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French Wine
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Buying Guide: French Wine VarietalsChardonnay The most widely planted white grape
variety in France reaches the zenith of its potential in Burgundy,
where both the buttery, barrel-aged style of Meursault and the
intensely mineral Chablis originate. Not much further north,
Chardonnay is used as one of three principal components in the
traditional blend of perhaps the most renowned wine in the world,
Champagne. As the single varietal Blanc de Blancs it composes, by
itself, one of Champagne's most unique sparkling wines. In certain
areas of the Loire Valley and Languedoc-Roussillon, it is also often
made in
  Albert Bichot Domaine
Long-Depaquit Les Vaucopins Premier CruChardonnay Chablis $32
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay Tasting Notes: Golden green in color and full of the best aromatic fruit that fine Chablis will offer. Full bodied and creamy, with a healthy dose of mineral and herb. Comment: Comes from a unique vineyard that lies on steep, south-pointing slopes, where an abundance of sunshine allows for exceptional ripeness in the fruit. Harvested manually and vinified in stainless steel vats, where the wine spends 9 to 11 months on its lees prior to bottling. Food Pairing: fish | shellfish | aperitif | poultry | white meats | cream sauces When to Drink: Drink 2-3 years after release, keep for up to 8 Service Temperature: 10°C | 50°F
  Collovray et Terrier Domaine des
Deux Roches Vieilles Vignes Chardonnay Saint-Véran $26
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay Tasting Notes: A brilliant yellow color carries aromas of fruit and woody notes in harmony. Mineral and lively, elegant and balanced. Comment: From vines that are 60-90 years old located in the south of the Maconnais. Food Pairing: poultry with cream sauce | aperitif | earthy entrees When to Drink: Drink young, or cellar up to 8 years Service Temperature: 12°C | 53°F
Tasting Notes: Rich golden yellow in color, may send aromas of fresh croissants and hot butter, spread with fruit jam. Floral and mineral notes follow. Comment: From one of the very best vineyards in a much sought after appellation Food Pairing: pate | fish in cream sauce | rich poultry When to Drink: Drink 4 years after release, or keep for 10-15 years Service Temperature: 12°C | 53°F
Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc
Les Setilles $20
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay Tasting Notes: Faint golden yellow in color, this wine is a steely, mouthwatering combination of sweet apple notes and vanilla. Rich and satisfying. Comment: From vineyards in both Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault, this wine is a solid winner year in and year out. It will give a nice bang for your buck introduction to white Burgundy. Food Pairing: white meats | cream sauces | rich poultry | pate | mushrooms When to Drink: Drink 4 years after release, or keep for 10-15 years Service Temperature: 12°C | 53°F
Pinot NoirIn the cooler northern winegrowing regions of France, such as Burgundy and Champagne, Pinot Noir is the go-to grape for all fine red wine. The finest red Burgundy is a long lived, perfumed, cherry filled wine that, in the best vintages, approach perfection. In Champagne, sparkling wines shaped primarily by Pinot Noir are consistently some of the most finely crafted and sought after in the world. Louis Roederer, Moet and Chandon, Salon, all of these costly sparkling luxuries are constructed in large part from the Pinot Noir, albeit somewhat anonymously.
  Louis Jadot Les Baudes Premier
Cru Pinot Noir Chambolle-Musigny $90
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir Tasting Notes: Ruby in color, scents of spice and black cherry with minerals. Sage and herbal aromas with blackberry flavors. The style is delicate and elegant, as a fine red Burgundy should be. Comment: Comes from a unique vineyard in the Cote de Nuits that has a chalky soil. Food Pairing: mature cheese | game | pate When to Drink: Drink 5 years after release, keep up to 12 years Service Temperature: 14°C | 58°F
 Joseph Drouhin Clos des Mouches
Pinot Noir Beaune $89
Grapes: 98% Pinot Noir, 2% Pinot Gris Tasting Notes: A wine of great finesse, balanced and velvety with spice and cherry. Notes of smoke and a mellowed acidity. Comment: Grapes are hand picked and fermented for 18 days. Matures in barrels for 15-18 months Food Pairing: stewed beef | braised lamb | rich cheeses When to Drink: Drink young, or keep 10-20 years Service Temperature: 14°C | 58°F
Domaine Jean Grivot Richebourg
Pinot Noir Richebourg $375
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir Tasting Notes: Elegant nose with plummy fruit, the flavors will fill your mouth with a subtle sweetness, a basket of small dark red fruit. This wine is full, round, and sumptuous. Comment: Coming from an often unsung region, this wine sets the standard for full style Burgundy. Food Pairing: rich cheeses | game | risotto | earthy entrees When to Drink: Hold at least 10 years, keep for 30+ Service Temperature: 17°C | 62°F
Sauvignon BlancWithin France, Sauvignon Blanc creates
its most notable wines in the cool climates of the Loire Valley and
in Bordeaux. In white Bordeaux it is blended with Semillon to achieve both
excellent dry and sweet wines, of which scores have reached elite
status over the years. These rich, barrel-fermented wines are also
sometimes botryized, and one such, Chateau d'Yquem from the Bordeaux
sub-region of Sauternes, has been marked by a respectable amount of
wine critics as the finest wine in the world. On the other side of
the spectrum, the Loire Valley most successfully offers this grape as
a fresh and dry varietal wine, sometimes smacking with black currant
and gooseberry flavors. Examples of these abound from the Loire
regions of Sancerre and Pouilly
 Michel Redde La
Moynerie Pouilly Fume $25
Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc Tasting Notes: Persistent with flint and spice, it has a mouthwatering minerality. Comment: A solid Sauvignon Blanc that is relatively easy to find. It is vinified and matured in 100% stainless steel tanks for 10-12 months prior to release. Food Pairing: pate | fish with cream sauce | white meat When to Drink: Drink between 5-10 years after release Service Temperature: 12°C | 53°F
 Alphonse Mellot Génération XIX
Sauvignon Blanc Sancerre $61
Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc Tasting Notes: Pale yellow and green, tastes of honeydew, menthol, and dried fruit. Mineral texture in the background housing gingerbread and toasted nuts. Rich and fresh and mellow with but with a lively acidity. Comment: From 87 year old vines, the oldest of the vineyard. With a little aging, it should develop terpenic aromas, with white truffles in a honeyed hazelnut platter. Food
Pairing: pate |
fish with cream sauce | white meat | shellfish | sweetbreads | almond
biscotti | goat cheese When to Drink: Drink between 2-3 years after release, keep up to 10 years Service Temperature: 12°C | 54°F with meals, 10°C | 50°F on its own
Pascal Jolivet Exception
Sauvignon Blanc Sancerre $78
Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc Tasting Notes: Intense with mineral aromas and flavors of pear and citrus fruit. Comment: From 3 separate vineyards and blended in varying amounts, the fruit is hand picked fermented with wild yeasts. Aged on lees in stainless steel and bottled without filtration. Food Pairing: seafood | white meat | goat cheese | earthy entrees When to Drink: At its best 3-5 years from release Service Temperature: 10°C | 50°F
  Pascal Jolivet Les Caillottes
Sauvignon Blanc Sancerre $30
Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc Tasting Notes: Smooth and elegant, not incredibly intense with fruit but precise and refreshing. Comment: From 40 year old vines on limestone soil. The grapes are hand harvested and sorted before fermentation with wild yeasts. This wine is a consistently winning example of Sancerre blanc and can be found at a very reasonable price. Food Pairing: seafood | white meat | goat cheese | earthy entrees When to Drink: At its best 3-5 years from release Service Temperature: 9°C | 48°F
Domaine Fouassier Domaine les Grands Groux Sauvignon Blanc Sancerre $19 
Tasting Notes: Golden hue with citrus aromas followed by gentle citrus flavors Comment: Les Grands Groux’ is made with vines aged from 10 to 35 years old, in stainless steel tanks. Food Pairing: seafood | white meat | goat cheese | earthy entrees | aperitif When to Drink: Drink up to 3 years after release Service Temperature: 12°C | 54°F with meals, 10°C | 50°F on its own
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Fume. The lighter versions of this
wine, such as the unoaked styles of 
