×
Case only
Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $107.00
While this Champagne from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is still young, showing a crisp, bone-dry character alongside tight...
12 FREE
WE
94
Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $118.39
6 bottles: $117.60
Aromatic pastry dough, creme de cassis, apple blossom and graphite notes are well-meshed in this elegant Champagne....
12 FREE
WS
93
Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $112.08
6 bottles: $108.00
From grand and premier cru vineyards, this Champagne comes from a good but not great vintage. That explains its...
12 FREE
WE
94
WA
93
Sparkling
Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $68.08
12 bottles: $66.72
It was a must for Pommery not to miss out on one of the greatest vintages of champagne. One single term to...
12 FREE
Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $132.00
The 2009 Extra Brut Terre Millésime has arrived at its plateau of maturity. Dried apricot, spice, tangerine peel,...
12 FREE
VM
92
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $68.80
As a young wine, it has the potential to grow and thrive. Its noble heritage is revealed through its purity and...
12 FREE
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $68.80
It opens with fragrant aromas of pear, brioche, beeswax, honey, and sweet spice. On the palate, this wine is ample...
12 FREE
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Sparkling
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $235.05
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $171.01
A vivid Champagne, with a fine mouse acting as a creamy swath around well-honed acidity, which defines this wine and...
WS
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Sparkling
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $1774.45
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $386.84
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $139.73
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $415.95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $1158.07
A white of incredible energy and depth of fruit with a grapefruit, stone and peach character. Some hints of minerals...
JS
100
WA
98
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $733.95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $734.31
Sale
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1690.10 $1797.98
Sale
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1800.43 $1915.35
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Sparkling
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $504.80
TOP 100 FRENCH WINES OF 2017 #38. This is a DP that shows the ripeness of the 2009 vintage yet remains full of...
JS
97
WS
96

Champagne Blend Chardonnay White Bordeaux 2009 France

The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn't unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as 'blanc de blanc', meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or 'blanc de noir', which is made solely with Pinot Noir.

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.

France is widely known as being the home of many of the world's finest white wines, and within France, the name which rings out across the wine world and is always associated with excellence of quality and flavor is Bordeaux. The white wines of the magnificent Bordeaux region are typically blended, and rely on the winemaker's skill and expertise to achieve the fine balance between the primary grape varietals used. Most blended white Bordeaux wines are made up of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle varietals, although there are actually nine grapes officially allowed by French wine law for the inclusion in Bordeaux white wines. The other six are Sauvignon Gris, Merlot Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Ondenc and Mauzac, although the use of these other grapes has been in steady decline over the past century.

Year in, year out, France enjoys its prestigious reputation as the producer of the finest wines in the world. With a wine making history which spans several thousand years and owes its expertise to the Romans, it comes as little surprise that this most highly esteemed of the Old World wine countries continues to impress and enchant both novices and experts to this day. Despite the rise in quality of wines from neighboring European countries, not to mention the New World, the French wine industry continues to boom, with up to eight billion bottles being produced in recent years. However, France prides itself on always putting quality before quantity, and the wide range in fine produce is a testament to the dedication and knowledge of the wineries across the country. Indeed, from rich and complex reds to light and aromatic white wines, French wines are as varied and interesting as they are enjoyable to drink, making this country a firm favorite for wine lovers across the globe.