Taste the Tour Packs 2017

Get set for the Tour.

It’s that time of year again. It's time to enjoy the legendary Tour de France! Aussie Richie Porte is one of the favourites with team BMC, which will add to the Aussie interest, but who doesn't love the scenery anyway?

You can enjoy the sights of the racing and the stunning scenery whilst enjoying a selection of French wine.

The wines in this 6 pack are sourced from vineyards in Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley, Provence (the home of rosé), Madiran in South West France, and Jurançon in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This year these regions are covered during the final 2 weeks of the race. You can drink each wine when the tour reaches that region, or just enjoy whenever you want, before during or after the Tour! Grab some Tour snacks, turn up the heating and enjoy. Follow the virtual peleton on social media. #tdf #tdf17

These wines (2 whites, 3 reds and a rosé) represent very good value for money and are a great introduction to DiscoverVin’s french wines. And all at a fraction of the price of a ticket to France!

6 wines in the Taste the Tour Pack 2017:

Burgundy (stage 7, July 7) 
Domaine Lupé-Cholet Comte de Lupé, Bourgogne (Pinot Noir ) 2014
Bordeaux region (stage 10, July 11) 
Maison Sichel Sirius Bordeaux Blanc 2014
Madiran – South West France (stage 11, July 12) 
Producteurs Plaimont Madiran Collection, 2012
Jurançon – in the foothills of the Pyrenees (stages 12 & 13, July 13 &14)
Château Jolys, Jurançon Sec, 2014
Rhone Valley (stages 16 & 17, July 18 & 19)
Domaine Roche Audran Côtes du Rhone 2015
Provence (stages 19 & 20, July 21 & 22)
Domaine de la Croix Irrésistible Rosé, cru classé Provençal rosé 2014

For more information click here

Our top 5 Christmas Suggestions 2016

'Tis the season to be jolly! Here are our top 5 Christmas/New Year wine suggestions.


Gift Packs
Christmas is all about giving after all. We have some great gift packs ready to be sent. We can send to you or to the gift recipient. We can include a personalised note.

We also have digital gift cards at various price points that can be redeemed on line.

Jump on line or give Helen a call on 0260 206 016 or 0414596395 for ideas.

Champagne

Many of us look forward to a glass or two of bubbles with friends and family over Christmas. This one is fantastic. Its being poured in some great restaurants in Australia and around the world.  Its well-priced enough to pour a glass for your family (well maybe!) By the bottle its $54 or $49 in a six pack.

Rosé
We are thrilled to see the rise and rise of dry rosé. Rosé sales now exceed white wine in France, and it has really taken off in Australia in the last few years. We have 4 lovely rosé wines. 

Chateau Rollan de By 2008

This is a special wine that would go perfectly with turkey and ham and everything festive. It recently out scored the famous Chateau Margaux and Chateau Cheval Blanc (featured in the movie Sideways) in a blind tasting. Both these wines sell for >$1000 per bottle. We heard its being served on Air France business class! This is $59. A special wine to enjoy over the holiday period. Limited stocks. Find it here.

Mixed packs

We have some great mixed packs at various price points with a mix of rose/whites/reds and dessert wines. 

Don't forget we can send to your holiday address. 

Some clever customers have done this in previous years and had a case of their favourites delivered to their holiday accommodation/agents. Brilliant! Click here to buy.

Courier deadlines are approaching so please jump on line and order ASAP.

Whatever you are doing this holiday season, eat and drink well but drink responsibly.

A perfect Sunday in Bordeaux

It was one of those Bordeaux blue sky mornings! We woke late, thanks to the jet lag, then enjoyed a quick breakfast of fresh baguette and croissants from the local boulangerie. 

We strolled down to the Chartrons Market. Known locally as the "Bo Bo" market (meaning Bohemian Bourgeois or "trendster") one can choose from a vast array of produce- fresh fruit and vegetables, artisanal cheeses, wine, bread, patisserie, fresh and pre-cooked meats, poultry and seafood dishes. 

But the highlight for us, and our priority any sunny Sunday that we are lucky enough to be in Bordeaux, is the oyster stalls. There 6 oysters of your choice (which grade/size?) are shucked to order, and best washed down with a glass of Bordeaux Blanc. These oysters are so fresh one can taste the salty waters of the Basin d'Arcachon where these were harvested on the previous low tide.  A perfect Bordeaux lunch. Then we grabbed some macarons for later.

Macaron stand Chartrons market #bordeaux #sunday #dimanche #marche #macarons #france

A photo posted by discovervinwines (@discovervinwines) on Jun 26, 2016 at 5:39am PDT

Bordeaux was heaving, with the Euro finals in full swing. We found a bar near the Garonne to watch France v Ireland. 

Fete le Vin, the Bordeaux wine festival, was underway as well . Crowds of wine lovers spilled from the wine tasting stands along the banks of the Garonne clutching wine glasses but were seemingly well behaved. 

After the French match many of the tens of thousands of football fans from the nearby Fansite in Place de Quinconces headed to the wine stands. We found these 2 wearing the famous French coq symbol...

I suppose you would call these guys coq-heads? Allez les bleus! #france #bordeaux #euros

A photo posted by discovervinwines (@discovervinwines) on Jun 26, 2016 at 9:03am PDT

We had a stroll through the wine festival site but decided not to taste, due to the crowds. 

Instead we decided to retreat to our apartment for a quiet Apero, before heading out to dinner. We enjoyed a glass of wonderful Domaine de la Croix Irrésistible rosé, cru classé from Provence.

Apero #bordeaux @domaine_de_la_croix #rose #provence #wine #wineandfood

A photo posted by discovervinwines (@discovervinwines) on Jun 26, 2016 at 10:03am PDT

We took a short stroll across the Pont de Pierre to Restaurant l'Estacade. It features a lot local seafood dishes. One of those menus where its hard to decide what to choose. It has a very good wine list with some top local wines, plus a good selection from other parts of France (which is a bit bit shocking in Bordeaux) and interesting wines by the glass thanks to Coravin. The service is excellent and the restaurant has a stunning view across the Garonne looking back to Place de la Bourse and central Bordeaux. 

It's a perfect place to watch the sun set in this stunning natural ampitheatre, with water meeting sky, and framing the stunning architecture of the Bordeaux waterfront.

Gorgeous evening in #bordeaux

A photo posted by discovervinwines (@discovervinwines) on Jun 26, 2016 at 1:11pm PDT

At 11pm we had a fantastic view of the Fete le Vin son et lumière (sound and light show ).

 


Then at 1130pm we ordered a half bottle of Gosset rosé Champagne and moved to the deck to watch the fireworks exploding above our heads over the Garonne. An amazing ending to a perfect Sunday in Bordeaux.

Spectacular #bordeaux @bordeauxfetevin

A photo posted by discovervinwines (@discovervinwines) on Jun 26, 2016 at 3:02pm PDT

Chateau Beychevelle Grand Bateau Bordeaux Blanc Part 2

We have previously written a blog post on this excellent white wine from Chateau Beychevelle in Bordeaux, entitled "The ship has come in for white wine fanciers". 

Since then it has had some excellent reviews.

It was reviewed in a trade magazine National Liquor News article on sauvignon blanc and received the highest score amongst all of the sauvignon blancs submitted from Australia, New Zealand and France. They gave it 94.5 points.

Great opening @NatLiquorNews to see @Beychevelle1855 Grand Bateau #Bordeaux Blanc highest rated #sauvignonblanc pic.twitter.com/D50Ket4exD

— DiscoverVin (@discovervin) December 7, 2015

It was also reviewed by iconic aussie wine writer Winsor Dobbin who made it one of his wine of the week In December 2015.  "Looking for a white wine that offers a little bit more than simple fresh fruit flavours? You've come to the right place. Grand Bateau is a collaboration between Maison Barrière and sister Bordeaux company Chateau Beychevelle, and made by Beychevelle winemaker Philippe Blanc. Sometimes a blend with a semillon component, the 2014 vintage is made from 100% sauvignon blanc with some parcels vinified in oak barrels and others in vats. The end result is a complex palate, full of interest, in which toasty vanillin oak co-exists alongside rich stone fruit characters. A wine of balance and interest'

Our friends The Wine Wankers also tried it and said this..

Invitingly leads you into lovely fruit, vanilla and toast complexity. Very quaffable #wine! In Aus by @discovervin. pic.twitter.com/VrikreEyoA
— The Wine Wankers (@winewankers) January 13, 2016

Also mentioned in a blog recently by Madeline Puckette at Wine Folly on best value Bordeaux wines. 

And Sean Mitchell in the Grape Observer "In the glass, this release has charming aromatics of lemon, stones, minerals and old cedar.  Food friendly, the palate is fresh with good acidity and great balance."

It has been impressing us recently as a lovely wine to drink and as a great match to many summer foods including salads. Pick some up here at our website or ask your favourite independent liquor store to get it in. Also available at wholesale price to trade (price on application to info@discovervin.com.au) 

Drinks on Helen

Helen was recently interviewed by the Daily Telegraph in Sydney! 

The ship has come in for white Bordeaux fanciers.

We have literally cleared the decks for the arrival of the first shipment of 2014 Grand Bateau Blanc from Chateau Beychevelle. And right on cue, this wine has received the highest score (94.5 points) in trade magazine National Liquor News' tasting of sauvignon blanc.

Emblazoned with the famous Beychevelle long boat on the label, the 2014 vintage is billed as one of the best white's recent years from this prominent producer.

The same team that produces the prestigious Chateau Beychevelle red wine makes Grand Bateau which is 100% sauvignon blanc. Beycheville is one of a handful of medoc producers who also make a white wine

Philippe Blanc, Chateau Beychevelle’s chief winemaker, guides the assemblage of wines based on a selection of the best wines from the Beychevelle estates.  Chateau Beychevelle follows “terra vitis” and “sustainable viticulture” practices, to produce high quality grapes using environmentally friendly methods.

Chateau Beychevelle is a classified Saint-Julien cru classé producer with a tradition of growing vines on the Garonne gravel of the Médoc dating back to the Middle Ages.

Our previous vintages of Grand Bateau have been increasingly well received by our trade and online customers. We hope that with this brilliant example there will be a lot of delighted, light bulb moments from discerning Australian wine drinkers when they try it.  

And at $32 for this classy, well made white it’s even easier to swallow! 

2014 Grand Bateau Blanc

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc 100%

Alcohol: 12.5 % VOL

Wine making:  Pre-fermentation maceration results in a wonderful aromatic structure. 70% of the juice is fermented in new oak barrels for four months, with accompanying batonnage (stirring of the lees or yeast to give some creaminess and richness to the wine)

Our Tasting notes:  Aromatic nose with buttery-vanillin oak notes and exotic fruit.  On the palate the wine is round, fleshy with wonderful minerality and delightful exotic fruit flavours. Lovely balance between the oak, fruit and acidity.  Excellent finish.

RRP $32.00 (trade price on application info@discovervin.com.au )

This was a standout wine at the Vinexpo 2015 wine exhibition in Bordeaux.   It offers value for money and exquisite drinking. Just drink on its own, enjoy with a pre-dinner platter or seafood and white meats.

This wine is available in Australia exclusively to DiscoverVin.

Click here to order online.

We enjoyed it with a beetroot, blood orange and feta salad. Perfect match! 

Beetroot, blood orange and feta salad with classy sav blanc from Chateau Beychevelle in Bordeaux http://www.discovervin.com.au/shop/item/grand-bateau-copy #wine #medoc #bordeaux #bordeauxblanc

A photo posted by discovervinwines (@discovervinwines) on Sep 13, 2015 at 2:24am PDT

If you would like to know more about this famous Bordeaux producer, watch this video from Bordeaux wine distributor Millesima..

Undervalued French Appellations

This week we are highlighting wines from a recent article in Forbes magazine about "appellations that are under-valued". Per and Britt Karlsson wrote "France makes some of the world’s most expensive wines. But it also makes some much more modestly priced wines. It is a fantastic source for value for money in wine, provided you know where to look. Here I have selected five wines that in general I would consider to be under-valued and that are definitely worth trying."

The 5 regions/styles were

• Languedoc
• Cahors- frequently referred to as a region "renewed" or "on the rise". See more here.
• Jurançon sec- known for its dessert wines but the dry whites are receiving much attention awards in international shows. We work with 2 of the best producers (Domaine Bellegarde, an organic producer and Chateau Jolys )
• Loire Chenin Blanc
• Bordeaux- Karlrson : "I am of course not thinking of the Big Names, the ones that you may have read about in the “primeurs” reporting. Instead, take a look at the “mid-range”.  I suggest that you avoid most of the big brands (although some of them are quite good) and look for the smaller, private producers"

Yes that's right we have been saying for a while now, there are good value quality producers in Bordeaux!

Robert Parker, on his retirement from rating and reviewing Bordeaux also wrote:

“There is more diversity in wine styles than ever before. The choices are unbelievable. We all benefit from that.”

Parker picked out some key trends that have emerged in the global wine world since he started.

“Spain is the giant that has awakened,” he said. “It has these great old vineyards. In 1978 the only Spanish wines available in the US were a few Riojas. Cava was later.

“Southern France – the entire Rhone valley, Languedoc, Rousillon, Corsica, south west France apart from Bordeaux – has emerged."

At DiscoverVin we firmly believe there is a growing market for good value Bordeaux and wines across southern France especially the south west appellations and Rhone. We work with mostly small independent producers that are working on renewed vineyards. Many are at the forefront of the movement towards organic and biodynamic production. All are  making authentic, terroir driven delicious and good value wines.

For more browse our website.

Vinexpo news and insights

We wish that everyone who loves wine, gets to walk the red carpet at Vinexpo in Bordeaux, at least once in their life. It is pretty amazing to glide to a stop on the glass tram then step out on to - what 500 m or so?- of floating pontoon/red carpet, and to arrive in the massive convention space. This was our third Vinexpo and it was still exciting to meet suppliers and try new vintages and look at new products.

The Vinexpo stats are pretty impressive.

• about 2350 exhibitors from 42 countries- a conspicuous absence of oz producers one would have to say.
• close to 50,000 visitors- down a little on 2013 but exhibitors commented on a higher "quality" of visitors and more deals done and more optimism generally compared to 2013. Foreigners made up 36% of visitors with China, USA, Spain and Italy leading the way.
• some new innovations including Digizone where digital/social marketing innovations were a focus, there was a Vinexpo mobile app and One2Wine- a digital meeting booking system. 
• Many of the innovations were aimed at keeping up with Prowein which exhibitors praised for bigger size, more international focus, lower costs, more efficiency and better timing in vintage/buying cycle (March). Fair enough but hey Dusseldorf is not Bordeaux right!

Winners

• rosé: sales continue to climb, and there is an emerging differentiation between premium rosé (such as our Domaine de la Croix) and "vin de soif" (scoffing wines). There are now second labels of premium rosé and just about every European appellation seems to be making one, not just Provence and Bordeaux and certainly not just France. 
• grower champagne: buyers seem to be turning away from the perpetually discounted brands and looking for authentic artisanal products. Grower champagne has hit the mainstream says Jancis Robinson and there seemed to be plenty of evidence of that. Our own Achille Princier has been exceptionally well recieved and the Mansard Family are now struggling with demand.
• "garagiste" or "vinarchiste " or "super" wines. Call them what you will but producers in  Bordeaux, Loire, Languedoc, Rhone and even Burgundy are breaking the appellation rules and happily calling their wines Vin de France or IGP wines especially so for the export market. They are making modern, clean, varietal driven wines still authentic and expressive and usually under screw cap! Anarchy! Watch this space! We have some new lines to launch in Oz later this year.
• biodynamic/organic wines are ready for prime time. Currently 8% of French wines are certified as organic but it seems like the number under conversion is vast. Certainly in the price points/quality levels we were looking at, it felt like the majority of producers are organic or in conversion.The poster below from Producteurs Plaimont, the biggest producer in Madiran and St Mont is a sign of the times with an increasing proportion of their vineyards converting to organic. 
• the "small" appellations of Bordeaux: Bourg, Canon-Fronsac, St Emilion satellites, Graves, Listrac-Médoc etc where there has been great strides made in quality of production in recent years.
• Bordeaux the city. Is it possible to be in love with a city? I hope so because we sure are! It just seems to be getting better at every visit. And it is about to go up a notch with the arrival of the super fast train from Paris and the International City of Wine (Wine Museum) both possibly in time for Vinexpo 2017. The new museum alone is expected to attract more than one million visitors per year.

Losers

• Sauternes- lots of talk about the resistance in the market to "sticky" wines but the increased attention on wines such as Jurançon with high acidity/dryer finish. We expect to see falling Sauternes prices esp outside of the top brands and more and more dry Sauternes which are wonderful Graves/White Bordeaux and well received in the market
• vintage 2013: a very difficult wet vintage in many parts of France. Some wines are OK where the wines were not "over-made" and meticulous vineyard methods and section practices were followed. One of our producers lost his entire vintage due to rot in the vineyard (organic producer). Many of our producers were happy to let us pass over the 2013's and go straight to the 2014 wines which are generously fabulous. This was worth the price of the trip alone.
• homogeneous Bordeaux: There are lots of excellent wines out there but there was a "sameness" to many of the Bordeaux we tasted (perhaps reflecting modern wine-making methods across the regions) so we have concentrated on some authentic small producers and wines with some distinct character or a good story. It was a case of finding some outstanding gems amongst the very good pack so (as before) we end up with well curated lists.

At DiscoverVin we firmly believe there is a growing market for good value Bordeaux and wines across southern France especially the south west appellations, Rhone and Provence. We work with mostly small independent producers that are working on renewed vineyards/wineries. Many are at the forefront of the movement towards organic and biodynamic production. All are making authentic, terroir driven delicious and good value wines. Our trip to Bordeaux affirmed the importance of the types of wines we are looking for.

And now a final word on Vinexpo, commercialisation and product placement....."Don't lose a drop of it" !

DiscoverVin Top 10 wines of 2014 (Part 2)

This is the second part of our Top 10 wines of 2014. Part one can be found here.

The top 5 was dominated by rosé and white wine. Wines 6 to 10 features a wonderful Champagne and some great value reds.

6.Achille Princier Champagne Grand Tradition NV $54


This champagne was new to DiscoverVin in 2014. 
Its a great value Champagne from a small producer. 

It received 2 stars in French "wine bible" Guide Hachette 2014, beating a lot of well-known champagne brands, so it doesn't get any better at this price. 

Oz wine writer Sean Mitchell reviewed it recently: " Overall, this is a very impressive Champagne and one that I'll be buying. " 

It has quickly become one of our best sellers.

More details on this link.








7. Chateau Laroche Joubert 2011 $29.90

The 2010 version of this wine was selected in Gourmet Traveller magazine's Bordeaux feature in August 2014 and made it into the top 10 - and quickly sold out. This 2011 we think is just as good!

An easy drinking merlot blend from the Bordeaux Cotes de Bourg appellation. The vineyards of Bourg face Margaux across the Gironde estuary and offer exceptional quality and excellent value for money.

This is a good example of what we specialise in- finding good value Bordeaux wines from small producers.

The guys from The Wine Wankers loved this one. Read about it here. 

More details and technical information is available here






8.Chateau Haut Monplasir Prestige AOC Cahors 2006 $34.90

A great Malbec from the Cahors region from a top organic producer. 

This wine was mentioned in a review of Cahors, where the malbec grape originates from, in Decanter October 2014 as an up and coming producer.
Château Haut-Monplaisir is owned by Cathy and Daniel Fournié.  Cathy took over from her parents in the 1990s and adopted modern practices. These approaches have lead to impressive improvements in the wines from the property. They are now certified organic producers.



"Cahors is that rarest of all wines: both a rising star and a timeless classic." --The Guardian (UK) April 2013. 

This producer is a rising star of Cahors and this vintage is one of their classics. Details here.




9 .Chateau de Saurs 2010 $24.00

This wine is from the Gaillac region near Toulouse in south-west France. Wines have been made here from Roman times. Nowadays both "new" varieties like Shiraz and merlot are used as well as ancient indigenous varieties that grow wild and were domesticated many centuries ago.

This one is a blend of shiraz, merlot and an indigenous variety Braucol.

"This is easily the best Gaillac wine that I have tried" Sean Mitchell, Grape Observer, June 2014.

Another good example of the wines that DiscoverVin is bringing to Australia. From an ancient vineyard that has been producing quality grapes for many centuries, premium grapes are now being made into modern, organic and clean wines while retaining characteristics typical of the terroir. 

Again this offers great value for money for the quality!

This wine was awarded a Silver medal at the Concours National des Vignerons Independants 2010.

Please click here for more information



10. Chateau Truquet 2011  $31

A rare budget-friendly Saint-Émilion red wine which you will love for its soft rich fruit, balance and complexity. 

This is an undervalued producer that is the immediate neighbour of famed Chateau Figeac (which sells for many times the price.) 

Bronze Medal Concours des Grands Vins de France (Macon).

Another example of the great value wines we are bringing from France.

Further details can be found here.



To recap, out Top 10 for 2014 included 2 rosé, a dry white, 5 great value reds from a mixture of appellations, a new Champagne to Australia and a stunning dessert wine from the Pyrenees. If you haven't tried any of our wines, we suggest that any of these top 10 would be a great place to start!

Prices above are for online customers. Trade enquiries welcome via info@discovervin.com.au or 0260 206 016

Please see our website for terms and conditions. 

Chateau Laroche Joubert 2011. An example, par excellence, of a good value wine from Bordeaux

One of our favourite red wines at the moment is Chateau Laroche Joubert 2011.

We sent a sample to our friends at The Wine Wankers, one of the wine blog/social media sensations of 2014. They have over 120k twitter followers and are rated by Klout and others as one of the most influential in our industry. You can read about their amazing journey here.

This story about this wine review began when we met Conrad from The Wine Wankers at a trade tasting in November 2014.

There are some total @winewankers at this tasting !

A photo posted by discovervinwines (@discovervinwines) on Nov 11, 2014 at 5:33pm PST

He challenged us to prove that good value wines existed in Bordeaux. So we showed him some wines at the tasting and then sent him a sample of this wine. We thought that this wine could help prove the point about good value wines and Bordeaux.


You can see for yourself what the team thought ...

This was a cracker of a Bordeaux sent to us by @discovervinwines! Really good value and shows that enjoyable Bordeaux doesn't have to be expensive.

A photo posted by The Wine Wankers (@winewankers) on Jan 1, 2015 at 8:31pm PST

Nice! We'd like to thank The Wine Wankers for trying the wine and for taking the time to let us know their thoughts. 

For more information on this (and other) good value wine from Bordeaux, click here. 

Classic French food and wine matches at Christmas

We blogged this last December 2014 and we think it is just as relevant today. We have updated the links to some new vintages...

"Figaro magazine in France this week published an article on the classic wine and food matches of a traditional  French Christmas meal. 

It gave some common-sense insights into the classic matching of French wines and Christmas dishes. These rules also apply in Australia, whether you are serving French wines or not.

It said "The golden rule of successful and easy matches, consists of choosing wines that discretely flatter the dishes, but never eclipse them." (Well we are pretty sure that's what the article- in French- said! We had to translate it!)

Entrees

For an entrée of smoked salmon they suggest "a lively and dry white wine such as a Sancerre or Muscadet."  
From our portfolio we would suggest a Bordeaux Blanc (100% sauvignon blanc) such as the incredibly good value Chateau Beycheville 2014 (Good rating in Grape Observer $32) or a wine that has been wowing in tasting events recently Domaine Bellegarde Jurançon sec La Pierre Blanche 2009 ( $41) if you want a special white wine to start.

The French traditionally have a foie gras dish at Christmas. The classic match for that, as suggested by Figaro is a sweet white such as Sauternes, Coteax-du-Layon, Jurançon or a Monbazillac. 
Foie gras is not something we often do in Australia at Christmas time. Recently at the Paris to Provence Melbourne French Festival, the french expats though were lining up to buy bottles of Domaine Bellegarde Cuvée Tradition 2012 from Jurançon ($35.90) and Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure (Monbazillac) 2005 ($50) to have with paté/foie gras at Christmas. If you like Sauternes we have one from Chateau Rolland a small family producer,named by the "10 best list" in the top 10 best value Bordeaux ($68.50).  So if you want to do as the French do, or you are looking for a wine match for pates or terrines over the holiday season these wines have an absolute wow factor! 

According to Le Figaro, oysters, "because of their iodine content and slight "nuttiness" need more acidic white wines like Entre-deux-Mers or Champagne".
We have 2 perfect partners for seafood in that instance: Chateau de la Bouyère Blanc 2014 from the Entre deux Mers region of Bordeaux, an unwooded sauvignon blanc/semillon blend, and our fabulous award winning Achille Princier Grande Tradition NV Champagne ($54) This champagne has been getting a great reaction since we started selling it recently. It is also available in a 6-pack for $49 per bottle.

Figaro suggests Champagne for seafood, crab, scallops, lobster, prawns and the Achille Princier would be perfect!

Main Courses

According to Figaro, the main courses are the chance to drink the grand wines of Burgundy or good vintages of Bordeaux! 
DiscoverVin can certainly help you out there with a range of Bordeaux that are special, have some age and are ready to enjoy but won't break the bank!  Current favourites include Chateau Rollan de By 2008 ($59) and Chateau Haut-Vigneau 2008 ($38, 16.5 points Jancis Robinson)

Specifically Figaro suggests matching a stuffed turkey with Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a Pomerol or a Saint Emilion. 
We don't have a Chateauneuf-du-Pape but we have a wonderful wine from nearby in the southern Rhone that has been likened by many to a good Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It's from a biodynamic producer: Domaine Roche Audran Cuvée César 2011 ($35.90). Pure fruit driven blackberry and raspberry 100% old vine Grenache loveliness- one of our current best sellers. In blind tastings it is picked as Chateauneuf-du-pape

We have some great Pomerol Chateau Rouget 2006 ($95) and some wonderful Saint Émilion from bargain level Chateau Truquet 2011 ($31) to the excellent Petit Figeac 2007 ($85) from the famous Figeac estate, and to what Parker called "hedonistic" grand cru Chateau Dassault 2006 ($99). 

Cheese and dessert

For cheese a late harvest ("vendanges tardives") is suggested. 
We have an excellent vendanges tardives from Producteurs Plaimont in Madiran called St Albert Pacherenc du Vic Bilh 2009 ($41.50 stocks very limted). This a great wine, named best import by Huon Hooke. This is from the excellent 2009 harvest, picked just before the first snowfalls of the season and is a fabulous match with a cheese platter.  

With chocolate Figaro suggests a fortified wines such as port or a rich dessert wine! 
We suggest a Rutherglen muscat or a rich dessert wine such as the lusciously sweet Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure Extase 2005 ($59.90, stocks very limited) from Monbazillac. A rich botrytis affected wine. Very French and a wonderful way to finish a memorable meal. 

We are sure these wines will flatter your Christmas dishes!

Click on the links to see more information on the wines or to order.

We also have Christmas/mixed packs ready to go at various price points.

Whatever you are eating this Christmas we hope that you eat and drink well!