There is no question that France still remains the greatest wine producing country in the world and the standard by which others measure their success. It has a richness and variety hard to find anywhere else and its methods and grape varieties are carefully copied throughout the world. What’s interesting to watch now is how a younger, more ambitious and world aware generation are starting to influence what’s produced keeping tastes new and exciting and keeping each of its famous regions firmly on the world’s wine map.
Its famous regions: Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire, Rhone, Alsace and its French Country wines offer something for everyone and everyone’s pocket.
Bordeaux
Perhaps not quite the sublime to the ridiculous but Bordeaux, one of the largest wine making regions in the world, offers anything from an everyday Claret for around a fiver to a First Growth Latour, Mouton, Haut Brion etc for many thousands of pounds for a single bottle.
Such is the continued world demand for top Bordeauxs that a good vintage commands top dollar. Whether these wines ever get drunk is another matter as the investment merry go round sends cases from one cellar to another.
Where we feel we score, is with the smaller estates, sought out over years of practise. We buy direct from the Chateaux and often we’re its sole importer.
Chateau les Bertrands from the Cotes de Blaye and Chateau la Tuilerie de Puy Bordeaux are two worth trying.
And don’t forget the dry whites. Frequently overlooked but delightful particularly from a good vintage such as 2007. An exceptional year.
Beaujolais
After many disappointments, we have discovered Domaine Pardon. We still like to taste before we buy and just bring in the ones we like the best. Of course this is not without its frustrations as last year for instance we liked and bought Domaine Pardon’s 2006 Fleurie which proved popular, but we didn’t get on so well with the 2007, so we have switched to Morgan 2004 Jean Descombes par Georges Duboeuf which is delicious.
Burgundy
Where do you start? Some say that until you’ve experienced a good Burgundy you haven’t lived. It is, however, one area where you have to cherry pick and not commit too heavily to one Domaine or Negotiant as quality can vary immensely.
If you do develop a taste for this region’s Pinot Noirs or the great Chardonnays of White Burgundy, you are just as likely to be frustrated as you are enthralled. Further more, high prices are no guarantee of quality.
The exception, perhaps, is with white wines from the region. We have unearthed some lovely ones, consistently good form on vintage to another. Namely, the Chablis from Domaine Fourrey and the Macons from Domaine Bicheron.
Loire
Sadly our search for that stunning but inexpensive Sancerre continues or rather, continues to be thwarted. Perhaps it’s reluctance on our part to admit that such a thing does not exist as demand for the best dictates high price. Nevertheless, we have found some lovely Sancerre and indeed Pouilly Fume.
But, it’s the Torraine region of the Loire that we’ve really struck gold. Domaine Guy Allion’s Sauvignons are sublime and well priced. And his Vielles Vignes (VV) are superb.
Sadly his French customers have also made this discovery leading the VV to be less available all year round.
The VV constantly wins medals and in some vintages Allion’s Sauvignon gets close to his VV. We are yet to find anyone that doesn’t like his wine.
We smile to ourselves when we see some of the wine we’ve rejected from this region turn up in other high street wine shops, happy in the knowledge that we’ve found a cracker so please keep it to yourselves!
Rhone
Such frustrations. We lose count of how many different Domaines we have shipped over to the UK only for the wines to let us down the following year.
Finding that inexpensive but drinkable Cotes de Rhone also keeps us on our toes. There are plenty of inexpensive ones to be found but so often they are rather course to say the least.
At the other end of the scale, Chateauneuf du Pape remains a favourite but it’s expensive and debatable as to whether it offers good value.
However, seek out a wine from a neighbouring area such as Gigondas, and you will be rewarded with some lovely wines that do offer good value for money.
Anyway, we will continue to import the wines that we like best and hope you will share our views.
Alsace
Often described in the trade as “the wine merchant’s wine” because when we taste it, we remind ourselves how good it is, yet they remain hard to sell. Or perhaps we get carried away, buy too much, fail to sell it and end up drinking it ourselves lamenting the lack of interest!
We’re still excited about this region. We’ve unearthed a range of medal winners that we like so much we are importing direct from the producer. Normally it would be hard to justify this route to market but the wines from Bestheim shone out like a beacon in extensive tasting and as they are not readily available in the UK, we didn’t hesitate to send our carriers over to collect a couple of pallets.
Alsace is rarely cheap but these wines rarely disappoint. That’s if we can get you to buy them of course.
French Country
Not long ago, this section of our list could be renamed Minervois. But now, a couple of tasting and buying trips to Carcassonne was enough to show us how much wines form all over the South are improving. (The Museum of Torture at Carcassonne is not for the squeamish and very sobering. Well, we can’t be wine tasting all day long can we?)
Careful choice is still needed in this region but the influence of new world winemakers is really showing itself with marked improvements in both vineyards and wineries.
Stainless steel is at last replacing old concrete fermenting tanks and with this a freshness is being retained in both white and reds.
Here labels usually tell you what you are buying and this ease combined with good prices, much good drinking is to be had. And, if, certain famous books are to be believed, good heatlh!
