Wines of France: Burgundy, Champagne and the Loire Valley
190 bottles, from Burgundy to Champagne, the Loire and BordeauxThe journey sometimes starts two hours' drive away: a limestone slope, a Pinot Noir with a pale colour, a white that smells of hazelnut and wet stone. That is what the shop keeps from France, a handful of terroirs that stand comparison with the wines of the whole world.
The range follows two threads. Burgundy first, from the family estates of the Côte de Nuits to the Côte Chalonnaise, up to a few grands crus. Then what else France has to offer: the chalk of Champagne, Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, Chenin from the Layon, a rosé from the Var and a right-bank Saint-Émilion.
Domaine Julien Brocard - Les 7 Lieux Petit Chablis Les Plantes 2023
A biodynamic Petit Chablis full of freshness, between lemon, fresh almond and a peppery finish.
Caves Bailly-Lapierre - Irancy 2022
A crunchy, moreish Irancy with vibrant red fruit, born on the limestone slopes of the Auxerrois.
Caves Bailly-Lapierre - Saint-Bris 2024
The Sauvignon Blanc from the only Burgundy appellation dedicated to it, lively, herbaceous and zesty.
Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard - Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2023
A Chablis premier cru Fourchaume aged in foudre, precise and elegant, between candied citrus and toasted hazelnut.
Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard - Chablis 1er Cru Beauregard 2023
A Chablis premier cru from a steep, sunny slope, round, floral and precise.
Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard - Chablis Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire 2025
An organic Chablis from sixty-year-old vines, ample and precise, with a velvety texture and a flinty finish.
Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard - Petit Chablis 2025
An indulgent Petit Chablis with white flowers and citrus, born on Portlandian limestone.
Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard - Chablis 2025
A balanced Chablis from Kimmeridgian marl, with a fine mineral and saline expression.
Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard - Bourgogne Chardonnay 2025
A fresh, fruity Burgundy Chardonnay from the Brocard house at the gateway to Chablis.
La Bastide Blanche - Bandol Rosé 2024
A biodynamic Bandol rosé dominated by Mourvèdre, dense and saline, with notes of citrus and bay leaf.
Chavin - Zéro Cabernet Merlot 2023
An alcohol-free red of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, crunchy, with blackcurrant, strawberry and pepper.
Chavin - Zéro Sauvignon Blanc 2023
An alcohol-free Sauvignon Blanc, lively and precise, with notes of blackcurrant bud, elderflower and citrus.
Chavin - Zéro Rosé 2023
An alcohol-free rosé of Cinsault, Syrah and Grenache, with an explosive nose of yellow fruit and flowers.
Chavin - Zéro Blanc de Blancs Effervescent
An alcohol-free sparkling blanc de blancs made from Chardonnay, with fine bubbles and a saline finish.
Thiénot - Champagne Brut Rosé
A tender, indulgent Champagne rosé with vibrant red fruit and lively, fresh bubbles.
Thiénot - Champagne Vintage 2015
A 2015 vintage dominated by Pinot Noir, rich and fine, matured for seven years in the Thiénot cellars.
Thiénot - Champagne Brut
The signature brut from the Reims house of Thiénot, fresh and fruity, carried by lively, fine bubbles.
Château de l'Escarelle - Flora IGP Méditerranée 2025
Strawberry, redcurrant and melon: a rosé from the Var aged in stainless-steel tanks to keep it light.
Domaine la Renarde - Crémant de Bourgogne Brut
Green apple, almond and brioche: fine Burgundy bubbles ready for the aperitif.
Charles de Fère - Crémant de Bourgogne Chardonnay Brut Grande Cuvée
A crémant made entirely from Chardonnay: white flowers, green apple, a fine, long mousse.
Bernard Robert - Champagne Brut Réserve
Gyéjacquot - Champagne Gaston Declos Brut
Domaine du Four Bassot - Mercurey Le Crêt Blanc 2023
Pear, peach and flint: a white Mercurey shaped by the limestone of the Crêt.
Domaine de la Roche Aiguë - Hautes-Côtes de Beaune La Dalignière Rouge 2023
Raspberry, cherry, forest floor: a Pinot Noir from the hills above Beaune, fine and easy-drinking.
The French terroirs in the cellar
France here comes down to a few areas, kept for what they do better than anywhere else: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on Burgundian limestone, sparkling wine on chalk, Cabernet Franc on Loire tuffeau, rosé on the hills of the Var.
| Region | What you will find | Grape varieties | The dedicated page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Côte de Nuits | Structured reds, cherry and undergrowth, made for ageing | Pinot Noir | Côte de NuitsGevrey, Morey, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne |
| Côte de Beaune | Taut limestone whites, suppler and more fragrant reds | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir | Côte de BeauneBeaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Saint-Aubin |
| Côte Chalonnaise | The same pair of grape varieties, at gentler prices | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay | MercureyRully, Givry and Mercurey |
| Champagne | Grower bruts, blanc de noirs, reserve cuvées | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Meunier | ChampagneMontagne de Reims and Côte des Bar |
| Loire Valley | Fresh reds from tuffeau and tender Chenins from schist | Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc | Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Saumur-Champigny, Coteaux du Layon |
| Provence and the Mediterranean | Pale aperitif rosés, raised in tank to stay light | Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah | Rosé wineThe rosé section, here and elsewhere |
| Bordeaux, Right Bank | Fleshy Merlot, black fruit and leather, tannins built for ageing | Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon | Bordeaux winesA collection that is growing |
Burgundy takes up the largest share of the section and has its own pages: Burgundy wines brings the whole range together, from regional to grand cru, and Domaine Dubois shows what a single estate gives, followed from Bourgogne Côte d'Or up to Clos de Vougeot.
Ageing and serving guide
French wine falls quickly into two families: those that give everything in their youth and those that gain from waiting. The ranges below start from the vintage and apply to a cool, dark cellar.
| The wine | Suggested ageing | Serving | Dinner's ready |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provence rosé and IGP Méditerranée | Within two years | 8–10 °C | Aperitif, tomato salad, grilled fish |
| Loire Cabernet Franc | Three to eight years | 14–16 °C | Grilled meats, poultry, goat's cheese |
| Sweet Chenin from the Layon | Ten to twenty years | 8–10 °C | Foie gras, Roquefort, apricot tart |
| Crémant and grower brut | Two to five years | 10–12 °C | Aperitif, oysters, fried seafood |
| Vintage Champagne or blanc de noirs | Ten years and more | 12 °C, in a wine glass | Roast poultry, fish in sauce |
| Burgundy village white | Five to ten years | 11–13 °C | Fish in beurre blanc, young Comté |
| Burgundy village red | Five to ten years | 15–16 °C | Braised beef, duck, Époisses |
| Premier cru and grand cru | Ten to twenty-five years | 16 °C, decanted for an hour | Game birds, veal sweetbreads, truffle |
| Saint-Émilion grand cru | Eight to fifteen years | 16–17 °C | Rib of beef, lamb, duck breast |
These guidelines apply to bottles lying down at around 12 °C. A red from the Côte de Nuits almost always gains from waiting, while a Mercurey is drunk earlier and gives the same pleasure at table.
The ways into the French range
Five bottles to get into the range, and three pages to carry the visit further.
A rosé for the aperitif
Peach and apricot, lively and ready to serve. A Mediterranean rosé aged in stainless-steel tank, which keeps its freshness until the end of the meal.
Château de l'Escarelle Palm IGP Méditerranée 2024 · €11.20 per bottle, individually or by the case of 6A Loire red to serve cool
Blackcurrant, raspberry and violet, an organic Cabernet Franc whose tannins stay supple. Give it a quarter of an hour in the fridge before the barbecue.
Laurent Mabileau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil 2022 · €17.00 per bottle, individuallyRight Bank Merlot
Black fruit and leather, with the structure of a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru built for ageing. To be decanted half an hour before a rib of beef.
Château Queyron Pindefleurs Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2018 · €33.40 per bottle, individuallyA grower's sparkling wine
A reserve brut with a fine bead, which holds its own as an aperitif and with a fish course. The bottle to keep chilled for the unexpected.
Bernard Robert Champagne Brut Réserve · €34.80 per bottle, individuallyAn off-dry wine for foie gras
Peach, honey and honeysuckle, a tender Layon kept light by its acidity. Chenin from Anjou schist, to serve well chilled.
Château de la Roulerie Coteaux du Layon Le P'tit Layon 2022 · €29.50 per bottle, individuallyGetting into Burgundy
From affordable Hautes-Côtes to the grands crus, village by village and estate by estate: the main door into the French range.
Section page · Burgundy winesFollow the chalk
Grower bruts from the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Bar, blancs de noirs and reserve cuvées gathered on a single page.
Section page · ChampagneKeep an eye on Bordeaux
This page brings together the Bordeaux wines in the cellar, right-bank Merlot first, and will fill out as the spring arrivals come in.
Section page · Bordeaux wines
Why limestone always comes back
Look at a map of French soils and the same ribbon reappears: the Jurassic limestones that carry the Burgundian slope run up towards the chalk of Champagne and outcrop as far as the hills of the Berry. They are what give a Meursault Chardonnay its tension, a grower brut its straightness and a village Pinot Noir its fine tannins.
That is the thread we follow in France, rather than the map of the appellations. It explains the cellar's leaning towards northern terroirs, and why the excursions in this range, the tuffeau of the Loire, the schists of the Layon, the hills of the Var, keep the same signature: freshness, precise fruit, a light palate.
How do you choose
We taste every cuvée before listing it, and the question stays the same for a bottle from Burgundy or from the Cape: does it bring something more to the glass? We look for clarity of fruit, an acidity that holds the finish and a tannin that leaves the palate free. A heavy wine stays at the door, however fine the label.
The Wine Wanderer Team
What people ask us about the wines of France
How is the French selection put together?
It starts from Burgundy, which takes up the largest part of the range, then opens up to what the other regions do best: sparkling wine in Champagne, Cabernet Franc and Chenin in the Loire Valley, rosé in Provence, Merlot on the right bank of Bordeaux. Every bottle is tasted before it enters the catalogue.
Where should you start in Burgundy?
Take a Hautes-Côtes or a regional Bourgogne to catch the hand of the estate behind it, then a village wine from the Côte Chalonnaise, Rully, Givry or Mercurey, which offers the best ratio between price and pleasure. The Burgundy wines page brings them all together, and Mercurey covers the village in detail.
What is the difference between the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune?
The Côte de Nuits, to the north, gives more structured Pinot Noirs made for ageing, around Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Vosne-Romanée. The Côte de Beaune, to the south, shares both grape varieties and adds leading whites at Meursault or Saint-Aubin. Two pages are devoted to them: Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.
Which Champagne should you choose for a whole meal?
A grower brut with a classic dosage goes with everything, from the aperitif to fish. To carry a whole meal, look for a blanc de noirs or a vintage cuvée, more vinous, served at around 12 °C in a wine glass rather than a flute. The Champagne page gathers the selection, from the houses of the Montagne de Reims to the growers of the Côte des Bar.
Are there any Bordeaux wines in the cellar?
Yes, with the right bank leading the way: a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru dominated by Merlot, black fruit and leather, at €33.40 a bottle. Serve it at around 16 °C, decanted half an hour before the meal. The Bordeaux wines collection will welcome the next arrivals, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol first.
Which French wine for a summer aperitif?
A rosé from Provence or from IGP Méditerranée, served at 8–10 °C, remains the safe bet: peach, citrus, a dry finish. Crémant de Bourgogne plays the same part with bubbles, at €16.85 a bottle. And a Loire red given a quarter of an hour in the fridge works wonders with a charcuterie board.
Are some cuvées sold by the case?
A few, especially among the Provence rosés: the Saint Roch des Vignes Côtes de Provence then works out at €11.90 a bottle, in cases of 6, and the Château Gabriel at €13.90 a bottle, in cases of 6. The price shown on each product page is the price of the bottle, with the sales format right beside it. Burgundy wines remain available as single bottles.
Does Burgundian Pinot Noir stand apart from the others?
It serves as the reference for the whole world: a pale colour, a scent of cherry and undergrowth, fine tannins, an acidity that lifts the palate again. German or New Zealand versions often aim for riper fruit, while Burgundy looks for texture and length. The Pinot Noir page lets you compare the origins side by side.
How long can you keep a French bottle?
It depends on the style far more than on the region. A rosé is drunk within two years, a Loire Cabernet Franc holds for three to eight years, a village Burgundy five to ten years, a premier cru a good deal longer. The reference table gives the range and the serving temperature for each family.
Which French bottle should you give?
Aim for a recognisable signature: a premier cru from the Côte de Beaune, an old-vine Morey-Saint-Denis or a vintage grower Champagne. The cellar's grands crus go up to €199.90 a bottle. For a lighter occasion, a gift box takes whoever receives it travelling beyond France.