the vintage below from Bouland and Morris they're just a no brainer. One of the wineries I buy from each year without hesitation. Expect them to have an extra degree of sophistication compared with other recent releases. Wine specific importer notes below. Even Bouland himself struggled to find
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