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France

  • La Belle Angèle Rosé

    La Belle Angèle Rosé

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    Simon Judge

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    La Belle Angèle Rosé takes its name from a figure of the early 20th century, a muse of the French Impressionists whose charm and elegance inspired many. Produced by La Belle Angèle Wines in Nuits-Saint-Georges, France, the bottle itself reflects a refined aesthetic and the producer’s website is very well presented – a rare case where I link as it’s very well done. This 2024 vintage, 12% ABV, blends Cinsault and Grenache grapes, sourced from the Gers and the Languedoc. The Cinsault brings a sense of freshness, while the Grenache adds richness and a deeper concentration. In the glass, it…

  • Taste the Difference Crémant d’Alsace

    Taste the Difference Crémant d’Alsace

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    Simon Judge

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    Taste the Difference Crémant d’Alsace is made from 75% Pinot Blanc and 25% Pinot Gris from Alsace in France. This non-vintage wine sits at 12% ABV and undergoes its second fermentation in bottle, in the same way as Champagne, and is aged for 18 months on its lees. I first discovered it at the Sainsbury’s Spring Summer Press Tasting, where it stood out as one of my favourites thanks to its flavour and value. I decided to re-try it in a different context and correct a few earlier misconceptions. For starters, it’s clearly made by Cave du Roi Dagobert, as…

  • Moillard Thomas Mâcon Rouge

    Moillard Thomas Mâcon Rouge

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    Simon Judge

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    Moillard-Thomas is in Nuits-Saint-Georges, in the Côtes de Nuits and is one of the oldest wine merchants in the region. This Mâcon Rouge, 2024 vintage, 12.5%, from Burgundy, France, is made entirely from Gamay grapes. This light purplish wine starts with a fruity aroma, gently underpinned by a savoury note that hints at something earthy, perhaps a touch of mushroom. At very first sip, it leaves a dry impression, but this quickly gives way to juicy cherry flavours that bring vibrancy to the palate. A subtle thread of spice weaves through, along with a whisper of fennel, adding a layer…

  • Calvet Sancerre

    Calvet Sancerre

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    Simon Judge

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    This Calvet Sancerre 2024, 12.5%, is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire region of France. It is grown on a hillside overlooking the left bank of the Haute Loire. In the glass, it has a pale yellow colour with delicate green reflections. Even when served very cold, it releases a strong and enticing aroma of passion fruit, with an underlying floral character that immediately draws you in. On the tongue, it delivers classic gooseberry notes, complemented by the lushness of ripe honeydew melon, with a dry yet very rounded and expressive flavour profile. The finish is long and satisfying, leaving…

  • Definition Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    Definition Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

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    Simon Judge

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    This 2018 vintage of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru comes from the right bank of the River Garonne, from the family-run Château du Roy. It is made from 35-year-old vines and sits at 13.5% ABV. While it’s Merlot-led, it also includes some Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. I almost didn’t review this bottle. On opening, it was underwhelming, both in aroma and flavour. I didn’t bother decanting at the time, thinking it unnecessary given the seemingly low tannins and lack of sediment, but in hindsight that was a mistake. Even after a full day open, it still felt muted and a little…

  • Les Dauphins Cotes du Rhone

    Les Dauphins Cotes du Rhone

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    Simon Judge

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    Les Dauphins wines take their cue from the vibrant spirit of 1920s Paris, a time when jazz, art, fine food and wine flourished and when the Rhône Valley saw the formation of its first co-operatives. This cultural backdrop shapes the character of these wines, which are made by the Union des Vignerons des Côtes du Rhône, a co-operative with over six decades of heritage. Grapes are carefully selected by winemakers Thierry Walet and Camille Potau from plots across the Southern Rhône Valley, farmed by long-standing grower-partners, a network of 2000 families whose dedication ensures the continued quality and identity of…

  • Provence Rosé Tasting

    Provence Rosé Tasting

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    Simon Judge

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    In April 2025, I joined a virtual masterclass hosted by Ray O’Connor MW, ambassador for Vins de Provence. Aimed at trade and press, the session tackled the question: “Provence rosé: are they all the same?” and explored the breadth and diversity the region has to offer. Ray took us through the regions and sub-regions of Provence, looking into grape varieties, terrain, climate, relevant statistics and the pivotal role of the Centre du Rosé research centre. The educational element has its own article on Understanding Provence Rosé, while this write-up focuses solely on the tasting element of the session. We sampled…

  • Understanding Provence Rosé

    Understanding Provence Rosé

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    Simon Judge

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    History Provence, located in the sun-drenched south of France, is globally renowned for producing some of the finest rosé wines. Its legacy in winemaking stretches back to 600 BC with the founding of Marseille and the planting of the region’s first vineyard. Over the centuries, wine production in Provence evolved under the influence of monasteries from the 5th to 12th centuries and was later shaped by the rise of major Provençal winegrowing families in the early 20th century. A significant shift occurred in the 1970s, when quality became a priority in rosé production, ushering in a new era that redefined…

  • Understanding Champagne

    Understanding Champagne

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    Simon Judge

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    Champagne, the world’s most celebrated sparkling wine, has captivated connoisseurs for centuries with its effervescence, complexity and prestige. This sparkling wine has evolved from humble beginnings to become a global symbol of celebration and luxury, with a rich history, distinctive production methods and diverse styles that continue to evolve to meet contemporary challenges and tastes. The Historical Evolution of Champagne The story of Champagne begins in the 5th century, possibly earlier, when Romans established vineyards in northeastern France. Initially, the wines produced in this region were still wines, pale, pinkish liquids made primarily from Pinot Noir grapes, bearing little resemblance…

  • The Definitive Champagne Tasting

    The Definitive Champagne Tasting

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    Simon Judge

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    On the first day of April 2025, I attended The Definitive Champagne Tasting, a two-floor event held at the Tate Modern in London. Organised by the UK’s Champagne Shippers’ Association, it marked the first generic Champagne trade tasting in London since 2018. With 51 producers represented, including Champagne houses, cooperatives, and growers, the event featured an impressive selection of 220 wines. I started the event at the self pour sections, dedicated to non-vintage cuvées from the exhibiting producers. Most of the producers showcased a Non-Vintage cuvée, offering an opportunity to compare and contrast the house styles. When I started the…

  • Château des Jaume ‘Infusion’

    Château des Jaume ‘Infusion’

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    Simon Judge

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    Château des Jaume Côtes du Roussillon Villages ‘Infusion’ is a wine from one of the renowned estates of the Roussillon region in France. Located near the village of Tautavel, the vineyard sits between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountains, producing wines that reflect this unique terroir. This 2022 vintage comes in at 14% ABV and showcases a natural approach to winemaking, with whole bunch vinification, minimal intervention and no added sulphites. Made from a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan, this wine pours a light red raspberry colour and opens beautifully aromatic with notes of herby, cherry fruit. There’s…

  • Alain Grignon, Réserve Vieilles Vignes Carignan

    Alain Grignon, Réserve Vieilles Vignes Carignan

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    Simon Judge

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    Sourced from old vines, some over a hundred years in age, in the village of Limoux, within the Languedoc region of southern France, this 2023 vintage wine is a great example of 100% Carignan. However, the age of the vines is a crucial factor here. ‘Vieilles Vignes’ means ‘old vines’ that help lend the wine a concentration and depth that’s hard to find at this price point. Fermentation took place partly in tank and partly in barrel, giving the wine both softness and a subtle oak influence. Carignan is a grape variety often associated with high acidity and rough, rustic…

  • Moillard-Thomas Chablis

    Moillard-Thomas Chablis

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    Simon Judge

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    Moillard-Thomas Chablis is produced by one of the region’s oldest wine merchants, known for their long-standing expertise. This 2023 vintage is made in stainless steel vats, unoaked as is typical for non-Premier Cru Chablis. The 2021 vintage of this wine was recognised with an IWC award in 2022, highlighting its quality. This Chablis is 12.5% ABV, dry with citrus aromas and flavours of white stone fruit complemented by a slight minerality. It has a particularly pleasant, rounded mouthfeel that sets it apart. The wine is both refreshing and smooth, making it very suitable for pairing with food. While seafood is…

  • How Climate Change is Affecting Bordeaux Wine Producers

    How Climate Change is Affecting Bordeaux Wine Producers

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    Simon Judge

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    New research examines the impact of climate change on the income of wine producers in the Bordeaux region. The study analyses the relationship between climate variables, vineyard characteristics and economic performance. The findings indicate that rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns significantly affect vineyard yields and income, with high temperatures during the bloom period (May to July) reducing yields, while warmer conditions during ripening (August to September) have a positive effect. Rainfall variability, particularly excessive precipitation during the bloom period, also negatively impacts yields. Wine producers in Bordeaux have responded by adapting their business strategies. Many have expanded their vineyard…

  • Domaine Tabordet Organic Pouilly Fumé

    Domaine Tabordet Organic Pouilly Fumé

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    Simon Judge

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    A new wine from Majestic, made using the Sauvignon Blanc grape. This wine comes from the Pouilly-Fumé appellation in the Loire Valley and is the 2023 vintage with an alcohol content of 12.5%. The wine has a light golden hue and requires quite a bit of warmth to fully reveal itself. It is a gentle and elegant wine, not overtly bold but rather subtle and inviting. The aromatics are a pleasant blend of honeydew lemon and a hint of tropical fruits. It features a grassy taste with mineral undertones and a salty, saline finish. Interestingly, it is not as flinty…

  • Calvet Sancerre Rosé

    Calvet Sancerre Rosé

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    Simon Judge

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    This Rosé is from the Loire Valley, France, with an ABV of 12.5%, vintage 2023. It has a pale pink colour with an aroma of red fruits. The taste is dry but not overly so, with a strong strawberry taste. What makes it particularly great is the round and mellow mouthfeel. Many other French rosé wines are Grenache-based blends, which often lack the depth of flavour and roundness achieved by this Pinot Noir-based rosé. Rosé makes up only about 1% of Sancerre’s total output. Rosé wines are often, but not always, compromised in their creation, made to meet consumer expectations…

  • VIN 2025: a French Wine Tasting

    VIN 2025: a French Wine Tasting

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    Simon Judge

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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 fell into two main categories: those already imported into the UK by the participating importers, and others, many of which are seeking representation. A notable highlight was the quality of the latter group. Many of these wines had already achieved significant recognition through awards and…

  • French Red Wine Faces Crisis Amid Changing Tastes

    French Red Wine Faces Crisis Amid Changing Tastes

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    Simon Judge

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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 wine in France has fallen by about 90% since the 1970s, while total wine consumption has decreased by over 80% since 1945. Generation Z purchases significantly less wine than older generations, highlighting a generational shift. Experts attribute the decline to the industry’s failure to connect…

  • Belle France Bordeaux Rouge

    Belle France Bordeaux Rouge

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    Simon Judge

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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 blend of Merlot (65%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) and Cabernet Franc (10%), made by Producta Vignobles, a cooperative with a long history of pioneering the sale of AOC wines in supermarkets since 1960. This level of traceability to an identifiable producer, via a barcode on the…

  • Domaine Philippon Frères Chablis

    Domaine Philippon Frères Chablis

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    Simon Judge

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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 grapes. It’s noteworthy that Lidl has opted to include the named producer for this wine, a move that’s somewhat unusual for their offerings. Even though it’s a relatively new addition to Lidl’s core range it already has an admirable 4.0 on Vivino. The wine has…

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Did You Know?

Rías Baixas wines reached more than 107 countries in 2025 and exports represented 31 per cent of the denomination’s total sales. More

Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day. More

People actively adjust their wine choices depending on who might see them. More

In the UK, 73% of Alcohol is Bought From Retail Rather Than Hospitality. More

UK wine production reached 124,377 hectolitres that year, meaning the UK accounted for roughly 0.05 per cent of world output. More

For Crémant, grapes must be harvested by hand and the wines must undergo at least nine months’ ageing before release. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More

Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More

Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More

A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More

Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More

In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More

In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More

In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More

Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More

Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More

In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More

Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More

8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More

Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More

Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More

Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More

Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More

During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More

In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More

In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More

In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More

In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More

In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More

In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More

Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More

In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More

In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More

In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More

The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More

Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More

Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More

In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More

The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More

90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More

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