"Vingt millésimes après son arrivée, Jean Boxler a lentement fait évoluer les réglages pour aujourd'hui vinifier à égalité avec l'élite de l'Alsace. Les vignes sont splendidement situées, aussi bien sur le Sommerberg ou sur le Brand, deux terroirs en riesling. La viticulture est exigeante et soignée, et les élevages adaptés aux vins et aux millésimes. Ici, aucune fausse note, quel que soit le cépage." 5*/5 Bettane+Desseauve
"La famille Barthelmé est l'une des figures de proue des grands vins d'Alsace. Leurs rieslings font référence, en Schlossberg comme en Furstentum, les Gewurztraminers sont souvent remarquables et les Pinots Noirs sont parmi les plus accomplis de la région, rivalisant régulièrement avec les meilleurs spécialistes bourguignons de la catégorie." 4*/5 Bettane+Desseauve
Guillaume Quénard is now the leader of the estate. He is beginning to make his mark with more straightforward, fine wines of superb balance.
"De tous les vignerons corses, Antoine Arena est sans doute celui qui a eu la plus grande volonté de faire connaître ses vins au-delà de l'île. Il a repris le domaine familial en 1975, avec l'aide de sa femme Marie, et l'a hissé parmi les meilleurs de Corse, travaillant dans une approche naturelle, sans produits de synthèse et avec l'apport de fumier naturel, aujourd'hui certifié en agriculture biologique.
Jurançon with a dizzying complexity!
Pantelleria, a small Italian island between Sicily and Tunisia, with its dark, steep, wind-whipped slopes, is where Carole Bouquet has taken up the challenge of resurrecting an anthological wine, Passito.
"Yquem jouit d'un statut unique qui le place pratiquement hors de tout jugement critique. La centaine d'hectares exploités se répartissent entre sémillion et sauvignon, sur des croupes graveleuses avec un sous-sol plus argileux.
Note Bettane+Desseauve : 5/5
"« Nous sommes deux cinglés venus faire du vin ! » Philippe et Catherine Delesvaux ont la parole facile et une joie de vivre qui infuse chacune de leurs cuvées.
The quintessence of Sauvignon...
The reputation of Muscat à petits grains des Bernardins grows vintage after vintage. With its exceptional ageing capacity, the Muscats de Beaume de Venise des Bernardins is a nectar capable of rivalling the greatest natural sweet wines, and is surprisingly greedy when young.
It is on the atoll of Rangiroa in the Tuamotu archipelago, in the heart of the South Pacific, that Dominique Auroy's precious Vin de Tahiti is produced. White and rosé Tahitian wines, with a unique identity, freshness and remarkable aromas reminiscent of the local coral... An ultra original gift!
The treasures of Egon Muller; the undisputed master of the German Mosel.
François Chidaine is now one of the greatest winemakers in the Loire region, and by extension in France, recognised by his peers for his talent as a winemaker but also for his mastery of biodynamic principles.
The famous Henriques & Henriques estate (7 only on the island) has the particularity of having 11 hectares (only) in property in order to control the incoming quality even better. And this only for the white grape varieties: Sercial, Verdelho and Terrantez.
The Vouvray wines of Domaine Huet, with a worldwide reputation for its Vouvray wines, is a very old house. It has been in existence since 1928, located east of Tours on land planted exclusively with Chenin grapes.
"Le plus célèbre des domaines du Jura, en particulier pour son merveilleux vin jaune produit sur les marnes bleues de Château-Chalon. Laurent Macle, son épouse Béatrice et sa sœur Christelle, poursuivent l'œuvre du père Jean avec dévotion, cultivant la rareté et laissant le temps au temps.
What the RVF says in its 2018 Guide
"Christian Roche a pris possession de l'ancien presbytère du petit village de Colombier et des 50 hectares de vignes du domaine étalés à ses pieds.
Viré Clessé wines, unique because of their very high balance, of great class, capable of sublimating many dishes. Full-bodied, rich wines with great ageing potential.
Since 1984, Marc and Thierry Parcé have been perpetuating the history of the family vineyard with the Domaine de la Rectorie, which was started by their great-grandmother Thérèse Reig. Based in Banyuls, between the sea and the mountains, the two brothers produce Banyuls and Collioure wines of very high quality, without doubt the best in the region, always marked by a striking balance
"André Roméro est la figure de l'appellation Rasteau. Aidé désormais de son fils Frédéric et des conseils de Stéphane Derenoncourt, il produit des vins colorés et complexes, avec des corps denses.
"Le millésime 2019 est sans doute le meilleur de la carrière de Jacky Blot. Le domaine compte 25 hectares de chenin au bord de la Loire et du Cher, dont cinq hectares à Vouvray.
"Julien Labet, with the help of his brother and sister, has taken over his father Alain's vineyards, which are now grouped together under a single entity: Domaine Labet. (...) Numerous micro-parcels (between 15 and 80 ares, often from old vines) are vinified by Julien, both in white (all ouillés) and in red, the latter being perhaps the most exceptional to be born today in the region. Sulphur levels are very low but the balance is impossible to fault in the wines. The estate is now one of the spearheads of the Jura revival." RVF Guide 2018
"Stéphane et Marjorie Gallet, les propriétaires surdoués du Roc des Anges, explorent ici avec passion le monde des vins doux naturels. Le résultat est plus convaincant et compte parmi les plus belles expressions du terroir de Maury." 3*/5 Bettane+Desseauve 2022
The Marcel Deiss estate is undoubtedly one of the most exciting estates. Located in Bergheim in the heart of the most beautiful Alsatian terroirs, the family estate now has 27 hectares of vines on 220 separate plots where three Grand Crus and nine Premier Crus are produced each year.
Marie-Thérèse Chappaz - The rare nectars of the Queen of Valais...
"Installé à Jonquières à l'ouest de Montpellier, Olivier Jullien, référence incontestée et incontestable, est parvenu avec intuition et intelligence à hisser au plus haut le niveau qualitatif des vins de la région et a entraîné derrière lui toute une génération de jeunes vignerons.
Stéphane Montez is one of the most dynamic winemakers in the Chavanay area, and in the last few years he has succeeded in becoming a must for wine lovers in the Northern Rhône.
Château Montus and Château Bouscassé are the two masterpieces of Alain Brumont, the pioneer of Madiran, who was the first, as early as 1980, to detect the value of these fabulous terroirs and to compose, vintage after vintage, what can be done best in this sector, by revealing the quintessence of these very great terroirs. Great wines for ageing, capable of competing without difficulty with the greatest Bordeaux wines...
Philippe Darioli - Purity of fruit and elegance
A very talented winemaker to discover first...
"Les Plageoles (Robert et Bernard, son fils) ont été à l'origine du renouveau du vignoble gaillacois, en faisant connaître les variétés du mauzac et les cépages locaux oubliés.
A great reference in Cerdon du Bugey.
Alain Dejean's wines from Domaine Rousset Peyraguey are made using biodynamic methods and are aged for a long period of time. They have incredible depth, freshness and complexity, and can easily compete with the greatest wines of the appellation... at prices that are, to say the least, honest...
Stéphane Ogier represents the 7th generation of the family established in Ampuis, the cradle of the Côte-Rôtie.
The Domaine André et Mireille Tissot of Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot was created in 1962 and is located in Montigny-les-Arsures, a small town close to Arbois, the capital of Jura wines. Stéphane Tissot and his wife Bénédicte officially took over the estate in 1990.
The Pedro Ximenez of the Toro Albala Estate are located in Aguilar de la Frontera, 50 km from Cordoba. Antonio Sanchez Romero is the maker of these unique, handcrafted jewels. He is renowned as a great oenologist who has brought Montilla-Moriles wines to light with his unique wine maturation processes. Meditation wines to discover...
TRAPET ALSACE
"After making wine in Cahors, New Zealand and Tokaj, Sébastien Poly took over this small family estate in 2006. He benefits from a heritage of old vines planted in the 1960s in the granite and clay valley of Taravo, not far from the Comte Abbatucci and Vaccelli estates. He vinifies without yeast, with very little or no sulphite. His wines retain a great aromatic frankness. Certified organic since 2009, he is currently converting to biodynamics, and offers wines of a greediness and digestibility rare in Corsica. Not to be missed." RVF Guide 2018
Very nice Vouvray, biodynamic and at angelic prices...
The Zind-Humbrecht estate, founded in 1959 by the union of the properties of Emile Zind and Zénon Humbrecht, has succeeded in becoming one of the leading French estates over the last few decades. Wine lovers all over the world recognise the exceptional quality of the terroirs and the work of the visionary Olivier Humbrecht, who succeeds in creating the finest Alsatian nuggets year after year.