France
The vast and diverse wine regions of France, each with its own unique terroirs, grape varieties, and winemaking techniques, are a treasure trove.
In Bordeaux, the birthplace of some of the world's most iconic wines, esteemed vineyards such as Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Haut-Brion produce exceptional red wines, showcasing the art of blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The region is also renowned for its exquisite white wines, with vineyards like Château d'Yquem and Domaine de Chevalier producing legendary sweet wines.
Moving to Burgundy, the vineyards of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, and Domaine Armand Rousseau capture the essence of the region's revered terroir, crafting exquisite red wines from the Pinot Noir grape. Meanwhile, Domaine Leflaive and Domaine Coche-Dury are celebrated for their world-class white wines, predominantly made from Chardonnay.
The Champagne region, known for its sparkling wines, boasts illustrious houses such as Krug, Dom Pérignon, and Moët & Chandon, as well as grower-producers like Pierre Péters and Jacques Selosse. These vineyards create exceptional sparkling wines using the traditional method, offering a symphony of delicate bubbles, elegant flavors, and vibrant acidity.
In the Rhône Valley, iconic vineyards like Chapoutier, E. Guigal, and Château de Beaucastel produce remarkable red wines in the northern appellations of Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Cornas, showcasing the elegance and power of Syrah. Further south, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is celebrated for its rich and full-bodied red blends, with Château Rayas and Clos des Papes leading the way.
In Alsace, vineyards such as Domaine Zind-Humbrecht and omaine Trimbach craft exquisite white wines, including Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris, expressing the region's unique terroir and varietal character.
These are just a few highlights among the diverse array of wines that France offers. From the Loire Valley's crisp whites and elegant reds to the Languedoc-Roussillon's bold and robust wines, each region presents its own vinous treasures.
France
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (VN) | د.إ4,230.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)The NV Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition, (2014 base vintage) is rich, ample and explosive. Wonderfully fresh and vibrant, the 170 offers an exotic mélange of dried orchard fruit, pear, spice and crushed flowers. Chef de Caves Eric Lebel was not especially excited about 2014 when I saw him a few months after the harvest, as yields in Pinot Noir and Meunier were adversely affected. Perhaps for that reason the 170 contains more reserve wines than most editions. Regardless, the Krug team crafted an absolutely brilliant Grande Cuvée. The blend is 51% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay and 11% Meunier, vintages 2014 through 1998. Disgorged: Autumn 2021. Krug ID: 421062. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (JS) | د.إ4,625.00 | |||||
James Suckling (99)The tightness and tension of this is impressive considering the youngest wine from this is 2015 (hot and dry year), with some wines going back to 2000. Ginger and orange zest. Some creme brulee. It's medium-bodied with apple, pie crust and floral character. It's salty and zesty yet, at the same time, complex and gorgeous. Chamomile and other floral teas highlight everything. Turns rich and flavorful at the finish. Terrific release. Really takes off at the end. Drink or hold. |
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Champagne | 2 | 98 (FS) | د.إ9,390.00 | |||||
Falstaff (98)Light yellow gold with silver reflections and a very fine, persistent mousse. Fine blossom honey, tangerine, kumquat, yellow peach, white nougat - immensely multifaceted and fresh. Complex, juicy, with fine stone fruit, it is lively and taut with a touch of biscuit and almond on the finish. It is mineral and has a fine lime touch. The wine lingers long and has great ageing potential. One of the best Grand Cuvées ever made, definite ageing potential for decades. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (FS) | د.إ7,830.00 | |||||
Falstaff (98)Light yellow gold with silver reflections and a very fine, persistent mousse. Fine blossom honey, tangerine, kumquat, yellow peach, white nougat - immensely multifaceted and fresh. Complex, juicy, with fine stone fruit, it is lively and taut with a touch of biscuit and almond on the finish. It is mineral and has a fine lime touch. The wine lingers long and has great ageing potential. One of the best Grand Cuvées ever made, definite ageing potential for decades. |
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Champagne | 1 | 19 (JR) | د.إ6,205.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (19)A blend of 198 wines from 11 different years, with the youngest the acclaimed 2012, back to a precious, powerfully aromatic lot of Verzenay Pinot Noir 1996. The final blend – 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier – was bottled in 2013 and aged for seven years in Krug’s cellars in Reims. Yields in 2012 were 20% lower than usual because of a succession of meteorological events including frost, rain, storms and hail in winter and spring 2012, followed by the driest ripening season since 1974. Notably intense aroma with crème pâtissière dominant. Masses of extract and remarkable acidity underpinned by great depth of flavour and beautiful balance on the finish. I think this is going to be a really great, glamorous Krug Grande Cuvée that will continue to develop in bottle for many years to come. I suspect it will be even more enjoyable from the end of 2020. The length on the palate is remarkable. This is magnificently precise, a great tribute to the work of the old cellarmaster Eric Lebel, who is still in the background, and a wonderful welcome to his successor Julie Cavil, who has been learning from him since 2006. |
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Champagne | 1 | 19 (JR) | د.إ6,380.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (19)A blend of 198 wines from 11 different years, with the youngest the acclaimed 2012, back to a precious, powerfully aromatic lot of Verzenay Pinot Noir 1996. The final blend – 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier – was bottled in 2013 and aged for seven years in Krug’s cellars in Reims. Yields in 2012 were 20% lower than usual because of a succession of meteorological events including frost, rain, storms and hail in winter and spring 2012, followed by the driest ripening season since 1974. Notably intense aroma with crème pâtissière dominant. Masses of extract and remarkable acidity underpinned by great depth of flavour and beautiful balance on the finish. I think this is going to be a really great, glamorous Krug Grande Cuvée that will continue to develop in bottle for many years to come. I suspect it will be even more enjoyable from the end of 2020. The length on the palate is remarkable. This is magnificently precise, a great tribute to the work of the old cellarmaster Eric Lebel, who is still in the background, and a wonderful welcome to his successor Julie Cavil, who has been learning from him since 2006. |
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Champagne | 4 | 18.5+ (JR) | د.إ4,920.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (18.5+)Deep copper gold. Tiny, tiny bead. Much more obvious acidity, age and (lightly oaky?) savour on the nose than Cristal 2013. Aérien with blossomy notes with a little mandarin. Very marked acidity on the palate. A real wake-up call! Sleek and fresh and truly spring-like with a light yeasty note on the very long finish. The most pleasure to be had initially is in the nose and the finish. The palate is still a bit of shock. This should have a long life. Bone-dry finish and playing the intellectual card. Throbs on the palate with all its vibrancy. Long. Tighter than the 168ème Édition. Structure dominates fruit. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (WS) | د.إ5,150.00 | |||||
Wine Spectator (96)A mouthwatering rosé that wraps a racy spine of acidity in the plushly creamy, cashmere-like mousse, offering a fine frame for the rich and finely meshed range of flavors, with baked raspberry, passion fruit and Mandarin orange peel fruit accented by chopped hazelnut, fleur de sel, candied ginger and lime blossom notes that echo for days on the vivid finish. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Disgorged autumn 2019. Drink now through 2030. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (WA) | د.إ4,345.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (96)Based on the 2014 vintage, complemented by some 33% reserve wines from six other vintages, Krug's new NV Brut Rosé 26ème Édition is showing beautifully, offering up aromas of tart red berries and plums mingled with notions of warm biscuits, dried fruits, flowers and orange zest. Medium to full-bodied, taut and incisive, with terrific concentration, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish, it's an intensely flavored, electric wine that stands out as a particularly good recent release from this storied house. |
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Rhone | 1 | 97.0 | د.إ4,925.00 | |||||
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The l'Anglore Tavel Vintage 2018 is a fine expression of grenache, produced at Éric Pfifferling's renowned vineyard. This handcrafted wine hails from Tavel, Southern Rhône, famous for its exquisite rosés, and indeed, l'Anglore Tavel 2018 is no exception. A product of biodynamic farming, this wine is noted for its vibrant crimson hue, a beguiling nose of wild strawberries and a palate brimming with delicate nuances of red currants and dried herbs. It is a gastronomic wine, ideally suited to pair with refined dishes. Each bottle captures the essence of the vintage's unique terroir. Éric Pfifferling, the vintner, is lauded in wine circles for his dedication to emphasising natural attributes, ensuring the wine remains free of additives and manipulation. Indulge in the l'Anglore Tavel Vintage 2018, a remarkable vintage from a celebrated lineage, certain to impress even the most discerning connoisseur. |
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Rhone | 1 | 97.0 | د.إ5,065.00 | |||||
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The l'Anglore Tavel Vintage 2018 is a fine expression of grenache, produced at Éric Pfifferling's renowned vineyard. This handcrafted wine hails from Tavel, Southern Rhône, famous for its exquisite rosés, and indeed, l'Anglore Tavel 2018 is no exception. A product of biodynamic farming, this wine is noted for its vibrant crimson hue, a beguiling nose of wild strawberries and a palate brimming with delicate nuances of red currants and dried herbs. It is a gastronomic wine, ideally suited to pair with refined dishes. Each bottle captures the essence of the vintage's unique terroir. Éric Pfifferling, the vintner, is lauded in wine circles for his dedication to emphasising natural attributes, ensuring the wine remains free of additives and manipulation. Indulge in the l'Anglore Tavel Vintage 2018, a remarkable vintage from a celebrated lineage, certain to impress even the most discerning connoisseur. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 100 (WA) | د.إ6,680.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)Deep garnet colored, the 2010 L'Eglise Clinet begins unassumingly with gentle notions of fragrant dried flowers and wild sage leading to savory nut and meat characters over an expanding core of preserved plums, blueberry compote and black cherry coulis plus a waft of menthol. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully decadent, the palate is absolutely packed with rich, ripe black fruit preserves and loads of spicy sparks, framed by super ripe, super plush tannins, finishing very long and decadent. I love the interplay of subtly and power here - this is truly a WOW wine! |
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Bordeaux | 4 | 100 (WA) | د.إ4,390.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)A wine that wins my nomination for the title of "wine of the vintage" is the 2012 L'Eglise Clinet, a fleshy and enveloping Pomerol evocative of dark cherries and berries mingled with licorice, spices, pencil lead, truffle and rose petals. Full-bodied, broad and textural, it's lavish and expansive, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, resonant finish. Seamless, charming and impeccably balanced, this transcends the vintage, and while it's deceptively drinkable now, it remains a mere adolescent at age 11. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 95 (JS) | د.إ2,215.00 | |||||
James Suckling (95)This is a vivid wine with terrific clarity and vibrance aromas and flavors. Full body, ultra fine tannins and a long, long finish. Class. Really superb for the vintage. Needs two or three years of bottle age to soften. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94-97 (VN (AG)) | د.إ2,655.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94-97)The 2014 L'Eglise Clinet is a real head-turner. Gorgeous, super-expressive aromatics meld into a core of dark, sumptuous fruit. Lavender, mint, violets, graphite and crème de cassis notes abound in a powerful, structured wine endowed with magnificent purity and a skyscraper-like sense of lift. Finesse and power collide in a crystalline Pomerol of exceptional beauty. Powerful and dense to the core, the 2014 is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. The blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. |
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Bordeaux | 7 | 100 (JD) | د.إ5,355.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (100)One of the monumental wines in the vintage is the 2016 Château Eglise Clinet from proprietor Denis Durantou. Based on 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, this utterly perfect wine boasts a saturated purple color as well as an essence of Pomerol bouquet of ripe black cherries, blackcurrant liqueur, smoked tobacco, camphor, and graphite. Deep, full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and layered, yet always with class and balance, it offers a remarkable marriage of power and finesse. It’s already sexy and seductive yet also a baby, and needs 7-8 years of cellaring. It should keep for 3-4 decades (probably longer), but why wait? |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 98 (JS) | د.إ2,575.00 | |||||
James Suckling (98)Extremely enticing aromas of blackberries, brambleberries, sweet tobacco, bark and mushrooms follow through to a medium to full body that grows on the palate and crescendoes to medium, round tannins, juicy fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Rolls along the palate. Excellent, persistent finish. Try after 2024, but already a joyous glass. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 99 (JD) | د.إ4,080.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (99)One of the blockbusters in the vintage is Denis Durantou's 2018 Château L'Eglise Clinet, which is a normal blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty boasts an awesome, full-bodied, opulent personality as well as classic Pomerol notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, damp earth, chocolate, tobacco, and flowers. Rich, concentrated, and sexy, yet not over the top in any way, it expands on the palate, has sweet tannins, background oak, and a great, great finish. It already offers pleasure yet won't hit prime time for another 7-8 years and is going to evolve for 25-30 years or more, and probably have a gradual decline after that. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WCI) | د.إ5,460.00 | |||||
The Wine Cellar Insider (100)The last vintage produced by Pomerol legend, Denis Durantou, (who sadly passed away May 2020), is one of his best. A testament to his devotion to his vineyards, the wine explodes with a gorgeous set of aromatics packed with flowers, chocolate, truffle, plums, black cherries, and wet earth. But it is on the palate where the magic takes place. Incredibly concentrated, rich, ostentations, silky and vibrant, the wine offers incredible purity to the fruit, which is a good thing because the finish is not something you want to lose sight of, as its showy display of chocolate-tinged, dark red fruits, licorice, spice, and black cherries lingers, builds and expands. Built to age and evolve, give it some time in the cellar and enjoy it for 3 decades with ease. This is exactly the type of wine Denis Durantou truly loved making. Owners of this beauty should toast him and his years of work at L'Eglise Clinet. I know I will. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98-99 (JS) | د.إ3,405.00 | |||||
James Suckling (98-99)Wonderfully bright, floral aromas with so much violet character. Such purity and focus. Ethereal on the nose already. Full-bodied, but very polished and deep with finesse and beauty. Incredible structure that fills the mouth. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98+ (VN (AG)) | د.إ1,170.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98+)Rich, layered and dynamic in the glass, the 2023 L'Eglise-Clinet is outrageously beautiful. Inky red/purplish fruit, spice, blood orange, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco open in the glass. The 2023 shows terrific finesse. It's a wine of tremendous power and reserve, with soaring aromatics, mind-blowing balance, layered depth, boundless energy and a real sense of tension. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | - | د.إ1,595.00 | |||||
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WA) | د.إ16,675.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (100)An astonishing effort from the Rothschild family, the 2009 l’Evangile may be the reference point offering from this estate for decades to come. A blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak, with 15% natural alcohol, it exhibits a sumptuous bouquet of caramels, black raspberry liqueur, blackberries, violets, graphite and truffles. Thick, viscous flavors are reminiscent of such super-ripe vintages as 1982, 1959, 1949 and 1947. The striking aromatics, massive, full-bodied mouthfeel and multilayered palate that resembles a skyscraper in the mouth offer an abject lesson in great winemaking, extraordinary terroir, and the ability to combine power with precision, elegance and freshness. This is unquestionably a huge wine, but it also possesses mindboggling complexity and finesse. Because of its sheer extract and velvety personality, it will be drinkable in 4-5 years, and will keep for four decades or more where well-stored. The most profound L’Evangile ever made? |
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Bordeaux | 6 | 100 (JS) | د.إ5,000.00 | |||||
James Suckling (100)Stunning aromas of blackberries, black olives, brown sugar and dried flowers. Tar. Full-bodied, dense and layered. Superfine tannins, yet this is muscular and long. An amazing wine reminiscent of the great L’Evangiles of the 1950s. Straight track. Goes on and on. Truly great wine. Try in 2024. Just a baby. |
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Bordeaux | 5 | 97-98 (JS) | د.إ4,145.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97-98)Lots of black-olive, crushed-berry and wet-earth aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, yet polished with a very fine, velvety texture from the tannins. It’s long and structured with a blue-fruit and stone undertone to the palate. Some sage, too. More balanced than in the past. Extremely persistent on the palate. 83.5% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 0.5% cabernet sauvignon. |
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Bordeaux | 7 | 97-98 (JS) | د.إ2,440.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97-98)Lots of black-olive, crushed-berry and wet-earth aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, yet polished with a very fine, velvety texture from the tannins. It’s long and structured with a blue-fruit and stone undertone to the palate. Some sage, too. More balanced than in the past. Extremely persistent on the palate. 83.5% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 0.5% cabernet sauvignon. |
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Bordeaux | 5 | 98-99 (JS) | د.إ3,590.00 | |||||
James Suckling (98-99)This is so floral and pure, showing crushed-grape character with some walnut and crunchy seeds. It’s full-bodied, juicy and fresh. Purity of fruit. Juicy and long. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (DC) | د.إ4,735.00 | |||||
Decanter (97)Fragrant redcurrant and cranberry. Milk chocolate, vanilla, creamy, fruity and fresh with cherry and plum fruit. Cool and crisp, so much freshness straight away and so sleek, the weight is there in the density of the ripe fruit but this keeps a very slick frame. Lovely movement and energy, softly vibrant but also quite rich - a spectrum of cranberry and blackcurrant and plum fruit gives lots of different expressions with liquorice and tobacco on the finish. Chalky and stony, a lovely mineral grip too. Feels sophisticated, with balance, nothing sticks out, suave and elegant. I love it’s gentle expression though, doesn’t shout but this will be so great to drink and enjoy. I love it. Everything seems to be balanced delicately on a tightrope, with tenderness, density and tension. Really great and more finessed than some Pomerols. 3.8pH. Ageing 8% amphora, 50% new oak, 15% foudre, the rest used barrels. 42hl/ha yield. Green harvests were performed to drop 15-20% of the potential yield, given the team 'had never seen so many grapes on the vines'. |
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Bordeaux | 5 | 97 (DC) | د.إ3,455.00 | |||||
Decanter (97)Fragrant redcurrant and cranberry. Milk chocolate, vanilla, creamy, fruity and fresh with cherry and plum fruit. Cool and crisp, so much freshness straight away and so sleek, the weight is there in the density of the ripe fruit but this keeps a very slick frame. Lovely movement and energy, softly vibrant but also quite rich - a spectrum of cranberry and blackcurrant and plum fruit gives lots of different expressions with liquorice and tobacco on the finish. Chalky and stony, a lovely mineral grip too. Feels sophisticated, with balance, nothing sticks out, suave and elegant. I love it’s gentle expression though, doesn’t shout but this will be so great to drink and enjoy. I love it. Everything seems to be balanced delicately on a tightrope, with tenderness, density and tension. Really great and more finessed than some Pomerols. 3.8pH. Ageing 8% amphora, 50% new oak, 15% foudre, the rest used barrels. 42hl/ha yield. Green harvests were performed to drop 15-20% of the potential yield, given the team 'had never seen so many grapes on the vines'. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 97-99 (WA) | د.إ5,045.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97-99)Pale to medium gold in color, the 2019 L'Extravagant is a powerhouse from start to finish. The nose is such a complex cocktail, it nearly blows you over with scents of pineapple upside-down cake, preserved mandarin peel, candied ginger and mango pudding plus nuances of acacia honey, beeswax, baker's yeast, wild fungi and burnt sugar. The palate is full-on pedal to the metal unctuousness with the rich sweetness beautifully offset by refreshing acidity and layer upon layer of savory, tropical fruit and earthy flavors, finishing with a long-lingering zesty lift. Strap yourselves in for this thrill ride and do not even attempt to drink anything else after this! |
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