France

  • VIN 2025: a French Wine Tasting

    VIN 2025: a French Wine Tasting

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    Simon

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    VIN in London marked my first tasting for 2025, an event organised by Business France, the trade section of the French Embassy in the UK, in collaboration with various French partners. This event brought together four UK importers and 34 producers, showing an impressive selection of over 500 wines from multiple French regions. The wines…

  • French Red Wine Faces Crisis Amid Changing Tastes

    French Red Wine Faces Crisis Amid Changing Tastes

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    The FT newspaper is reporting (link started free but might be behind paywall by the time you read this) that the French red wine industry is facing a severe decline as younger generations increasingly shift away from red wine, opting for rosé, beer, spirits, or alcohol-free alternatives and some avoid alcohol altogether. Consumption of red…

  • Belle France Bordeaux Rouge

    Belle France Bordeaux Rouge

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    This bottle of Belle France Bordeaux Rouge, purchased as part of Aldi’s Wine of the Week promotion, represents excellent value for money and is almost certainly sold at below cost to get customers into stores. Priced at £9.99, and reduced to only £4.99, which is quite a bargain for a Bordeaux. The wine is a…

  • Domaine Philippon Frères Chablis

    Domaine Philippon Frères Chablis

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    I first encountered Domaine Philippon Frères Chablis at a Lidl press wine tasting and was impressed enough to seek it out again. My aim was to confirm that the version available in shops matched the quality I initially experienced. This Chablis, with an ABV of 12.5%, comes from Burgundy and is made from 100% Chardonnay…

  • No.1 Margaux

    No.1 Margaux

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    Simon

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    Having initially tried this wine during a press tasting, I was keen to revisit it at leisure to gain a fuller appreciation and ensure its consistency over time. Waitrose No. 1 Margaux, 2021 vintage, is a new addition to Waitrose’s wine range. This blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an ABV of…

  • Co-op Les Pionniers NV

    Co-op Les Pionniers NV

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    Simon

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    Co-op’s award-winning Champagne is on offer to Co-op Members for just £15.00 (was £21.50) between 18th and 24th December 2024. Read my review.

  • Adnams Crémant de Limoux

    Adnams Crémant de Limoux

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    Simon

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    Crémant has gained attention in recent years, due to the growing popularity of Crémant wines as an affordable alternative to Champagne. Produced by Maison Antech, this Crémant is a 70/30 blend of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc with an alcohol content of 12% ABV. The production process follows the traditional method, the same method used to…

  • Cru Bourgeois du Médoc

    Cru Bourgeois du Médoc

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    Simon

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    In mid-November 2024, I attended a Cru Bourgeois du Médoc tasting event in London, featuring a selection of 64 wines from the 2022 vintage. Roughly 60% of the wines presented were seeking representation, making it an interesting event for industry professionals and wine merchants on the lookout for new additions. I’ve put together a short…

  • Understanding Cru Bourgeois du Médoc

    Understanding Cru Bourgeois du Médoc

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    Simon

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    Building upon the my previous article on Understanding Bordeaux Wines, this piece looks into the world of Cru Bourgeois du Médoc, a classification that offers high-quality yet accessible wines from Bordeaux’s Left Bank. The term Cru Bourgeois has historical roots that trace back to the Middle Ages. During this period, the term “bourgeois” referred to…

  • Champagne Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée

    Champagne Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée

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    Maison Bruno Paillard is one of Champagne’s few remaining independent, family-owned Houses. They take pride in their ‘Perpetual Reserve’, an impressive collection of reserve wines dating back to 1985, blended with the latest vintage to produce their signature Multi Vintage Champagnes. This blend features 45% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, and 22% Pinot Meunier, all from…

  • Bel Air Parcellaire Merlot

    Bel Air Parcellaire Merlot

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    I couldn’t resist trying this new Bordeaux from the Coop. Made from 100% Merlot, the Bel Air Parcellaire Merlot 2023, from Maison Sichel, is made from their select vineyard plots renowned for producing high-quality wines with a distinctive terroir expression, particularly benefiting from clay soils typical of Bordeaux’s right bank. On the nose, it offers…

  • Taittinger Prestige Rosé

    Taittinger Prestige Rosé

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    Simon

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    This Champagne, primarily from the 2019 vintage, is a blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 25% Meunier, with an ABV of 12.5%. This wine has gained high praise, winning accolades from critics such as James Suckling, Wine Spectator, Decanter and Robert Parker. It has also earned a Gold Medal at the Concours des…

  • Global Chenin Blanc Masters 2024

    Global Chenin Blanc Masters 2024

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    The Global Chenin Blanc Masters competition recently highlighted the remarkable versatility of Chenin Blanc, which produces some of the finest sweet and dry white wines, both with and without oak, as well as sparkling wines. The Loire Valley is its historic home, producing notable sparkling and sweet wines, such as Crémant de Loire, sparkling Vouvray,…

  • Jas des Vignes Rosé Méditerranée

    Jas des Vignes Rosé Méditerranée

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    This Provence-style rosé from Ravoire & Fils, a family-owned producer in the IGP Méditerranée region, is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. The main label sits proudly at the top of the bottle, drawing attention to its shapely bottle, a hallmark of Provence-style rosé bottles. The grapes are picked at night to preserve their…

  • Mouton Cadet Bordeaux Reds

    Mouton Cadet Bordeaux Reds

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    Simon

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    Mouton Cadet owes its reputation to the passion and enthusiasm of the Rothschild family. They have cultivated a legacy of winemaking over three generations. This review is a side-by-side tasting of two Mouton Cadet wines: the Mouton Cadet Classic Rouge 2021 and the Mouton Cadet Cuvée Heritage 2019. The Mouton Cadet Classic Rouge 2021, made…

  • French Rosé Market Slows After Boom

    French Rosé Market Slows After Boom

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    Simon

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    Meininger’s is reporting that French rosé sales, which had seen significant growth, are now slowing down. The decline in sales is attributed to reduced purchasing power and adverse weather conditions in early summer 2023. Despite a drop in domestic sales and exports, regions like Provence and Pays d’Oc are focusing on premium segments and innovative…

  • Cabalié

    Cabalié

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    Simon

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    If you spend any time on Instagram browsing wine-related posts, in the UK, you’ll almost certainly come across this wine, often advertised by Laithwaites with an enticing offer to lure you into making your first purchase. But is it any good? This Languedoc-Roussillon red has a respectable 4.1 rating on Vivino and ranks #2 in…

  • The Bordeaux Experience

    The Bordeaux Experience

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    Simon

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    On 1st May 2024, the inaugural event of Vins de Bordeaux’s new global campaign, ‘The Bordeaux Crew’ came to London, designed collaboratively by the region’s winemaking community. This initiative was supported by the Bordeaux Wine Council (CVIB) and aimed to engage both the wine industry and enthusiasts. The event showcased a curated selection of over…

  • Understanding Bordeaux Wines

    Understanding Bordeaux Wines

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    Located in the southwest of France, Bordeaux is renowned for its vast vineyards and historically significant châteaux. As the largest French region for quality wine production, Bordeaux’s influence stretches across centuries, shaping the taste and expectations of wine enthusiasts around the world. The Bordeaux wine industry is comprised of approximately 5,000 winemakers and 29 cooperative…

  • Affordable and Lesser-Known Bordeaux Wines to Try

    Affordable and Lesser-Known Bordeaux Wines to Try

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    Simon

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    David Williams, writing for The Guardian newspaper, highlights a range of lesser-known and more affordable Bordeaux wines as the famous wine region prepares to showcase its 2023 vintage. Here are the wines he mentions, along with their prices and suppliers: Château des Antonins Bordeaux Blanc 2022 – This white wine offers a blend of tangy…

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