"wines of the Rhône Valley (both North and South), Southern France, Washington and California's Central and South Coasts. Luis Gutiérrez (wine critic) covers the wines of Spain, Chile and Argentina. Monica Larner is responsible for reviewing the wines of Italy. Neal Martin (wine critic) reviews the wines of Burgundy's Côte d'Or, Macon, Beaujolais, Sauternes, South Africa, Port, Madeira and Banyuls. Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW reviews the wines of Australia and New Zealand. Mark Squires oversees the Mark Squires' Bulletin Board at eRobertParker.com and reviews the wines of Portugal, Israel, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria. Previous Wine Advocate critics include Pierre Rovani, Daniel"
"wine. Hazelnut, licorice, and spice are some of the flavors that can develop as these wines age. Chardonnay is the only permitted AOC grape variety in the Chablis region, with the wines there developing such worldwide recognition that the name ""Chablis"" has taken on somewhat generic connotations to mean any dry white wine, even those not made from Chardonnay. The name is protected in the European Union and for wine sold in the EU, ""Chablis"" refers only to the Chardonnay wine produced in this region of the Yonne """". The region sits on the outer edges of the Paris Basin."
"Mâconnais The Mâconnais district is located in the south of the Burgundy wine region in France, west of the Saône river. It takes its name from the town of Mâcon. It is best known as a source of good value white wines made from the Chardonnay grape; the wines from Pouilly-Fuissé are particularly sought-after. Almost all the wine made in the Mâconnais is white wine. Chardonnay is the main grape grown in the district—in fact, there is a village of that name in the far north of the region. Some plantations of Gamay and Pinot noir are made into red"
"producing areas. It is well known for both its red and white wines, mostly made from Pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes, respectively, although other grape varieties can be found, including Gamay, Aligote, Pinot blanc, and Sauvignon blanc. The region is divided into the Côte-d'Or, where the most expensive and prized Burgundies are found, and Beaujolais, Chablis, the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâcon. The reputation and quality of the top wines, together with the fact that they are often produced in small quantities, has led to high demand and high prices, with some Burgundies ranking among the most expensive wines in the"
"in this northerly region. At the top of the classification are the seven Grand Cru vineyards, which are all located on a single hillside near the town of Chablis. Second in quality are the Premier Cru vineyards, which numbered 40 at the turn of the 21st century, covering an area of . Next is the generic AOC Chablis which, at , is the largest appellation by far in the region and the one exhibits the most variability between producers and vintages. At the lowest end of the classification is ""Petit Chablis"" which includes the outlying land. As of 2004, of"
"Champagne (wine region) The Champagne wine region (archaic ) is a wine region within the historical province of Champagne in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name. EU law and the laws of most countries reserve the term ""Champagne"" exclusively for wines that come from this region located about 100 miles (160 km) east of Paris. The viticultural boundaries of Champagne are legally defined and split into five wine producing districts within the historical province: Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims,"
"in Beaujolais including Beaujolais AOC and Beaujolais-Villages AOC and 10 Crus: Brouilly, Regnié, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Saint-Amour, Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon and Moulin-a-Vent. The Beaujolais region is also notorious for the Beaujolais Nouveau, a popular vin de primeur which is released annually on the third Thursday of November. Bordeaux is a large region on the Atlantic coast, which has a long history of exporting its wines overseas. This is primarily a red wine region, famous for the wines Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château Margaux and Château Haut-Brion from the Médoc sub-region; Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone"
"the Médoc, with entire slopes and plateaus belonging to a single estate. The area of Pauillac contains three of the five first growth estates of Bordeaux. These are Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour and Château Mouton Rothschild. It also includes 15 other classed growths. Situated on two plateaus between Pauillac and Margaux, the wine region of St-Julien has the smallest wine production of the four major regions in the Médoc. The region is divided into essentially two areas - the riverside estates around the village of St.Julien and the southern estates around the village of Beychevelle where the areas Cru Bourgeois"
"Château des jacques Château des Jacques is a wine producer located in , in the north of the Beaujolais region. The 88 hectares of vineyards are spread over six appellations located in Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon, Chénas and Fleurie. Vineyards included in the domaine's holdings include: Grand Clos de Rochegrès, Clos du Grand Carquelin, Champ de Cour, La Roche, Clos des Thorins, La Rochelle and Côte du Py. Since 1996, Château des Jacques has been owned by Maison Louis Jadot, one of the early-stage investors in Beaujolais. Cyril Chirouze currently runs the wine domain at Château des Jacques. In 2016, the Bettane"
"Champagne, it is most often blended with Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier, but is also used to produce single varietal ""blanc de blancs"" styles of sparkling wine. Chardonnay can be found in ""Appellation d'origine contrôlée"" (AOC) wines of the Loire Valley and Jura wine region, as well as the ""vin de pays"" wines of the Languedoc. Chardonnay is one of the dominant grapes in Burgundy, though Pinot noir vines outnumber it by nearly a three-to-one ratio. In addition to Chablis, Chardonnay is found in the Côte d'Or (largely in the Côte de Beaune), as well as the Côte Chalonnaise and"
"ranking for any white wine behind only the 1921 vintage of Chateau d'Yquem. Vouvray (wine) Vouvray is a French wine region in the Loire Valley located in the Touraine district just east of the city of Tours in the commune of Vouvray. The ""Appellation d'origine contrôlée"" (AOC) is dedicated almost exclusively to Chenin blanc; the obscure and minor grape Arbois is permitted but rarely used. Wine production in this area is highly variable and dependent on climate conditions. Cooler years promote the production of dry ""(sec)"" and sparkling Vouvray, while a warmer, more favorable vintage encourages the production of sweet"
"Médoc The Médoc (; ) is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the ""département"" of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from ""(Pagus) Medullicus"", or ""country of the ""Medulli"""", the local Celtic tribe. The region owes its economic success mainly to the production of red wine; it is home to around 1,500 vineyards. The area also has pine forests and long sandy beaches. The Médoc's geography is not ideal for wine growing, with its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean resulting in a comparatively mild"
"and Chardonnay, respectively. Further south is the Côte Chalonnaise, where again a mix of mostly red and white wines are produced, although the appellations found here such as Mercurey, Rully and Givry are less well-known than their counterparts in the Côte d'Or. Below the Côte Chalonnaise is the Mâconnais region, known for producing large quantities of easy-drinking and more affordable white wine. Further south again is the Beaujolais region, famous for fruity red wines made from Gamay grapes. Burgundy experiences a continental climate characterized by cold winters and hot summers. The weather is very unpredictable, with rains, hail, and frost"
"Pouilly-Vinzelles Pouilly-Vinzelles is an ""Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée"" (AOC) for white wine in the Mâconnais subregion Burgundy in central France, located in the communes of Vinzelles and Loché, the latter an associated commune of Mâcon. Pouilly-Vinzelles has Chardonnay as the only allowed grape variety. There are no Premier Cru vineyards within the AOC, as the local growers at the time the regulations were being drawn up never applied for this. The AOC was created in 1940. Pouilly-Vinzelles is located adjacent to the appellation Pouilly-Fuissé, which is considerably larger than Pouilly-Vinzelles, and just south of Pouilly-Loché. These three neighbouring appellations all produce"
"& Desseauve wine guide gave Château des Jacques 3 stars, stating ""A viticulture respecting soil life, a meticulous vinification and a balanced ageing. Everything contributes to give great wines from Beaujolais, which will perfectly age in time."" Château des jacques Château des Jacques is a wine producer located in , in the north of the Beaujolais region. The 88 hectares of vineyards are spread over six appellations located in Moulin-à-Vent, Morgon, Chénas and Fleurie. Vineyards included in the domaine's holdings include: Grand Clos de Rochegrès, Clos du Grand Carquelin, Champ de Cour, La Roche, Clos des Thorins, La Rochelle and"
"was abolished, and reintroduced in 2010 as an annual ""mark of quality"" depending on independent annual assessment. Médoc The Médoc (; ) is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the ""département"" of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from ""(Pagus) Medullicus"", or ""country of the ""Medulli"""", the local Celtic tribe. The region owes its economic success mainly to the production of red wine; it is home to around 1,500 vineyards. The area also has pine forests and long sandy beaches. The Médoc's geography is"
"Vouvray (wine) Vouvray is a French wine region in the Loire Valley located in the Touraine district just east of the city of Tours in the commune of Vouvray. The ""Appellation d'origine contrôlée"" (AOC) is dedicated almost exclusively to Chenin blanc; the obscure and minor grape Arbois is permitted but rarely used. Wine production in this area is highly variable and dependent on climate conditions. Cooler years promote the production of dry ""(sec)"" and sparkling Vouvray, while a warmer, more favorable vintage encourages the production of sweet ""moelleux"" or ""liquoreux"" styles produced by noble rot in a manner similar to"
"Montagne-Saint-Émilion AOC Montagne-Saint-Émilion is an ""Appellation d'origine contrôlée"" (AOC) for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of France, where it is situated in the Libourne subregion on the right bank of the Dordogne. It was granted AOC status on 14 November 1936, and the AOC designation granted to the wines which have been harvested on the land of the Montagne commune or in its hamlets, Parsac and Saint-Georges. of vine planted areas have belonged to the appellation in 2005, with a production of 74,130 hl. Montagne-Saint-Émilion only produces red wine, and nearly all of the grape varieties from Bordeaux can"
"Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne () is a former administrative region of France, located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium. Mostly corresponding to the historic province of Champagne, the region is known for its sparkling white wine of the same name. The administrative region was formed in 1956, consisting of the four departments Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. On 1 January 2016, it merged with the neighboring regions of Alsace and Lorraine to form the new region Grand Est, thereby ceasing to exist as an independent entity. Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the Seine, the Marne, and the"
"the Auxerrois region is renowned for the grapes grown here which are used in the production of Chablis. To the south lies the mountainous massif of Morvan, the highest parts of which are in the neighbouring department of Nièvre. The department has some forested areas but is mainly down to pasture or cultivated for wheat. Over fifty percent of the inhabitants of the department are engaged in agricultural activities, and it is one of the poorest and most rural departments in France. During the hundred years leading up to 1962, its population declined by around 100,000 while all of the"
"Bordeaux wine regions The wine regions of Bordeaux are a large number of wine growing areas, differing widely in size and sometimes overlapping, which lie within the overarching wine region of Bordeaux, centred on the city of Bordeaux and covering the whole area of the Gironde department of Aquitaine. The Bordeaux region is naturally divided by the Gironde Estuary into a Left Bank area which includes the Médoc and Graves and a Right Bank area which includes the Libournais, Bourg and Blaye. The Médoc is itself divided into Haut-Médoc (the upstream or southern portion) and Bas-Médoc (the downstream or northern"
"The region around Vouvray, Montlouis-sur-Loire and Touraine has some of the most diverse plantings of all the Loire region and makes a wide variety of white, red and rosé wines. For white wines the main grape is Chenin blanc but Sauvignon blanc and (to a smaller extent) Chardonnay is also planted. For red wines the main grape is Cabernet franc with some smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay and Malbec. The rosé wines are made from an assortment of Gamay, Pineau d'aunis, Pinot gris and Pinot noir. The villages of Vouvray and Montlouis are the largest appellations in the region"
"gravel that allows the soil to drain very well. The wines from this area are very susceptible to weather effects during the growing season and harvest. The area is home to more 21 classified growths, more than any other appellation, with numerous second and third growths as well as one first growth, Château Margaux. The area just south of Margaux is called Southern Médoc with wines produced in this area using the Haut-Médoc designation. This area includes the classified growths of Château La Lagune in Ludon and Château Cantemerle in Macau. This region is bordered on the north by the"
"Saint-Julien AOC Saint-Julien is an ""Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée"" (AOC) for red wine in the Bordeaux region, located in the Médoc subregion. It takes its name from the commune Saint-Julien-Beychevelle and is one of the six communal appellations in Médoc. A number of classified (""Grand Cru Classé"") Bordeaux estates are located within the appellation. The tradition of wine-growing in Saint-Julien-Beychevelle and the way in which its ""terroir"" has come to prominence parallels the history of the Médoc wines in general. Saint-Julien wines are mainly produced in the commune of Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, but a few plots can be found elsewhere in Cussac-Fort-Médoc and"
"Chaumont – Amboise – Clos-Lucé – Langeais – Gizeux – Les Réaux – Montsoreau – Montreuil-Bellay – Saint-Loup-sur-Thouet – Saumur – Boumois – Brissac – Montgeoffroy – Plessis-Bourré – Château des Réaux The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of Anjou, Saumur, Bourgueil, Chinon, and Vouvray. The Loire Valley itself follows the river through the Loire"
"since the pomace is a by-product of wine production. Champagne (wine region) The Champagne wine region (archaic ) is a wine region within the historical province of Champagne in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name. EU law and the laws of most countries reserve the term ""Champagne"" exclusively for wines that come from this region located about 100 miles (160 km) east of Paris. The viticultural boundaries of Champagne are legally defined and split into five wine producing districts within the historical province: Aube,"
"higher profit of producing sparkling wine. Coteaux Champenois AOC Coteaux Champenois is a wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in the Champagne province of France. It covers the same area as sparkling Champagne production, but covers only still wines. The grapes are the same as those allowed for sparkling Champagne: Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier for red wines, and Chardonnay for whites. Rosé wines are made very rarely, but there is also a rosé AOC in the Champagne region, Rosé des Riceys. Like sparkling Champagne, most wines are non-vintage. Production is small, especially in vintages where yields are low, given the"
"à fusil"" or ""gunflint"" quality that is characteristic of Chablis wine. Chardonnay was believed to be first planted in Chablis by the Cistercians at Pontigny Abbey in the 12th century. Today, the Chardonnay made in the Chablis region is one of the ""purest"" expression of the varietal character of the grape due to the simplistic style of winemaking favored in this region. Chablis winemakers want to emphasise the ""terroir"" of the calcareous soil and cooler climate that help maintain high acidity. The wines rarely go through malolactic fermentation or are exposed to oak (though its use is increasing). The biting,"
"appellations Bourgogne rouge or blanc or Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise. Bouzeron Bouzeron is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France. Bouzeron is a wine-growing village located near Chagny. It is 15-20 kilometers (9-12 mi) from Beaune and from Chalon-sur-Saône. Bouzeron is also an ""appellation d'origine contrôlée"" in the Cote Chalonnaise sub-region of Burgundy for a white wine made exclusively from the Aligoté grape, created in 1998. It is the only communal appellation for Aligoté wine, the rest of them being sold under the regional appellation Bourgogne Aligoté AOC. Pinot noir and Chardonnay wines are"
"Château Poujeaux Château Poujeaux lies in the wine-producing district of Moulis-en-Médoc in the Bordeaux region of France. It is one of the most highly regarded wines within Moulis, alongside Château Chasse-Spleen. In the 2003 classification of ""Cru Bourgeois"" wines, Château Poujeaux was one of just nine to be placed in the highest category, ""Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels"". The property was owned by the Theil family until early 2008, when it was bought by Philippe Cuvelier, also owner of Clos Fourtet. The vineyard covers and produces about 25,000 cases of wine per year. The grape varieties used are 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40%"
"Loire Valley (wine) The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of Anjou, Saumur, Bourgueil, Chinon, and Vouvray. The Loire Valley itself follows the river through the Loire province to the river's origins in the Cévennes but the majority of the wine production takes place in the regions noted above. The area includes 87 appellations under the"
"Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (commonly referred to as Pichon Lalande or Pichon Comtesse) is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen ""Deuxièmes Crus"" (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. With 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot, Pichon Lalande has an unusually high proportion of Merlot for a Pauillac"
"Mâconnais. The grapes of the region are predominantly Pinot noir and Chardonnay with some Aligoté and Gamay also grown in vineyards spread over a stretch of 25 kilometers long and 7 kilometers wide of undulating land in which vineyards are interspersed with orchards and other forms of farming. The wine-producing communes of the Côte Chalonnaise are, from the north: Bouzeron, the only communal AOC for Aligoté still wine; Rully, which has 23 premier cru vineyards and is known for its white wines as well as being a center for ""Crémant"" sparkling wines production; Mercurey, which with 30 premier cru vineyards"