Sorry this post is so late – but I have been travelling for work, wine, and family on and off since May – and then of course there were the holidays. I hope to catch up quickly now with at least the May France posts coming out in quick succession. As always, when I do these tastings in France, I do them together with my buddy David Raccah of Kosher Wine Musings who really does all of the work in terms of setting things up with everyone (he is a French speaker after all). Thanks buddy!
This trip to France was a three-parter for me – first was three days of work, then a few days in Paris with my wife Michal – and then four days of tasting with David. Altogether it was almost two weeks – which is a long time for me. David only got to France in the early afternoon Monday, which meant we started the hotel tastings that day and that’s it. Our first day outside of the hotel was Tuesday, and we started as we often do visiting Menachem Israelievitch of Royal to taste through the new whites and rosés of the season. As always, I have stress, there is no one who is producing in quantity with the consistency and quality of Royal. Period. This year is no different.
In total we tasted 31 wines. Of the rosés, while obviously there were some favorites, they were all wines I would drink happily. On the whites there were maybe two out of fourteen that I would likely pass on – but even there, the lowest score was an 87. Some of the whites are absolute QPR superstars IMHO, and one is a must have. The reds were the only weak spot – and these are the lower end – not really meant to be the stars of the show. There was really only one wine there (Trijet) that worked for me. It’s very hard to follow a vintage like 2022 – but it does look like these are rough vintages – time will tell.
Here are the notes:
Rosés:
2024 Château Les Riganes, Rosé, Bordeaux – Mevushal – 12% abv – On the nose, we have peach and lemon with a hint of strawberry. In the mouth, we get a nice amount of saline, strawberry, peach, and good acidity. The finish is a little watery – but it’s a minor quibble, with good minerality. What more can you want in an entry level rosé? 90
2024 Rosé Adasa, Rosé, Bordeaux – Mevushal – 12% abv – The nose here is muted with faint hints of strawberry. This wine is more complete in the mouth and fuller, with strawberry, peach, and lemon. The acidity is on point. There is a nicer mouthfeel than the previous wine, again with nice mineral and a little flinty smoke on the finish. Ultimately I would love a little less peach on both of these, but this is nice. 90.5
2024 Roubine, R de Roubine, Mediteranée – Mevushal – 13.5% abv – This wine is muted on the nose. After vigorous swirling, you do get strawberry and peach and a little flint. In the mouth, it drinks a little hot at first, but that also blows off with swirling, as the fruit comes out and balances the wine. At the end of the day, there is nice slate, strawberry, and lime. Nice stuff when all is said and done. 90.5
2024 Roubine, Hippy, Mediteranée – 13% abv – This is the sweetest on the nose so far, with floral notes and cotton candy. In the mouth, the wine needs a bit more acid, as it shows somewhat flat. There is strawberry and some flint but with a short finish. While the notes don’t show it, the wine is fine – just not my first choice. 88
2024 Sainte Beatrice, B, Cotes de Provence – 13% abv – There is peach and flint on the nose. In the mouth, you get more peach, some pith, and then some cherry and strawberry on the finish. The finish is a bit short here, but other than that, the wine works overall. 89.5
2024 Roubine, La Vie en Rosé, Côtes de Provence – 13% abv – Strawberry and peach again (a recurring theme this year) on the nose and in the mouth. The mouth has a very nice oily mouthfeel and adds some citrus and cream. Lacking in acid though IMHO, but just a bit. Otherwise nice. 89.5
2024 Château Roubine, Rosé, Premium, Cru Classe, Côtes de Provence – 12% abv – Some funk on the nose but besides that, same as the rest – strawberry, peach, a little smoke, and mineral. This is perhaps the cleanest lines on the nose. Nice and fresh. In the mouth – the wine is balanced and nice, with just enough acid, and nice weight despite the low abv. The nose repeats but again cleanly an elegantly. Long finish – Really elegant and just what you want. This is good stuff. 91
Whites:
2024 J. de Villebois, Chenin Blanc, Val de Loire IGT – Mevushal – 11.5% abv – On the nose, you get funk and apples. In the mouth – wow this is lovely. You get apple, funk, straw, grass, and some nectarine. Really, really nice. The finish is long and perhaps a little sweeter than you would expect – but it works with a little smoke, citrus, more apple, and some really nice deep floral notes. This is a joy to drink. A perfect summer wine. 92
2024 La Maison Bleue, Chardonnay, Vin de France – Mevushal – 13% abv – Some nice funk, and otherwise classic Chardonnay on the nose – basically apples and a little lemon with some mineral. In the mouth, unfortunately the wine feels disjointed and bit hot. – with apples, lemon, and some mineral. The finish is lacking. This wine is OK overall, but does not speak to me. 87
2023 Domaine Ternynck, Bourgogne, Les Tuffieres – Mevushal – 13% abv – On the nose again classic Chardonnay – primary apple driven – but maybe more granny-smith this time. In the mouth, this one hits me as more successful than the previous bottle. More acid, better fruit, better finish – with green apple, nectarine, a bit of funk and slate. Nothing too complex, but a solid wine for sure. 89
2023 Les Marronniers, Petit Chablis – Mevushal – 13% abv – This is a wine we have had before. My notes have not changed. 89
2023 Les Marronniers, Chablis – Mevushal – 13% abv – This wine has developed a bit since the last tasting, I actually think there is more apple now than before and actually some nice ripe pear and less peach. The acid is also more dominant. So we now have a richer wine that is also balanced. A clear improvement and this is now a wine I would drink happily. Solid. 90.5
2023 Les Marronniers, Chablis, Premier Crus, Montmains – 12.5% abv – On the nose you get funk and then classic but darker Chablis, accented by some smoke and floral notes. In the mouth, this wine is simply beautiful – Funkiness, apple, some oak influence – like vanilla and toast and a nice hit of saline. There is a really nice and satisfying weight to this wine, which is balanced out by the acidity. The finish is long – with apple, saline, smoke, and another hit of acid. This is a home run all around. 92.5
2023 Les Marronniers, Chablis, Grand Crus, Valmur – 12.5% abv – I was very interested in tasting this after tasting the premier Crus above. I was a bit worried that it would be more of the same. Wow. Was I wrong. This wine is much more complex all around. On the nose, you get clear oak up front, with the toast coming through loud and clear, but also really nice, focused fruit – apple, pear, quince, and some dark herbal tea notes (thanks DR for helping me place that note). Really interesting. The mouth continues the complexity with all of the nose being repeated, but perhaps even intensified. Again, the oak is felt here but is balanced and works with the wine and not against it. The acid here is nice throughout and actually plays into the finish, which presents a little more citrussy before mellowing into a more earthy vibe. For me this is a beautiful wine – and a must have! 93
2024 La Maison Bleue, Sauvignon Blanc, Vin de France – Mevushal – 12.5% abv – The nose on this wine for me screams everything I don’t like about NW SB – gooseberry, pineapple, passion fruit. The mouth is as expected, more of the same. The finish is slightly short. Ultimately, this wine is well made but is just not my thing. 87
2024 Château Les Riganes, Blanc, Bordeaux – Mevushal – 12.5 % abv – This is more my style. Same overall profile as the previous wine – but less focused on the tropics and with addition of some nice salinity and even some funk. Is this a wine that I am going to buy? No – but that’s a personal preference thing. For those who like this profile, this is absolutely a good value. 89.5
2024 J. de Villebois, Touraine, Sauvignon Blanc – Mevushal – 11.5% abv – If the last wine was an improvement, this is a wine I can fully get behind. You get beautiful citrus, orange, lemon, lime – passionfruit, some saline and floral notes and funk galore. There is adequate acid to balance out the fruit (though I wouldn’t have said no to even a little more). Simply put, this lands more in the OW category for me profile wise (no tropics, no gooseberry). In the mouth, the nose repeats but adds a beautiful salinity that has you coming back for more! The finish is long – with tons of citrus, nice mineral, and more funk. Really nice stuff! 91+
Domaine de Panquelaine, Coteaux du Giennois, Sauvignon Blanc – Mevushal – 12.5% abv – This nose is scary – all things that I DO NOT like in SB – Gooseberry and Cat Pee. The mouth actually is totally different. It presents far more OW. Really nice mineral, flint and loads of citrus with a bit of gooseberry – with a ton of acid and salinity. Really nice overall. The finish is long and just pops with refreshing citrus and more saline. Nice stuff! 90+
2024 J. de Villebois, Pouilly Fumé – Mevushal – 13% abv – The nose here is nice – primarily notes of lemon and lime backed with some flintiness. In the mouth, you get more of the same, adding a little bit of gooseberry, though nothing over the top. The acid here is just enough to balance the fruit – again, I wouldn’t object to a bit more. The finish is long, with nice citrus, some tropical notes, saline, and mineral. Overall nice bottle – though I think it could use a little more depth to really bring it home. 89.5
2024 J. de Villebois, Sancerre – Mevushal – 12.5% abv – This one goes a little tropical on the nose, with passionfruit leading the way, backed by tart citrus, and some smoke and even some spice. Also, there is some waxiness thrown into the mix, which is a nice note. What is missing are those deep floral notes that I really love in Sancerre. The mouth is really nice though with tangerine, grapefruit, some more of that spice, nice salinity, and acid. Overall, this is a very nice wine. 90.5
2024 Domaine de Panquelaine, Sancerre – Mevushal – 12.5% abv – This wine is VERY similar to the Villebois – almost identical notes – with the same missing floral notes – but it lacks the waxiness that made the Villebois more interesting. It might also have a touch less acidity. Overall though, still a very nice bottle and on point. 90
Reds:
2024 Domaine Ternynck, Bourgogne, Les Brulis – 12.5% abv – The nose here is nice with bright red fruit, some floral notes, earth, and a bit of smoke. In the mouth you get cherry, cranberry, more of those floral notes, and over the top acid that basically overpowers what is already a pretty light wine. It simply doesn’t have the fruit or body to support it, and the wine just feels out of balance and out of whack. 85
2024 La Maison Bleue, Pinot Noir, Vin de France – Mevushal – 14.5% abv – On the nose, you get cherry, and a lot of earth, and maybe some herb. In the mouth, the wine feels heavier than it should – it seems to have the opposite problem of the previous wine – not enough acid – but the rest of the profile is nice enough with classic cherry, notes for the most part. It is a little basic but overall, not bad. The finish is long, and ripe – with some smoke, cherry, and raspberry. It doesn’t pretend to be a Burgundy (it isn’t) – but still, it could use more acid to balance it out. 86
2024 J. de Villebois, Pinot Noir, Vin de France – Mevushal – 14% abv – On the nose, you get a pretty straight PN profile – cherry, cranberry, and some earth. This one has plenty of acid, but really no depth whatsoever. Nothing really wrong with it per se, but it’s not really hitting anything for me. Just feels like a generic non-burgundy Pinot Noir (almost like what you sometimes find in Alsace, which I usually don’t care for). And if truth be told, it might have too much acid for the fruit. 85
2024 La Maison Bleue, Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre, Vin de France – Mevushal – 14.5% abv – The nose here is crazy sweet and ripe – almost sugary sweet. In the mouth, you get sweet red fruit – not much else. The acid here is OK, but there is a feeling of it being hollow despite the ripe profile, and you are just left with something that doesn’t really work. For me – this is a miss. 82
2024 La Maison Bleue, Merlot, Vin de France – Mevushal – 12.5% abv – Same as the GSM but basically with a lighter body, which I guess tracks as it’s a Merlot. Same result. 82
2023 Château Trijet, Bordeaux – 13.5% abv – On the nose, you have green notes, earth, toasted herb, red fruit. In the mouth, the wine shows a bit darker than the nose leads you to believe, with black plum, black cherry, blackberry, and raspberry primarily with some smoke and nice earth. The acid is on point and does a nice job of balancing out the rest of this, which is a bit brooding – but overall, this does the job nicely especially for the price. 89.5
2024 La Maison Bleue, Cabernet Sauvignon, Vin de France – Mevushal – 12.5% abv – This wine is a step above the other two Maison Bleue reds. The nose is very ripe but does not veer into sweet territory. – you get some herb, ripe red fruit, and nice smoke. The mouth is mostly varietally true – and you really get the nose repeated. It’s a little unidimensional and could use more acid to balance out all of that ripe red fruit. 86
2023 Château Genlaire, Bordeaux Superieur – Mevushal – 13.5% abv – I sort of got the feeling that if you took the Trijet and mevushaled the wine, you would end up here. The profile is near identical, but it feels like the acid has been cooked out of it, so the wine ends up out of whack, and it drinks a little sweet. 84
2023 Château Les Riganes, Reserve, Bordeaux – 13.5% abv – The nose here is overall nice – showing some ripe (okay very ripe) black and red fruit, some earth and some violet. In the mouth though, the wine drinks almost sweet – with very ripe blackberry, black plum, and raspberry, some smoke and earth. The problem here is really the acidity. It simply is not enough to balance out all of the ripe fruit. The finish is long with more of the primary flavors kicking in – again very ripe blackberry would be the main descriptor with some smoke and some really nice earthiness. If there were more acid here, this would be a much more interesting wine. Maybe it needs some more time to develop. For now, it’s an 86.
NV Porto Cordovero, Ruby Port – 20% abv – This is a wine that many of us have been waiting to see make a comeback, as the Porto Cordovero has not been made in a number of years. Having said that, Porto Cordovero is a Royal owned brand – and Royal switched producers for this run. I am not sure why (the hour was late, and we really needed to finish up, so I didn’t get the back story there). For the most part, this wine checks all of the boxes in terms of a ruby port. The nose is nice with black fruit, rich milk chocolate, some smoke, and a nice nuttiness. The mouth really hits you with some nice crazy blackberry and black plum, candied pecans, and molasses. The alcohol does come through a bit – but I think that might calm down. The acid is absolutely there to balance this out, and the tannin is nice and firm. The finish is really nice with more sweet fruit and more of that rich milk chocolate. I think for me the only thing I would want more here is perhaps a bit more complexity, but overall for a Ruby, this is very nice. 90.5
As always my thanks to the folks at Royal for sharing these wines – and of course Menachem Israelievitch for organizing all of this for us and being so generous with his time.
