FRANCE
Here is our current selection of wines from France.
DOMAINE DE PIERRE
TOURAINE SAUVIGNON 2021
TASTING NOTES: Medium-bodied white wine, refreshing and creamy, with an appealingminerality and a fresh finish. Intense with notes of fresh fruit and a mineral hint. Excellent as an aperitif, could be well paired with pasta and white meat; also great with fresh cheese.
APPELLATION: AOC Touraine
GRAPES: Sauvignon Blanc
AGE OF VINES: 5-25 years old
YIELD: 62 HL / HA. AGING: 4 months on its fine lees FERMENTATION: Low-temperature fermentation over a period of 3 weeks
COLOR: White Wine
SERVING ADVICE: Temperature 9 to 12°C
1 BOTTLE PRICE - $11
DOMAINE DE PIERRE
TOURAINE
TASTING NOTES: Les Grandes Bruyères is a rosé for springtime. The result of a direct pressing of Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Pineau d’Aunis. The bunches are fully mature when harvested and give us a wine that is fresh and fruity but also has character and body. Les Grandes Bruyères is a speciality of the domaine, produced in very small quantities APPELLATION: AOC Touraine
GRAPE VARIETY: Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Pineau d’Aunis
ALCOHOL: 13 % SOIL: Sandy soil of Sologne AGE OF VINES: 18-30 years old
FERMENTATION: Low-temperature fermentation over a period of 2 weeks
AGING: 3 months on its fine lees
1 BOTTLE PRICE - $11
CHATEAU DU BARAIL
A.O.C BORDEAUX RED 2019
TASTING NOTES: Deep garnet red. Still a little discreet with a pretty woody nose, fresh red fruits, and tobacco. Round and supple, evolving with a pretty floral base. The tannins are velvety on the palate, very fine, and sufficiently dense.
SOIL: Clay and chalky
BLEND: 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon VINIFICATION: 24 days of maceration for the alcoholic fermentation in a stainless steel tank, then in bottles stored horizontally in cages for 12 months
AGEING: Ready to drink immediately but will develop well for 5 to 6 years.
ALCOHOL CONTENT: 13.5% vol.
FOOD PAIRING: Ideal with braised duck breast or with a cheese platter.
1 BOTTLE PRICE - $11
VILLA VALENTIN
CHARDONNAY
VINIFICATION: A plot selection is carried out in the vineyards to select the finest grapes. After pressing under inert gas, the must under-goes a cold fermentation with selected yeasts to bring out the aromatic delicacy. Aged in oak barrels.
BLEND: 100% Chardonnay
TASTING NOTES: The wine displays a light yellow hue with lovely golden tints. The bouquet is complex, mixing floral aromas with white flesh fruit such as peaches and apricots. Notes of grilled hazelnut and vanilla leap out on the nose. The wine is clean and dense on entry
and deep and aromatic on the palate. Delicate floral notes round off a well-balanced whole. The wine shows great aromatic persistence with a combination of empyreumatic and fruity notes.
FOOD PAIRINGS: Villa Valentin works well with shellfish in a sauce, grilled fish or cheeses with fine herbs.
1 BOTTLE PRICE - $13
VILLA VALENTIN
PINOT NOIR
TERROIR: The grapes for this wine come from the clay-limestone hillsides overlooking the medieval citadel of Carcassonne. The north/north-western exposure enables a gradual and complete ripening of the grapes, with a significant variation in temperatures
between day and night. This gives the wine great freshness and delicate aromas.
VINIFICATION: Aged in oak barrels. The
fermentation is traditional with daily pumping over and some rack and return operations.
BLEND: 100% Pinot noir
TASTING NOTES: Lovely ruby red hue with
bright highlights. The nose is powerful with notes of
spice and red fruit. The palate is fresh and supple
with perfectly soft tannins.
FOOD PAIRINGS: This wine is the ideal
accompaniment to charcuterie and white meats
such as Basque-style chicken or Milanese veal
escalope.
1 BOTTLE PRICE - $13
VILLA VALENTIN
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
TERROIR: This Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in clay-limestone soils in the heart of the Languedoc region.
VINIFICATION: A plot selection is carried out in the
vineyards to select the finest grapes. The vinification is traditional with a two-week maceration. Part of the harvest will undergo a hot pre-fermentation maceration. Extraction is carried out gently throughout the controlled fermentation at below 28°C lending this wine its typical smoothness and varietal aromas. This wine is aged in oak barrels.
BLEND: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
TASTING NOTES: The wine displays a crimson
hue with deep purple tints. The nose is complex and
elegant, with notes of lightly cooked black fruit and
spices such as pepper and cinnamon. The wine is
clean and round on entry. The palate is full and
meaty with ripe tannins. The slightly minty finish
leads to a dense persistence with chocolaty notes.
FOOD PAIRINGS: The Cabernet Sauvignon is perfect as an accompaniment to dishes cooked in herbs such as a rack of lamb or pork tenderloin.
1 BOTTLE PRICE - $13