French Wine between $25 and $50

This is a really beautiful, seductive wine with chocolate, walnuts, currants and some tobacco. Full-bodied, with a supple tannin texture and a flavorful finish. Succulent. Blend of 60% merlot and 40% cabernet sauvignon. Second... Read More

Polished and glossy, with supple waves of cassis and red currant flecked with a lot of spice and singed garrigue. Warm chestnut and graphite shavings move in, with loads of graphite bringing focus. A modern version, showing poise... Read More

This Champagne offers an array of flavor, including toasted brioche, Gala apple, lemon zest, graphite and ginger, with a touch of honey. Elegant, but with good intensity and a moderate, nut-tinged finish.

A well-constructed wine that is ripe with black fruits and integrated tannins, this is in a good place for aging. Black-currant fruitiness is balanced by a dry, smoky core that holds promise. Drink this wine from 2026. Editors’... Read More

A blend of 65% Sauvignon and 35% Sémillon, the 2022 Carbonnieux Blanc reveals a delicate bouquet with aromas of lemon, jasmine, linden, smoke, pear and peach, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and concentrated... Read More

The aperitif of choice, the Tradition of Champagne Château de Boursault combines balance and delicacy in one sip. Its freshness, citrus fruit notes and lightness make it an ideal champagne to enjoy as an aperitif.... Read More

A blend of 65% Mourvèdre and 35% Cinsault, the 2023 Bandol Rosé from Château de Pibarnon offers up a delicate, complex bouquet of spices, licorice, red berries, lemon, spring flowers and herbs. Medium-bodied,... Read More

This exceptional white Burgundy unwinds with yellow plum, orange pith, honeysuckle, and crushed limestone. It has a gorgeous structure and lift to its citrusy flavors, finishing with a refreshing electric bolt of minerality.... Read More

Brilliant color, intense, lovely red fruits, silky and rich attack. Deeply colored with purple reflection. Fruity on the nose, dominated by morello cherry and almond paste. Medium-bodied on the palate, priority is given to the... Read More

Perfumed and ripe, this wine shows a more tropical side of Bordeaux white. Toasty flavors mingle with yellow fruits and crisp apples. Drink from 2023.

A color of Indian ink with dark crimson tinges. Complex, it exudes aromas of black and red fruits, like wild strawberries and cherries, mingled with a hint of sweet spice, vanilla, and mocha. The first taste is supple with good... Read More

Intense nose, smells powerful, strong and structured. Excellent energy, this is good quality, quite bold and rich, velvety and clearly powerful with tannins that are at the fore right now and totally cover the mouth. This has... Read More

Château Lilian Ladouys 2019, a vintage that is fresh yet sumptuous. The tannins are velvety, the balance exceptional: here is a wine similar in some ways to 2016 or 2018, yet even fresher and more aromatic.

This estate has produced a densely textured wine, rich in tannins and packed with dark, concentrated black fruits. There is a muscular character, structured and with fine promise for longterm aging.
Barrel Sample: 92-94... Read More

Owned by the Anney family, this 37-acre property has made a dense, tannic wine in the traditional mold of Saint-Estèphe. The fruit comes through the tannins, ripe with black-currant flavors and acidity to give a fresh edge.... Read More

The versatile, affordable, village Chablis from Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils is bright and crisp, with the classic, taut structure and refreshing minerality that define traditional Chablis. This is a Moreau classic!... Read More

Fresh and open-knit, with pomegranate and damson plum notes carried by cedar and savory hints. Fine-grained finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2026. 13,000 cases made.

More powerful tannins and a little less spice than the Vacqueyras. This wine beams with strawberries, licorice, subtle wood spices, and graphite. A wonderful balance of structure and fruit concentration.

The 2021 Gigondas is terrific, with the textbook wild, feral vibe in its darker cherry, basil leaf, spring flowers, and sappy garrigue aromas and flavors. Despite its green herb edge, it,s not vegetal at all and has medium-bodied... Read More