Vins de France : Bourgogne, Champagne et vallée de la Loire
101 bouteilles, de la Bourgogne à la Champagne, la Loire et 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.
Château de l'Escarelle - Flora PGI Méditerranée 2024
Strawberry, redcurrant and melon: a rosé from the Var aged in stainless-steel tanks to keep it light.
Domaine la Renarde - Brut Burgundy Creamery
Green apple, almond and brioche: fine Burgundy bubbles ready for the aperitif.
Charles de Fère - Crémant de Bourgogne Chardonnay Brut Grande Cuvée
En crémant på enbart Chardonnay: vita blommor, grönt äpple och fin, ihållande mousse.
Bernard Robert - Champagne Brut Reserve
Gyéjacquot - Champagne Gaston Declos Brut
Domaine du Four Bassot - Mercurey Le Crêt Blanc 2022
Päron, persika och flinta: en vit Mercurey formad av kalkstenen i Crêt.
Domaine de la Roche Aiguë - Hautes-Côtes de Beaune La Dalignière Red 2022
Raspberry, cherry, forest floor: a Pinot Noir from the hills above Beaune, fine and easy-drinking.
Alain Guyard - Marsannay Les Genelières Red 2018
Laurent Mabileau - Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Red 2022
Blackcurrant, raspberry and violet: an organic Saint-Nicolas whose tannins are never harsh.
Duvernay - Rully Meix de Pellerey Red 2022
Black cherry, leather and fine spices: a velvety red Rully, made for the table.
Duvernay - Rully Les Cailloux Blanc 2023
Citron, grönt äpple, stenig mineralitet: en rak och smakrik Chardonnay.
Duvernay - Rully Cloux Louvrier White 2023
Äpple, päron och vita blommor i en silkig textur – denna Rully satsar på friskhet.
Duvernay - Rully 1er Cru Rabourcé White 2022
Peach, jasmine and minerality: Rully Chardonnay in its premier cru version.
Duvernay - Rully 1er Cru Champs Cloux Red 2023
A Rully premier cru with ripe fruit, cherry and violet, carried by elegant tannins.
Domaine Virolys - Viré Clessé White 2023
A Viré-Clessé Chardonnay aged on the lees: pear and peach in a creamy texture.
Domaine Vaudoisey - Volnay Red 2022
Volnays finess i Pinot Noir: jordgubbar, hallon, silkiga tanniner och lång eftersmak.
Domaine Vaudoisey - Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans Red 2022
Volnay premier cru: lace-like finesse over vibrant red fruit.
Vaudoisey Estate - Pommard Red 2023
En strukturerad, pepprig Pommard som behöver några år innan den öppnar sig.
Domaine Vaudoisey - Burgundy Pinot Noir 2022
Burgundy Pinot Noir in its everyday style: velvety and straightforward.
Domaine Vaudoisey - Burgundy Chardonnay 2022
Äpple, päron och brioche – en rund vit bourgogne som hålls rak av sin mineraliska friskhet.
Domaine la Renarde - Rully Les Plantenays White 2023
Ett krämigt vitt vin från Côte Chalonnaise: vårblommor och rostad hasselnöt.
Domaine la Renarde - Givry Champs Pourrots Red 2023
Champs Pourrots, en generös röd Givry där fatet aldrig tar över.
Domaine la Renarde - Burgundy Aligoté White 2023
A saline, clean Aligoté, made for the aperitif and shellfish.
Domaine du Four Bassot - Rully En Varot Red 2023
Röd Rully, mjuk och kryddig – en introduktion till Côte Chalonnaise.
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.
| Région | Ce qu'on y trouve | Cépages | La page dédiée |
|---|---|---|---|
| Côte de Nuits | Structured reds, cherry and undergrowth, made for ageing | Pinot noir | Côte de NuitsGevrey, Morey, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne |
| Côte de Beaune | Blancs de calcaire tendus, rouges plus souples et parfumés | Chardonnay, pinot noir | Côte de BeauneBeaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Saint-Aubin |
| Côte chalonnaise | Le même duo de cépages, à prix plus doux | Pinot noir, chardonnay | MercureyRully, Givry et Mercurey |
| Champagne | Bruts de vigneron, blanc de noirs, cuvées de réserve | Pinot noir, chardonnay, meunier | ChampagneMontagne de Reims and Côte des Bar |
| Vallée de la Loire | Rouges frais de tuffeau et chenins tendres de schiste | Cabernet franc, chenin blanc | Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Saumur-Champigny, Coteaux du Layon |
| Provence et Méditerranée | Pale aperitif rosés, raised in tank to stay light | Grenache, cinsault, syrah | Vin roséLe rayon rosé, ici et ailleurs |
| Bordeaux, rive droite | Merlot charnu, fruits noirs et cuir, tanin de garde | Merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon | Vins de BordeauxUne collection qui s'étoffe |
La Bourgogne occupe la plus grande part du rayon et dispose de ses propres pages : Vins de Bourgogne rassemble l'ensemble, du régional au grand cru, et Domaine Dubois montre ce que donne un seul domaine suivi du Bourgogne Côte d'Or jusqu'au Clos de Vougeot.
Repères de garde et de service
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.
| Le vin | Garde indicative | Service | À table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosé de Provence et IGP Méditerranée | Within two years | 8 à 10 degrés | Apéritif, salade de tomates, poisson grillé |
| Cabernet franc de Loire | Trois à huit ans | 14 à 16 degrés | Grillades, volaille, fromage de chèvre |
| Chenin moelleux du Layon | Dix à vingt ans | 8 à 10 degrés | Foie gras, Roquefort, apricot tart |
| Crémant et brut de vigneron | Deux à cinq ans | 10 à 12 degrés | Apéritif, huîtres, friture de la mer |
| Champagne millésimé ou blanc de noirs | Dix ans et davantage | 12 degrés, en verre à vin | Volaille rôtie, poisson en sauce |
| Blanc de village bourguignon | Cinq à dix ans | 11 à 13 degrés | Poisson au beurre blanc, comté jeune |
| Rouge de village bourguignon | Cinq à dix ans | 15 à 16 degrés | Bœuf braisé, canard, époisses |
| Premier cru et grand cru | Dix à vingt-cinq ans | 16 degrés, carafé une heure | Gibier à plume, ris de veau, truffe |
| Saint-émilion grand cru | Huit à quinze ans | 16 à 17 degrés | Côte de bœuf, agneau, magret |
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
Pêche et abricot, vif et prêt à servir. Un rosé méditerranéen élevé en cuve inox, qui garde sa fraîcheur jusqu'à la fin du repas.
Château de l'Escarelle Palm IGP Méditerranée 2024 · 11,20 € la bouteille, à l'unité ou par caisse de 6Un rouge de Loire à servir frais
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 € la bouteille, à l'unitéLe merlot de la rive droite
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 € la bouteille, à l'unitéUne bulle de vigneron
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 € la bouteille, à l'unitéAn off-dry wine for foie gras
Pêche, miel et chèvrefeuille, un layon tendre que son acidité garde léger. Chenin de schiste angevin, à servir bien frais.
Château de la Roulerie Coteaux du Layon Le P'tit Layon 2022 · 29,50 € la bouteille, à l'unitéEntrer en Bourgogne
From affordable Hautes-Côtes to the grands crus, village by village and estate by estate: the main door into the French range.
Page du rayon · Vins de BourgogneSuivre la craie
Grower bruts from the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Bar, blancs de noirs and reserve cuvées gathered on a single page.
Page du rayon · ChampagneGarder un œil sur 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.
Page du rayon · Vins de Bordeaux
Pourquoi le calcaire revient toujours
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.
Comment on choisit
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.
L'équipe du Baroudeur du Vin
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.
Par où commencer en Bourgogne ?
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.
Quelle différence entre Côte de Nuits et 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.
Certaines cuvées partent-elles par caisse ?
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.
Combien de temps garder une bouteille française ?
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.
Quelle bouteille française offrir ?
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.