Alright, it’s December. Let’s get France-y. Let’s chat luxury and delve into fine wines from France. We’ve chosen four fine wines for you from the most prestigious areas of France: Burgundy and Bordeaux. So straighten that crooked bow tie, fasten your Renault seat belt, and let’s get faaaahhncy.

Let’s begin in Burgundy, perhaps the most esteemed and complex wine region on the planet. Wine styles vary from fruity Beaujolais, to violety Volnay, musky Pommard, mineral Chablis, and so on and forever. Chablis is located in northern Burgundy, northwest of the Cote d’Or, and is one of the largest vineyard areas in all of Burgundy covering over 5,200 hectares and twenty villages around the town of Chablis. Historically, red, white and rosé wine from Chablis was transported quite easily to Belgium and Paris because of the advantageous locations of the Yonne and Seine Rivers. Towards the later half of the 19th century, Chablis producers found themselves in greater competition with surrounding areas due mostly to the advance of the railroad, and also due to the devastating phylloxera louse that had recently ravaged European vineyards. Production was suffering while technology was booming, so Chablis producers began to distinguish themselves by producing one grape only: Chardonnay. Until this day, the combination of its microclimate, its orientation and sunny slopes of vineyard sites, and the unique, marly Kimmeridgian soil make Chablis one of the most captivating wine areas in the world. (Fun fact: Chablis is recognized as a wine region that is grown atop Kimmeridgian limestone, while wine grown elsewhere in Chablis is classified as Petit Chablis.)

The coveted south-facing Kimmeridgian slope that has essential exposure to sunlight is home to the Chablis Grand Cru vineyards. Winemaker Samuel Billaud is one of the lucky Chablis Grand Cru producers located in the climat of Valmur. His 2015 Domaine Samuel Billaud, Grand Cru Valmur hails from 60-year-old Chardonnay vines (known locally as Beaunois) that were hand harvested and underwent pneumatic pressing before being fermented and aged in large oak barrels. An explosion of flint, white flowers and baked pears explode from a glass of Samuel’s Grand Cru Chablis. Its texture is full-bodied with a soft mouthfeel and the finish is hearty, fleshy and long. Pair Chablis to buttery scallops and pasta, baked Branzino stuffed with herbs and sea salt, or a pudgy, mushroomy cheese like Brie Fermier.

Traveling southwest, we arrive at the mighty Gironde river that runs through the prestigious region of Bordeaux. The Gironde is fed from two rivers, the Garonne to the west, and the Dordogne to the east, which eventually run into the Atlantic Ocean. When you hear ‘left or right bank Bordeaux’ this refers to the west and east sides of the Gironde river. Left bank Bordeaux are part of the Médoc, and are typically Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blends; right bank Bordeaux are mainly Merlot dominant. The region of Bordeaux has over 15,000 growers, thousands of producers, and over 700 million bottles of wine are produced annually, some of these being the most expensive wines in the world. The proximity of water has made Bordeaux one of the key wine players in history, not only because of its excellent natural soil drainage but also for its exporting access. Casks of wine began to ship to England in the 12th century, and by the 16th century, several château were already prominently established including Graves’ most famous château, Haut-Brion, which was founded in 1525. (Fun fact: Thomas Jefferson wrote about how delicious ‘Obrion’ was and sent six cases to Virginia.) When the famous 1855 Classification of Bordeaux was instituted, the only wine in Graves to make the list was from Château Haut-Brion.

Today Haut-Brion is owned by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, and the 2008 La Mission-Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan can be enjoyed now or aged for decades. Although Graves is located on the left bank, and this cuvée is Cabernet Sauvignon dominant, Haut-Brion is known for using greater amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc in their blends, making them extra silky and round. This cuvée has a whopping 43% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, as well as 51% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has fascinating aromas of crushed berry, plums, sweet tobacco and gravelly stones. It was precisely such gravelly soil that gave Graves its name. The grapes grown in Graves (pronounced grahv) evoke subtle aromas and flavors of the gravel and stones from which they grow.

Jumping across the Gironde to the right bank, Saint-Émilion differs greatly from its right bank neighbors in the Médoc, especially in vineyard size; Saint-Émilion tends to have smaller vineyards than its neighbors, grapes are harvested by hand, and typically growers are the owners of their own château. Saint-Émilion winemaker Nicolas Audebert works at Château Canon, which is a gorgeous, historic property currently owned by the French fashion house Chanel. The Château boasts over 20 hectares of tunnels that they use as underground cellars, which you can explore virtually at their website.

2005 Château Canon, 1er Grand Cru Classé is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc that was hand harvested aged in French oak casks for 18-20 months. There’s a freshness and richness to this wine that is unlike any other Bordeaux I’ve ever tried. It has notes of eucalyptus, alongside dark, dense blackberry fruit and layers hints of cedar and sage. With fifteen years of age on it, it is ready to drink and is showing beautifully. If you want a loved one to have that ‘ah-ha!’ moment of red wine, this Saint-Émilion is ready for the challenge.

As you’ve observed through our wine department, and overall ethos of our shop, we root for the underdogs and the smaller makers and creators in the natural wine world. An example of this is Domaine de Galouchey, one of the most eccentric estates in Bordeaux, which is nestled in the Entre-deux-Mers appellation on the left bank. Owners and Bordeaux radicalists Marco Pelletier, Jean Terrade, and Gérard Pantanacce prefer to label their wine as plain old Vin de France or Vin de Jardin (wine of the garden). Their 1 hectare property has never seen chemicals and organic viticulture has been used since vines were planted in 2002.

2016 Domaine de Galouchey ‘Les Cabernets’ Vin de Jardin has developed a cult following among natural wine folks who are tired of the Bordeaux corporate culture. The wine is a blend from all of the grapes grown at their small estate, both red and white, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Petit Verdot, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle. The fruit is hand harvested, hand destemmed, and co-fermented with wild yeasts before undergoing elevage in oak barrels with minimal SO2 additions. When owner Marco Pelletier, also a renowned sommelier at Le Bristol in Paris, talks about his wine he says, "If you make wine one day, do it the way you want because if you can’t sell it, you'll have to drink it!" Vin de Jardin is smooth and succulent with notes of cranberries, raspberries, and undertones of coffee beans and clove spice.

So now that you’re fancified, shop our website or stop on by! Happy holidays to all of you fancy folks. We love ya.

Fine French Wine: Burgundy and Bordeaux

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