France Wine Reviews
I drank these 14 wines and tasted apple, apricot, bright, brioche, cinnamon, creamy, food-friendly, lemon, pear, slightly sweet. The wines are aged, biodynamic, cru, dessert wine, food friendly, grand cru, grower, lutte raisonee, my favorites, organic and came from a variety of sources, including wine clubs, wineries, and wine stores.
Wine reviews by: Jessyca Frederick |
2019 Château Laville Château Laville Sauternes
From the moment we opened this bottle containing orange-colored and even orange-smelling wine (not the same as the “orange wine” fad), I knew we were in for something different.
Tasting notes: creamy, marmalade, butterscotch, honey
On the palate I tasted red fruits, blue fruits, black fruits (all the fruits, no, not really). The tannins were slightly grippy.
Tasting notes: red fruit, leather, grippy tannins, black fruit, blue fruit
2020 Penrose Hill Firstleaf La Douleur Exquise
A touch sweet, more so than I’m used to, for a Grenache Blanc, but it had excellent acidity to balance the sugar, making it very approachable and food friendly.
Tasting notes: slightly sweet, bright, food friendly
2018 Francine et Olivier Savary Savary Chablis
This Chablis was on point with scents of apple, chalk, and a fresh energy that delivered subtle pear notes.
Tasting notes: apple, chalk, pear, bright
2014 Kuentz-Bas Riesling Geisberg
This 2014 riesling was dry, but with a hint of sweetness in the finish. I had not tasted an aged riesling before and was enamored with the complexity, richness, and structure (and really wished I had another bottle).
Tasting notes: lemon, pear, slightly sweet, aromatic
NV Domaine Michel Turgy Blanc de Blancs Brut Réserve Sélection
The nose was all brioche, biscuit, and yeast. I tasted apple pie, cinnamon, and nutmeg (probably best characterized as “baking spice”) with a little crème brûlée running around in there.
Tasting notes: brioche, biscuit, yeast, apple pie, cinnamon, nutmeg, creme brulee
NV Paul Launois Blanc de Blancs Composition #3
It’s hard to imagine a more food-friendly Champagne — it was super dry with tiny bubbles. The persistent flavors for me were the hallmark brioche and a bit of chalkiness.
Tasting notes: very dry, brioche, chalky
NV Champagne Juillet-Lallement Brut Sélection
The nose was subtle ginger cookies and cinnamon. It was mild and balanced, creamy in the mid-palate with notes of apple and pear as it reached the back of my mouth. I enjoyed the mysteriously long finish, of depth and complexity.
Tasting notes: ginger cookies, cinnamon, creamy, apple, pear
This delightful, balanced, and unique red wine offered savoriness and tart cherry, after slightly sweet butter cookies. Wrapped up with a cherry bomb at the back of the mouth.
Tasting notes: cherry, savory
2021 Michelas St Jemms Crozes-Hermitage Blanc
Especially waxy when I drank it, this blend was noticeably less viscous and fruity than California versions of Rhône whites.
Tasting notes: waxy, apricot, pear
2021 Naked Wines Patrice Grasset Chenin Blanc
A more subtle Chenin Blanc than I’m used to, but it was balanced and food-friendly, and I’d drink it again.
Tasting notes: food-friendly
2012 Champagne Collet Esprit Couture Premier Cru Brut
We very much enjoyed this Champagne, but it didn’t leave us wanting more. I smelled lemon custard and baking spice, and tasted a bright, complex blend of toasted brioche and appreciable salinity.
Tasting notes: lemon, baking spice, bright, brioche, saline
NV Champagne Alfred Tritant Mes Racines Brut
I found the nose was predominantly apple and pear, with something I identified as baked brie in the mix. It was a bit tart and it had “edges.” There was a sharpness to the way it moved through my mouth that wasn’t just about the bubbles.
Tasting notes: apple, pear, creamy, tart
2018 Roger et Didier Raimbault Vieilles Vignes Sancerre
This particular Sancerre is typical (in a good way) of what you’d expect for Sauvignon Blanc from this region — it’s fruity and bright, featuring a lemony essence on the palate with a touch of minerality.
Tasting notes: fruity, bright, lemon, minerality
Notice: I hold no formal wine credentials. I am a wine geek who has consumed 1000+ of bottles from 100+ different wine clubs and 1000s more bottles that didn’t come from those wine clubs. I do not accept payment for wine reviews, and I do not accept payments to influence my opinions. I happily accept free wine (and I buy wine).
Why read my wine reviews: Wine taste is subjective. What I like may not be what you like. I try to leave room for you to form your own opinions, so I don’t provide a score or a rating. I do point out wines that are an incredible value or truly not worth the money. I note flaws, wines that don’t have typicity (because this matters if you are buying wine without having tasted it yourself), when wines are out of balance, and when wines lack appropriate body.
I don’t like wasting money (or anything for that matter). I’m careful about where I spend my money and my mindset as a reviewer is to be careful about where you spend yours. I don’t believe a high price tag equals quality and I know for sure there are wines of very good quality that are also a great value.
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