French Wines

This is a poised and energetic Condrieu. The Botts are not looking for richness and ripe alcohols in their whites. To that end they pick fairly early. This is a very balanced and restrained 13% abv, and is packed with vibrant fresh fruit flavours and a touch of almond. There is depth but no heaviness here. Julie says the granitic soils of Condrieu gives the wine minerality and freshness alongside natural ripeness. It should be superb after a year in bottle.

This bursts with green pineapple perfume. Both exotic and vibrant. It has a silky, textured palate. It comes from a single vineyard in the south of the appellation, in St Pierre de Boeuf. The east/north-east aspect makes this site cooler than many, and its granite and gneiss soils results in superb mineral tension to the wine.

This comes from parcels in the south of the appellation, in St Pierre de Boeuf. The east/north-east aspect makes this site cooler than many, and its granite and gneiss soils results in superb mineral tension to the wine.

This Condrieu from a granitic south-west facing parcel has gained something of a following at Domaine Rostaing. It is the only white they make from the appellation, and is aged exclusively in stainless steel tanks. In 2019 it is brimming with ripe lemon, pineapple, pear, and almond aromas. The palate is smooth and gliding, with a light gingerbread note. Condrieu in its purest form.

A small amount of grapes that go into this wine come from Graeme and Julie's back garden - classified Condrieu terroir, and the kick-starter for building their own domaine. The 2018 is full of sweet, floral, honey notes. The palate is fleshy, clean, and with a silky flow. This is a stunning Condrieu, and indicative of the brilliant talent at this new domaine.

Once again, an Hermitage Blanc steals the show: this is just awesome. Fresh and savoury, with so much depth, texture and purity, the flavours just keep coming and delighting you.

This is a two hectare plot that borders Château Grillet. It’s so powerful and elegant, with clean mineral and savoury notes added to the spice and stone fruit. The definition across the finish is spectacular, and there’s energy to keep it driving on.

For those seeking sleek Cornas that has the body and structure to age but the open fruit to approach from youth, this is your wine. It is the most refined of the Courbis Cornas wines, and with a well-judged 40% new oak wrapped around the sweet fruit, giving it savoury, toasty depth.

This comes from four neighbouring lieux-dits on the Côte Blonde: Lancement, La Triote, Le Combard and Le Mollard. They share a high proportion of white schist in their soils, making for an intense and savoury expression. It is glossy, black-fruited, with a fresh, tense length.

Ripe and velvety, with a lithe, fresh feel. Leathery, earthy, licorice spice along with dark plum and cherry fruit. Red berry acidity and a garrigue note on the finish.

Pure is 100% Grenache, all from 100 year old vines on sandy soils. The result is very intense, and, as the name suggests, pure. There's tons of black fruit here, surrounded by rich, chocolately textures and spicy flavours. This needs time in bottle to weave together, but already impresses.

The domaine might have 15 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but a wine you shouldn’t miss is this cuvée, from lesser-known Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne just to the south. The name is a nod to their ability to throw off the constraints of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape regulations in this peppery and fragrant wine. It is mainly Grenache with some Mourvèdre, Carignan and Syrah thrown in for good measure.

This is usually a blend of two parcels, but in 2021 Bressands was hailed in August, meaning the yield here was decimated. So the heart of the wine is from Les Plantiers, just below Le Méal. Like the Crozes Hermitage, this was fully destemmed - a marked departure from the domaine’s usual style. It is sappy, salty, crunchy, and fresh. The floral tones make it more accessible than the Gréal, and mean it should start to open up a little earlier, too.

Clape is a defining name in the Cornas appellation, with both historic fame and present-day cache. Today, Olivier Clape is making terrific wines from his family's historic vineyards. His Côtes du Rhône is a great introduction to the estate and earlier drinking than the statuesque Cornas, but with every bit as much charm.

This is one of the most celebrated blends of the southern Rhône, notable for its high proportion of Mourvèdre. This variety gives it cool cassis fruit, structure and length. Grenache adds sweet berry tones and a supple texture, and Syrah a dark, powerful concentration, with liquorice intensity. The 2021 is pure and charming, with bright, juicy fruit and a lithe, refreshing feel.

This comes from the northern part of the long appellation of St Joseph, in the part that borders Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie. It is dark and brooding, with notes of salty black olive tapenade and cassis fruit, with full, grippy tannins. It will need a little time.

This is the most intense and refined of the Cornas wines in the Courbis cellar. It comes from a vineyard planted in 1990, and the vines have produced such a balanced freshness and smoky depth in 2020. It has great ageing potential if you have the patience, but also great driven freshness if you choose to approach it early. Hugely elegant.

This comes from four neighbouring lieux-dits on the Côte Blonde: Lancement, La Triote, Le Combard and Le Mollard. They share a high proportion of white schist in their soils, making for an intense, savoury, and long expression. It has 20% whole bunch, and the fruit is glossy and deep.

This was first bottled separately in 2009, which continues to prove a popular decision. The vines lie in the heart of the Saint-Joseph appellation just above Tournon and Mauves, on steep granitic slopes. Black-fruited and peppery, with a silky structure and full, energetic length.

From grapes grown just north of the boundary of the Châteauneuf appellation, surrounding the winery, this has to be one of our greatest hidden gems. Don't let the Côtes du Rhône label fool you, this is so much more than your average Côtes du Rhône. In 2020 it is full of brambly fruit and peppery garrigue notes along with dried flowers and savoury spice. There's lots of texture building on the palate but it feels tightly coiled now with restraint. As it opens it shows more generosity with fresh fruit and dry spice, with a very subtle hint of truffle.

La Viallière is one of the great sites of the Côte Brune. Its mid-slope position and high proportion of gravelly stones aid drainage and produce wines of great finesse. This continues on from Clusel Roch’s blended Côte-Rôtie, Les Schistes, in the red fruit frame, but it has a deeper, more voluminous back-palate. There is a definition here unique to the specific site.

This is perhaps the wine that needs the most explanation in the Bott cellar. The name may sound unfamiliar, but it’s one to remember. There are great hopes Seyssuel will be elevated to full cru status within a matter of years. The vines are planted just a 10 minute drive from Ampuis on schist and gneiss soils that glisten in the sunlight. There’s no granite here on this side of the river, and the Syrah is floral and pinot-esque, with an elegant texture and a spicy, salty undertow. Kamata is the Maori word for rock or stone, and a nod to Graeme’s Kiwi origins. Much more than a curiosity.

This is the emblematic cuvée of the Rostaing domaine, which blends 15 lieux-dits from around Côte-Rôtie. It showcases the Rostaing style brilliantly, with intensity, fruit purity, and decadence. There is a graphite slant to Syrah’s black fruit pallet here. It’s made in a lovely moderate, savoury style, making for a highly appetising wine.

This domaine only makes one wine, and they throw everything they’ve got at it. It is a blend of five parcels across the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune. They are the only domaine still producing just one blend in Côte-Rôtie. But they are fully justified in continuing this tradition; the quality of this wine speaks for itself. 2020 is the first vintage with talented Pierre Burgaud in sole charge, after a smooth handing-over from his father, Bernard. This vintage has deep concentration and wonderful acidity. Pierre calls it ‘exceptionnelle’, and we quite agree. He suggests it will have two drinking windows: one early on, in its first year or two, and another after a decade in the cellar.

This is one of the finest sites of the Côte Blonde, and it produces a wine of huge elegance and subtlety, although you’ll want to tuck it away for a few years before pulling the cork.

25% new oak gives this superb Syrah the support, structure, and seasoning it needs for its deep, cherry soaked, peppery expression. A superb wine that demands a little time, but will deliver exceptional quality.

This comes from fruit grown exclusively on the granitic slopes in the heart of Cornas, and has made a wonderfully floral, fragrant, block-fruited wine in 2019. The finely textured palate has brilliant poise, with excellent, long freshness, and small, spicy tannins. Intense and fragrant.

This tiny cuvée is the jewel in the crown at this estate. Whilst it might be easy for a young domaine to buy vineyards in Seyssuel, it is not so easy in Côte-Rôtie. But Graeme and Julie do have two tiny parcels, and this cuvée has already won them much praise as newcomers to get seriously excited about. The 2019 continues their strong form in producing serious and impeccably balanced Côte-Rôtie.

This is a special cuvée made from old vines, with a high proportion of Mourvèdre in the blend (30%). In 2018 Jean-Paul couldn’t make this cuvée as volumes were so reduced by mildew, so 2019 sees a happy return. It is very dense and peppery, with some wild garrigue herbs entwined in the kirsch fruit.

This comes from a parcel of older vines, aged between 30 and 80 years. It is a textured and fragrant style of Crozes, with amplified fruit on the palate.

This was our top pick of Yves Cuilleron’s impressive range of Côte Rôties. It feels vibrant and fresh, with a moderate frame and perfumed length. 10% Viognier is in the blend here, with the Syrah grown on the gneiss and granite soils of Bassenon lieu dit.

Sylvain fashions this from 12 different parcels across Saint-Joseph. Quite glossy and plush, this is openknit, with very exotic, intense fruit. A fruity, approachable Saint-Joseph.

There’s plenty of intensity and focus to this Crozes-Hermitage, with crunchy fruit and lovely depth and energy. There’s part of the blend that’s aged in barrels, the other part in stainless steel: the latter brings freshness, the former, texture.

Coming from a range of vineyards, including Le Plomb, Montmains, and Bas de Coteau, Les Schistes is the benchmark wine from Clusel-Roch. Spicy and textured, with lots of floral character and a blood orange note, it’s an elegant, refined, impressive Côte-R

A rare Côtes du Rhône made only from Syrah from the north of the valley, this is spicy and fresh, with wild strawberries and plenty of cherry fruit. There’s lovely grip on the finish: hard to spit.

Mainly Grenache with some Mourvèdre, Carignan and Syrah, from Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne, an area to the south with a similar profile to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is peppery and fine, with wonderful fragrance. A smart buy.

The most powerful, intense wine in the Courbis cellar. This is planted straight onto the granite, and has deep, brooding fruit, with notes of iron oxide and lots of spice on the finish. Brilliantly balanced.

From the heart of the village, this is one of the best Gigondas out there. Notes of sun-baked earth and wild berries, together with a herbal lift, make this an impressively detailed, complex wine.

Although not labelled “Vieilles Vignes”, these vines still average 50 years of age. Nice depth, slightly iodine and blood orange, good depth, and nice silky tannins. Saline with breadth, and real energy and purity. Very good indeed. Floral character, too on the finish.

80% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre from 50-80 year old vines on a mix of terroirs. Floral and elegant, and fine, intense and dynamic. Very juicy, with wonderful purity and energy, and there’s a liquorice character, too, with hints of roasted fennel.

Nice sweetness of fruit. Touch balsamic and tapenade, nice salinity but also dark core of, lovely texture and finesse, fragrant and good purity. Long and fine; a touch of bitterness on the finish keeps it all together.

Elegant and floral, pure and juicy, silky red fruit, violet. Wonderful soaring aromatics and lovely silky purity. Nice density and long pure tannins on the finish, with amazing finesse.

From some of the best terroirs in Gigondas. 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre. This is peppery with dark fruit and tapenade, and a touch of floral character on the finish. Very good potential.

These vines are planted directly onto granite in the sweet spot of the slope. This is a St-Joseph with a difference. Floral, with notes of anis and dark cherry, it’s a stunning Syrah.

This vintage’s Gaby rouge has really impressive energy, with the smoke and texture of the oak enlivened by fresh acidity and peppery Syrah.

A blend of 15 lieux-dits across Côte Blonde and Côte Brune (in total 25 plots go into it), this is delicious in 2016. There’s lovely fruit - pure and juicy - with hints of violet and liquorice on the long fnish. This is already lovely.

Unusually for Crozes, this comes from a single block on fine gravel soil. It’s wonderfully elegant and driven, with so much texture. There are violets and pure black fruit in wonderful balance. Precise and finely judged.

Yves’ Crozes is juicy and fresh, with lovely texture and definition to the flavours. It’s beautifully made, making it deceptively easy to drink.

“The smoking good 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Combe des Fous (60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the rest Muscardin, Vaccarese and Cinsault) is a structured, serious wine that gives up notions of blackberry, currants, melted licorice and assorted meaty nuances that flow to a full-bodied, seamless wine that has terrific fruit intensity, masses of fine tannin and a blockbuster finish.”

Jeb Dunnuck, 95 – 97 points

Guy buys these grapes from a friend in the La Garonne climat. There’s an attractive floral note on the nose and a wonderful fresh, finesse to the fruit. The finish is long and saline leaving you reaching for another sip.

Just a little whole bunch is used here, and it works prefectly. The Gamay shows all the structure and sophistication of the Boillots’ Côte d’Or Pinots, but with the juicy, pretty, peppery texture of Beaujolais. It’s got gorgeous, juicy black cherry fruit with hints of wild rose, and fine-grained tannins, thanks to the excellent granitic terroir.

This is the flagship wine of the domaine. It comes from 90-year-old vines, and shows a charming combination of energy and unforced concentration, with persistence and a light lift of reduction. This is perfectly balanced with silky tannins and delicious salinity in the finish. This is a wine with so much life, and a great example of the Guy Breton style that has earned him such a following.

La Croix des Rameaux comes from a 70 year old parcel that has an elevated, west-facing (the only west-facing site Jean-Claude has) aspect. In 2021, the domaine used 80% whole bunch and low fermentation temperatures to protect the fruit concentration in this cuvee. The result brings a rich, dark cherry bouquet, and a complex yet fresh palate packed full of deliciously pure fruit that is perfectly in balance with the tannic structure. This is a classic and delicious Brouilly.

This 70 year old parcel is situated near Jean-Claude’s cellar on granite soil with an east-facing aspect. The cuvée is made using carbonic maceration , and is everything we want from a Beajoulais to drink young. Its fresh, crunchy, juicy fruit has an amazing cherry concentration on the palate leading to a focussed and bright finish, with just a touch of white pepper at the end. Delicious.

Unlike the rest of the Breton range which is grown on granitic soils, this comes from the famous pierre bleue soils of Mont Brouilly. The parcel is actually owned by good friend, and Lay & Wheeler favourite, Jean-Claude Lapalu. J-C looks after the vines during the year, and he and Breton pick the parcel on the same day, with Breton buying half the grapes. The wines the two men make couldn’t be more different in style. This version is lightly scented with ripe strawberries and cinnamon. There’s a little light grip from some fine tannins that are woven through the symphony of sweet red fruits. It is a delicious expression of Beaujolais, one with some gentle body and sweet ripeness, but no heaviness at all.

This is the flagship wine of the domaine. It comes from 90-year-old vines, and shows a charming combination of energy and unforced concentration, with persistence and a light lift of reduction. At 13.5% it is perfectly balanced. This is a wine with so much life, and a great example of the Guy Breton style that has earned him such a following.

This is Guy Breton’s top cuvée, and is given his nickname, P’tit Max, which he has been called since childhood after his father. Indeed, his friends still call him P’tit Max rather than Guy. The wine comes from a parcel of low yielding 130-year-old vines. He says that rather than being bigger or oakier than the rest of his wines, it instead has a level of finesse that sets it apart. It is concentrated and effortlessly long, but also refined and elegant, with nothing heavy or too powerful getting in the way of the expressive Morgon fruit. Crunchy and juicy at the same time, with a smoky lift.

This comes from three parcels, two of which lie on the limestone soils near the distinctive Solutré rock bringing a tension to the wine, and the third on a richer clay site near Pouilly bringing density. It has been vinified in stainless steel only and has a wonderful freshness in 2021, with light citrus and white peach aromatics, and a long, fine, saline finish.

Marcel believes this is his best vineyard. It is a blend of older and younger vines on limestone marl soils and makes a wine with silky ripeness and plenty of freshness. It could easily come from its grander and more expensive neighbour, Pouilly-Fuissé. In 2021 it has an intensely concentrated and juicy stone fruit core which gives the wine delicious grip and bite and a long, lingering finish.

Chardonnay here refers to the village, rather than the variety. Clos de la Crochette is a charming walled vineyard that Dominique bought in 2003. After a little investigation he discovered it is one of the most historic sites in all of Burgundy, first planted by the monks of Cluny (c.900 AD). The energy and tension of the 2020 emphatically demonstrates why this has been a favourite spot with winegrowers through the centuries.

40 parcels scattered across 4 hectares go into this blend, from vines with an average age of 50 years. Much of these are grown around Chichee, near Vosgros, and give the quality you might expect in a premier cru. The result is a village Chablis of brilliant precision, with long volume and a saline, fresh finish.

Benoît’s village Chablis is one of the best out there. It's a blend of about 14 parcels all made in tank. The 2021 is classicly mineral, flinty and more savoury in style than in previous years. It has a tension and persistence that reverberates across the palate. Nice chalky freshness, with a long, saline finish and poised citrus fruit. Brilliant value.

Maurice, William’s father planted some of these vines in 1948. Since then, the domaine has grown its holdings, and it is now the largest owner of Chablis’ greatest site with over 4 hectares. Many of the vines are situated at the top of the hill, in a cool site, where the best soils are found. White flower, citrus fruit and apple and pear blossom aromas combine. On the palate the wine is packed full of white peach, oyster brine, clementine and limestone minerality. Powerful and complex, yet so, so elegant. A true grand cru in every sense.

Vaulorent is technically part of Fourchaume, the largest premier cru in Chablis, and is the only premier cru to share the same slope as the grand cru. It has very chalky soil and produces a wine of power and silky tension. The 2021 is so velvety and enticing, you almost don’t feel the power of the wine underneath the texture. Concentrated peach, apricot and a wonderful fresh grapefruit pithiness transcends, with a finish that is complex, long, saline and very fine - super!

A rare but delicious Nuits St Georges 1er cru white.

This ‘other’ white grape from Burgundy is enjoying a well-deserved moment: the wines are fresh, vibrant, wonderful for early drinking and offer unparalleled value.This comes from a 50 year old parcel and is 100% barrel fermented. The Felettig example is everything we’re looking for: salty, fresh, and moreish with a nice grip and bite.

This is a blend of two parcels in Meursault - the hillside vineyard Les Clous, with a touch of Les Crotots. Les Clous provides the body and drive, with Les Crotots, which sits just next to premier cru Poruzots, definition and zip. It is so concentrated with rich, luscious stone fruit in 2021, but it is also fresh, with a fine line of acidity running right through the palate. No new oak is used here; this wine is all about pure fruit expression, with a wonderful texture.

The 2021 Bourgogne Chardonnay Le Haut des Champs has a well-defined bouquet with nectarine and peach aromas. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, quite saline in the mouth with a bitter lemon finish. Fine.

This delicious white comes from a 6 hectare plot grown on limestone soils. This is a new cuvée for Lay & Wheeler this year and one we are delighted to introduce. Aromatic with notes of freshly cut green apple on the nose. The palate is beautifully balanced, packed with juicy apple and citrus fruit, a lovely line of fresh acidity and a long, saline finish. Fantastic!

This parcel in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, right next to Axelle’s cellar, sits at 450 metres altitude. The isolated parcel is naturally low yielding anyway, and, she says, naturally pruned by the local deer. As a result, it's an Aligoté with the yield of a grand cru, Axelle laments in jest. The vines are around 50 years old and around 10% of the vineyard is an old Burgundian variety, Melon de Bourgogne, more commonly found in Muscadet these days. The wine is energetic and delicious, brimming with apples and apricots, and a lacy, fine texture.

This is not named after the inept detective, but after two parcels in Meursault. It is a blend of the hillside vineyard Les Clous, with a touch of Les Crotots. Les Clous provides the body and drive, with Les Crotots, which sits just next to premier cru Poruzots, definition and zip. It is so floral in 2020, but it is also tight, and will need a year or two to open up. No new oak is used here; this wine is all about pure fruit expression, with a wonderful texture.

This is one of few prestigious whites of the Côte de Nuits, and comes from one of the estate’s two monopole vineyards. Clos de l’Arlot is the steep, walled, amphitheatre vineyard just next to the cellars. The 2020 shows an intensity of fruit, wrapped around by some gorgeous toasty notes. It is rich, but with zingy freshness. I can’t think of a better Clos de l’Arlot Blanc from any previous vintage.

This vineyard is tucked up at the top of the village on the border with Auxey-Duresses. The cooler hilltop position helps the wine retain a terrific mineral drive. Its 50 year old vines produce concentrated fruit, that when ripened to perfection, as in 2020, make for a fleshy, full, savoury wine with lots of impact.

The fruit for this blend comes from three sites in Meursault (making up 60%), with the remainder from a single plot in Puligny. In spite of their Bourgogne classification, these sites are high quality, knocking on the door of village level, with shallow topsoil and lots of small stones, aiding drainage. It is a Bourgogne full of lemony freshness and delicious energy.

This cuvée is a blend of two parcels: predominantly the hillside vineyard Les Clous, with a touch of Les Crotots lower down, which sits just next to Poruzots. Marion explained how the styles of the two parcels always complement each other. In 2019 it is smooth and complete, and it is a great shame volumes are down due to frost. No new oak is used here; this wine is all about pure fruit expression, with wonderful texture.

This is a blend of grapes from Corton-Bressandes and Corton-Chaumes. It always displays an abundance of white fruit aromas, complemented by the little hint of vanilla and spice from the oak.

A blend of Les Casses Têtes with Les Murgers de Monthélie, bottled as a blend since 1996. It is a straighter, more driven expression of Meursault, with a narrow, piercing finish. Of all the Javillier Meursaults, this is the most refined and elegant. Leave for a year or two before diving in.

Blagny sits high up, above the heart of the Meursault commune. This altitude brings a focused freshness to the wines. This 2019 has a wonderfully nutty intensity, with a chalky, white blossom character, and long, citrus finish.

Their Corton Blanc is a blend of grapes from Bressandes and Chaumes. One third in Stockinger barrels. This is long with notes of toast and vanilla, but also wonderful white fruit and soaring floral aromatics. The volume builds. This is outstanding - an affordable Grand Cru.

This is made in the old fashioned method, with 12 hours in a vertical whole bunch press, once the skins have been split open. When we tasted it still hadn’t seen sulphur. Very fresh pears and energetic.

Vines were planted in in Blagny, one of Meursault's highest vineyards, in 1984 and this shows in the focus, energy, and vertical character of this wine. Delicate flowers and lovely citrus precision. Very good indeed.

Corton Blanc is rarely seen, indeed the de Nicolay family have the only Chardonnay vines planted in the clay-rich Bressandes grand cru, which makes up 90% of the blend here. It’s a weighty, richly textured white, with admirable precision and balance. This is a rare treat you should snap up if you have the chance.

A blend of grapes from Bressandes and Chaumes, this is a generous but perfectly balanced Grand Cru, with notes of orchard, the texture of pear-skin on the palate, and and long, precise, and slightly pear skin finish.

Porusot is one of the finest vineyards in Meursault, with an enviable south-east exposure. Its stony soils make taut, age-worthy Chardonnay.

This is another recent addition to the Felettig stable. It comes from the northern sector of the Côte de Nuits, from the commune just north of Gevrey-Chambertin. Its 300m elevation and 20% incline give it freshness and grippy precision.

This is a very special village lieu-dit. It is sandwiched between two grands crus: Charmes-Chambertin and Griotte-Chambertin. Most people who own vines here bottle it separately, as its character is of such high quality, it approaches premier cru complexity. This has Gevrey’s classical sour cherry density, and a sweet hint of dark cherry fruit on the palate. The fruit was entirely destemmed for this cuvée, and the body of the wine is juicy and fresh. Excellent.

Rossignol-Trapet owns two very fine parcels of this formidable grand cru. The vines were mostly planted in the 1950s, with a small section of young vines planted in 2000, and another small section planted way back in 1919. This is such an attractive wine in 2021, with magnificent structural texture, and a sophisticated length. It builds and builds, and will age with the best. Perfectly judged.

This is the only parcel the domaine bottles separately from the other Gevrey village parcels. That is thanks to its quite incredible situation, and the consistency of quality it delivers every year. It is sandwiched just between grands crus Charmes-Chambertin and Griotte-Chambertin. It’s almost unbelievable it’s only a village lieu-dit. The Rossignol-Trapet vines lie right alongside the Joseph Roty Charmes Vieilles Vignes parcel, but the soil is more like Griotte-Chambertin just to the north. There is just a hint of black fruit depth combined with the red fruit freshness, something reminiscent of cassis and cherries. The tannins are well-formed, offering structure and frame with a slight broodiness, but not imposing too heavily on the fruit. Very fine.