France
Despite its complacency and notable challenges from all-comers, France remains the world’s finest wine-producing nation, and its famous regions – Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire, Rhône, Alsace and increasingly Languedoc-Roussillon – read like a who’s who of all you could want from a wine. Full-bodied or light, still or fizzy, dry or sweet, for drinking now or laying down, infinitesimal variety is one of France’s great attributes.
Despite their own complacency, occasional arrogance and impressive challenges from all-comers, France is still far and away the finest wine-producing nation in the world and its famous regions – Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire, Rhône, Alsace and increasingly Languedoc Roussillon – read like a who’s who of all you could want from a wine. Full-bodied, light-bodied, still or fizzy, dry or sweet, simple or intellectual, weird and wonderful, for drinking now or for laying down, France’s infinitesimal variety of wines is one of its great attributes. And that’s without even mentioning Cognac and Armagnac.
France’s grape varieties are grown, and its wines emulated, throughout the world. It also brandishes with relish its trump card, the untranslatable terroir that shapes a wine’s character beyond the range of human knowledge and intervention. It is this terroir - a combination of soil and microclimate - that makes Vosne-Romanée taste different to Nuits-St Georges, Ch. Langoa Barton different to Ch. Léoville Barton.
France is a nation with over 2,000 years of winemaking, where the finest grapes and parcels of land have been selected through centuries of trial and error rather than market research. Its subtleties are never-ending and endlessly fascinating. Vintage variation is as great here as anywhere – rain, hail, frost and, occasionally, burning heat can ruin a vintage. Yet all this creates interest, giving the wines personality, and generating great excitement when everything does come together.
However, this is not to say that French wine is perfect. Its overall quality remains inconsistent and its intricate system of classification and Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) based on geography as opposed to quality is clearly flawed, sometimes serving as a hindrance to experimentation and improvement.
Nevertheless, the future is bright for France: quality is better than ever before – driven by a young, well-travelled and ambitious generation of winemakers – while each year reveals new and exciting wines from this grand old dame.
Prices:
H/Bottle
£5.75
H/Bottle 12 x 37.5cl 225cs
Bottle
£9.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 655cs
Magnum
£20.50
Magnum 6 x 150cl 300cs
Adam Bruntlett - Wine Buyer
H/Bottle
£7.50
H/Bottle 24 x 37.5cl 107cs
Bottle
£12.50
Bottle 12 x 75cl 256cs
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer, June 2017
Bottle
£8.75
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Max Lalondrelle, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£9.50
Fiona Hayes - Wine Buyer
Bottle
£11.45
Bottle 6 x 75cl 202cs
Fiona Hayes - Wine Buyer
Bottle
£13.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl 320cs
Magnum
£29.95
Magnum 6 x 150cl 29cs
Max Lalondrelle, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
H/Bottle
£14.25
H/Bottle 12 x 37.5cl 307cs
Max Lalondrelle - Wine Buyer
Bottle
£16.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 153cs
Magnum
£34.00
Magnum 6 x 150cl 66cs
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Bottle
£17.50
Bottle 12 x 75cl 161cs
Bottle
£17.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 108cs
Max Lalondrelle, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Bottle
£22.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 122cs
Max Lalondrelle - Wine Buyer
Bottle
£23.50
Bottle 12 x 75cl 153cs
Bottle
£24.50
Bottle 12 x 75cl 80cs
Bottle
£25.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 177cs
Adam Bruntlett, Win Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Bottle
£25.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 309cs
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£35.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 122cs
Adam Bruntlett - Wine Buyer
Bottle
£35.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 112cs
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Bottle
£35.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 15cs
Max Lalondrelle - Wine Buyer
D. Magnum
£73.99
D. Magnum 1 x 300cl 157cs
Imperial
£148.00
Imperial 1 x 600cl 18cs
Our best-selling wine for many decades, Good Ordinary Claret brilliantly highlights the sheer drinkability of modern red Bordeaux. Bright, medium ruby in colour, with a siren like nose of black cherries, bramble fruit and wood smoke. Instantly appealing, the palate follows through with delicious, juicy black fruit and a long, velvety finish. Equally at home with a weekday supper or a grand Sunday roast, it is the perfect wine for all occasions.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Our best-selling wine for many decades, GOC, as it is known, brilliantly highlights the sheer drinkability of modern red Bordeaux. Bright, medium ruby in colour, with a siren-like nose of black cherries, bramble fruit and wood smoke, it is instantly appealing. The palate follows through with delicious, juicy, black fruit and a long, velvety finish. Equally at home with a weekday supper or a grand Sunday roast, it is the perfect wine for all occasions.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Tim Atkin Recommends - Sept 2015.
The 2009 vintage in the skilled hands of Nicolas and David Rossignol offers a heart-warming Gevrey-Chambertin with a bevy of ripe deep red fruit notes, a sumptuous mouthful of fruit and a richly textured finish. It will make an excellent match for poultry, game and lamb.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
This wine is part of our Regional Reserve range
With a focus on provenance, these superlative bottles are classified by commune and highlight the fruitful collaborations between the producers and buyers, creating wines with superb finesse.. Whether from Pomerol or Meusault, Barolo or Gevrey-Chambertin, the design of each label references its region of origin, prominently displaying both the name of the estate and the signature of the buyer.
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
H/Bottle
£6.95
H/Bottle 12 x 37.5cl 1cs
Bottle
£11.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 18cs
H/Bottle
£8.50
H/Bottle 12 x 37.5cl 18cs
H/Bottle
£10.50
Oliver Barton, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£10.80
Bottle 12 x 75cl 19cs
Alex continue to work three days a week for his uncle, Morgon producer Jean-Marc Burgaud, while gradually adding to his own holdings. He vinifies traditionally (semi-carbonic) in stainless steel.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£11.50
Bottle 12 x 75cl 19cs
H/Bottle
£11.75
H/Bottle 12 x 37.5cl 6cs
Bottle
£11.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 21cs
Bottle
£11.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 10cs
Max Lalondrelle, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd