WHITE WINE - France

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The 2017 Carbonnieux Blanc is absolutely lovely. Lemon confit, white flowers and green orchard fruit open up first, followed by a range of bright citrus and floral notes that add brilliance to a very pretty upper register. ANTONIO GALLONI

…This is one of the most sophisticated white Carbonnieux that I have encountered at this stage with wonderful mineralité and veins of ginger furnishing the finish that convey brio and confidence. This should evolve into an outstanding Pessac-Léognan. NEAL MARTIN, vinous.com

Right off the bat this has richness and concentration, with peachy creaminess through the mid-palate but without sacrificing tension and lift. It's a fine example of what 2017 can deliver in the best whites, and should age very well. JANE ANSON, decanter.com

Notes of lemon curd, citrus rind and hints of crushed rock define the 2017 Château Carbonnieux, which is medium-bodied, pure, and elegant on the palate. It's another great white from the Pessac-Léognan region in 2017. JEB DUNNUCK

Rich straw colour. Orange peel, crystallised ginger and spices, exquisite acid and sugar combination. Superbly lengthy and probably indestructible. Waves of flavour in almost relentless force. RICHARD HEMMING MW, jancisrobinson.com

This is a 100% Sémillon form a 1 hectare vineyard located in Montravel, a sub-region of Bergerac.
The grapes are hand harvested in small lug boxes, bunches are selected one by one. Pressed in an air tight press, the must is then barrel fermented and the wine aged on fine lees with regular batonnage. Aged for eleven months in 1/3 new, 1/3 one year old and 1/3 in two years old oak barrels.

I love this wine - Semillion grown on chalk with a minerally intense core. It is opulent and dense yet has great freshness. A slight touch of stuck match reduction adds complexity to a lifted bright nose of citrus and minerally notes. Great power and mouth coating flavour and yet finishes crisp and clean. ALEX WILCOX

The 2018 Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux is ripe and already quite open on the remarkably fine and precise nose where delicate chalky notes intermix with yeasty aromas of ripe apples and even very fine flinty hints. On the palate, this is a sweet, lush, salty-piquant and refined but tightly woven Chenin with structure, remarkable finesse, tickling salinity and serious but fine tannins, as if it was a Pinot Noir. Filigreed and feminine on the tongue, the 2018 develops a long, tensioned, tightly woven and stimulatingly salty finish. Great class and aging potential. STEPHAN REINHARDT, Wine Advocate

South facing with lots of stones and gravels. A clean, fine and inviting nose. Full of energy, soo good, simply excellent wine, maybe more … BILL NANSON, Burgundy Report

A great exampole of the value from Santentay - this single site Climat Has a high percentage of limestone over clay - it is energentic- vibrant and textural chardonnay, and with a nice balance of oak (25% new)  provides an little more structure to the wine than the Bourgone. ALEX WILCOX

Again, wide, fresh, clean agrumes. A little more structural more depth of flavour, faintly spiced.. gorgeously finishing. Really only at the end, end a touch of oak. Bravo. BILL NANSON Burgundy Report

Damask rose, orange peel and pith and juicy peach make for an attractive combination on the nose of this wine. The palate has gentle sweetness that is countered by pleasant, phenolic bitterness that lends shape to this off-dry, spicy, mellow wine. Yes it is generous, but all that zesty pithiness makes the wine intriguing. The off-dry finish is textured. WINE ENTHUSIAST

This wine is made from all the very old Gewurztraminer vines planted in the Turckheim/Herrenweg vineyards. Some of these vineyards are also located in the richest part of the valley floor, where the gravels are mixed with by richer silt. With deeper roots and richer soils available to them, these vines didn't suffer from drought. The ripeness progressed quickly in 2018. Gewurztraminer is a wine that can surprisingly ferment fast, which is handy, as a higher pH would expose these wines to more problems if the fermentation would last too long. The 2018 grapes were beautiful and healthy.

Bright yellow colour. The nose is classic with an expressive and strong expressive floral character, nice spices, yet delicate and complex. The palate is harmonious, there is a slight roundness well balanced by ripe tannins. Nice length, serious finish with a fresh aftertaste. Beautiful classic Gewurztraminer. ZIND HUMBRECHT

Translucent yellow. Vibrant, mineral-accented citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complemented by suggestions of fennel and jasmine. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering concentrated pear, tangerine and anise flavors that pick up a nervy mineral flourish with air. Densely packed yet lively in style, delivering strong closing thrust and lingering floral and bitter pear skin notes. All stainless steel. JOSH RAYNOLDS, Vinous

Zind Humbrecht is one of the unquestioned kings of aromatic whites. His ceaseless drive to create the world's greatest examples of his varieties is nothing short of remarkable as are the resulting offerings. A devoted proponent of Biodynamics, a gifted presenter and communicator and a towering figure of modern wine, the first Frenchman to be awarded the MW (International Master of Wine) he has justifiably earned his reputation as one of the legends of modern wine.

The Tuckheim Range is the value tier and represents classic Alsatian whites from a regional blend of grapes as well as estate fruit. These vineyards are grown on the valley floor, where the glacial debris of rolled stones, granite and gneiss has settled over the aeons. Wine from these soils tends to have a lovely fruit profile underpinned with a stoney-mineral tension that screams 'drink me' and marks the wines with the typical mineral streak of Alsace.

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The Chenin Blanc vines of Clos Romans are rooted in the walled enclave of a priory dating back to the 11th century. The soil consists of a 30cm layer of sandy clay over Senonian-era limestone bedrock called Pierres de Champigny, the same rock that was used to build Château Champigny. Planted atop a ridge in Parnay, just outside Saumur, the vine roots burrow down through the limestone, towards the famous troglodyte dwellings below. Germain acquired this historic site in 2007 and has been steadily replanting at a density of 12,000 vines per hectare. He practices massale selection, mixing plants to ensure he doesn't get a mono-dimensional profile of this terroir.
 
Undoubtedly the top cuvée at the domaine, arguably regardless of colour, this comes from a small clos planted close to the edge of the plateau, on Senonian limestone. The nose is expressive, pure and lightly salty and minerally, with smoky citrus and white peach fruits. The palate is no less harmonious than the nose, very composed, with a soft blanket of white peach and citrus fruits draped over a structure of pithy phenolic substance and fresh acidity. This is perfectly poised, showing great composition, total harmony, fresh, pure and precise. This has superb potential (and not for the first time). CHRIS KISSACK, The Wine Doctor

The Bellenos range sit under the newly created Coteaux Bourgignons (Hillside Burgundy) appellation. This new appellation was created in 2011 to allow producers in the region more freedom to blend wines, among varieties and throughout a larger designated area. It is designed to promote Burgundy that is of real quality but perhaps fits outside the traditional constraints of AOC regulations. It extends from Cote d’or in the north to Beaujolais in the south.

The blanc is a blend of mainly chardonnay sourced from a cluster of southern Burgundy and northern Beaujolais sites. A touch of aligoté is also blended in to provide a little extra zip and vigour to the wine. Fermentation is all done in stainless steel tank with about 8 months in larger old barrels and aging on fine lees to provide a little extra texture and weight.

A nice little hit of exotic fruits but pulled in tight to keep things fresh and while there is plenty of plushness and mid-palate richness there is a lovely savoury edge and spicey mineral note that threads it all together nicely. 

This used to be bottled as the single vineyard Herrenweg and comes from the famous village of Turckheim.
Pale straw yellow colour. The nose is bright and reveals a beautiful panoply of fruity aromas as well as lime blossom. This early character and already quite open style is also found on the palate. The loamy-gravelly terroir of Turckheim produces expressive wines in their youth and the sunny climate of 2020 will have built a charming, expressive and intense wine. The attack on the palate is supple, caressing but firms up on the finish, revealing a ripe and structuring acidity. Beautiful saline finish that lingers on with an attractive fruity profile. Although already very expressive, this wine will age well. OLIVIER HUMBRECHT MW

Effusive citrus and floral aromas with too many nuances to list. Leaps and bounds over the very juicy palate, which splash-lands in a very bright and zesty finish. From mature vines in the mostly alluvial Herrenweg vineyard of Turckheim. STUART PIGGOT, jamessuckling.com

This Domaine has a number of cuvées that often fall into what would traditionally be called demi-sec territory. However, Chidaine prefers to call these wines tendre, or 'gently dry'. This three-hectare clos sits just above the Clos de Breuil, on a plateau where the silex (flint) gives way to broken chalk and clay.
From a soil composed of clay and coarse flint elements covering the subsoil made up of tuff, the 2019 Montlouis sur Loire Clos Habert opens with a very fine and delicate bouquet of finely concentrated yellow-fleshed fruit aromas along with herbal and flinty notes. Round and intense, with perfectly ripe fruit, fine tannins and delicate acidity, this is a sustainably intense and salty Chenin that is far too young to be served today but will age for some decades. STEPHAN REINHARDT, wineadvocate.com

Deeper again, this time a little less width. Freshly energetic, citrus intensity, layers of flavour. So mouth-watering… always a great wine here – bravo. BILL NANSON, Burgundy Report

On the nose this is quite pretty, but reserved with just a little meyer lemon, chalk dust and lemon drizzle cake type of feel. Take a sip though and it's a different story, this is bursting with energy and mouth-watering intensity. There's a spear of bristling, lemony acidity that whisks the wine across the palate at some pace, leaving behind it a lovely undercarriage of oily, mouth-coating texture which then gives way to a powdery, sparkling finish. It's screams for a plate stacked high with calamari dusted in semolina and flash fried in good olive oil. Such a charismatic wine. ALEX DOBSON, PWS

A depth of vibrant, slightly mineral aroma, less sweet than the carafe. More intense in the finish, I love that finish, long – as seems obvious to say again in 19…BILL NANSON, Burgundy Report

STAGE 7 -  MOUNTAIN - TOMBLAINE > LA SUPER PLANCHE DES BELLES FILLES 176.5 KM

Zind Humbrecht is one of the unquestioned kings of aromatic whites. His ceaseless drive to create the worlds greatest examples of his varieties is nothing short of remarkable as are the resulting offerings. A devoted proponent of Biodynamics, a gifted presenter and communicator and a towering figure of modern wine, the first Frenchman to be awarded the MW (International Master of Wine) he has justifiably earned his reputation as one of legends of modern wine.

The Zind is one of our favourite bottlings and uses a combination of pinot gris and chardonnay from the Clos Windsbuhl grand cru vineyard. A little time in oak casks gives this a plush and round feel while the addition of gris adds some extra floral elements, spice and hit of quartzy minerality. Its dry with a chalky edge and gentle grip. Clean cut tree fruit are gently supported by oak that plays soft and subtly adding texture and weght rather then and overt oak flavours or aromas. A lip-smacking dry Alsace white that's just humming along right now.

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Previously labelled 'Unique' Sauvignon Blanc. With a new name and spanking new label designed by the talented French-based artist Louise Sheeran, the package here now reflects the quality of the wine inside. Cropped from mature vines rooted in the sandy clay soils of Cheverny's Fougères sur Bièvre, Blanc de Salvard is 100% Sauvignon Blanc raised on lees without any oak. The Delaille brothers' 2020 is another succulent and vibrant white, packed with aromas and flavours of pithy citrus, and shot through with smoky, resinous freshness and mouth-watering acidity. Classic Vin de Soif Loire.

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

First point to make here is that this is the freshest and most tense version of this wine to date. White flowers, slightly underripe nectarine, you know that feeling? Crunchy, tangy, leaves your mouth feeling refreshed? Second point to make is there is quite a solid little hit of extract here. I think that's what keeps this wine from being bracing, it's kind of a buffering effect. It races across the palate with intent and gets the old salivary glands working. It is so refreshing but I really wanted some oysters to have with it and we were too "busy" at the time. I think another six months in the bottle should see a little more fruit build up too. ROSCOE

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Preserved lemon flavours are held in check by the limestone minerality and the palate is given volume and texture by the usual lees contact over winter. A lovely mouthful of wine that finishes long and dry and beautifully balanced. Unmistakably fine Alsace Riesling. VINTAGE & VINE

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Exhibiting aromas of peach, pear, citrus oil and popcorn, the 2020 Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc Elévation 382 is medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with fine concentration, racy acids and a long, mineral finish. WILLIAM KELLEY, wineadvocate.com

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A blend of 70% Viognier, 30% Roussanne from high-altitude single site at the top of the village of Mauves and at the edge of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Decomposed granite (like Hermitage) that is sand-like in texture. All fermented in stainless steel.

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Not a wine you see too often in the market and what a shame. Johann has tiny 1 hectare located at the extreme South of the Saint Peray AOC (just metres from the Cornas AOC) planted to Marsanne and Roussanne. This is a blend of 50% Roussanne and 50% Marsanne.

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

100% Chenin Blanc

Damien Pinon is the third generation of his family to naturally farm Chenin Blanc in the chalky soils of Vernou-sur-Brenne in the appellation of Vouvray. His vines are old, creating lush, expressive white wines.

The Tuffo cuvee is intensely aromatic and loaded with flavors of quince and apple. It has a wonderful complexity to it, hitting at first with burst of fresh fruit and finishing with a vibrant minerality. This beauty is incredibly food friendly, a great compliment for everything from roasted chicken, to fish in rich sauces to grilled sausages. PWS

 

Here's a nicely composed white Burgundy from several parcels of 40 year old vines on average, with pretty meadow flower aromatics mingled with ripe citrus and white and yellow-fleshed orchard fruit. The palate is broad and ample without any heaviness and the depth of flavour and length are impressive indeed. This is a wine "toute en finesse" as they say, but also with power and palate presence. Fine wine. JOHN SZABO MS, Wine Align

A slightly riper though still agreeably fresh nose combines notes of orange peel and various white orchard fruit scents. The delicious, fleshy and round flavors are quite supple while retaining good if not truly distinguished depth and length on the clean, dry and inviting finale. This too should drink well almost immediately. BURGHOUND

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Zind Humbrecht is one of the unquestioned kings of aromatic whites. His ceaseless drive to create the world's greatest examples of his varieties is nothing short of remarkable as are the resulting offerings. A devoted proponent of Biodynamics, a gifted presenter and communicator and a towering figure of modern wine, the first Frenchman to be awarded the MW (International Master of Wine) he has justifiably earned his reputation as one of the legends of modern wine.

The Tuckheim Range is the value tier and represents classic Alsatian whites from a regional blend of grapes as well as estate fruit. These vineyards are grown on the valley floor, where the glacial debris of rolled stones, granite and gneiss has settled over the aeons. Wine from these soils tends to have a lovely fruit profile underpinned with a stoney-mineral tension that screams 'drink me' and marks the wines with the typical mineral streak of Alsace.

A richer style to serve with cheese or seafood
The nose is full of finesse and still is a little closed. Pinot-Gris is not an aromatic grape variety, so we find in this style of wine an aroma marked by the terroir (citrus fruits) and also the aging on total lees (grilled, toasted, fresh humus, etc.). The attack is delicate and fine. Of medium power, this wine retains its airy lightness because it has a crisp acidity, especially on the finish (it is after all a small Windsbuhl!). The balance is off-dry but the sugars are barely perceptible as the finish is straight and pure. OLIVIER HUMBRECHT MW

Caramelized-pear and very ripe melon and guava notes pour from the glass of this rich but only demi-sec Alsace pinot gris. Notes of cinnamon and allspice that you don't find in the nose. Then comes the bright, chalky acidity that beautifully balances the creaminess and spice at the long finish. Just 12.4% alcohol, yet ripe through and through. STUART PIGGOT, jamessuckling.com

 

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The nose displays elegant and discreet aromatics, some floral notes but mostly spicy with green pepper, thyme, nutmeg. It has a medium intensity but is quite persistent. The delicacy of the aromas is such that it isn't an overpowering big style Gewurztraminer and it will even be easier to accommodate it with food. The palate shows good intensity with a seriously dry texture. Again, the spicy character, enhanced by velvety tannins, increases the length sensation and salty mouthfeel on the finish. This wine should go well with most summer dishes, grilled fish, bbq sausages/chicken, light spicy food…. OLIVIER HUMBRECHT MW

Deep and spicy with pronounced sandalwood notes. A generous gewurz that has modest acidity, but fine tannins that balance the richness very well. Long, bone-dry finish. From over 70-year-old vines. STUART PIGGOT, jamessuckling.com