Hand Picked Selections in France

It is generally assumed that the Romans planted the first cultivated vines in France, although some evidence points to the Greeks. We will never know. What we do know is that France quickly became the world’s leading producer for both quality and quantity. That was true for 2000 years and is probably still true today. France and Italy’s production are about equal. Quality is subjective but France’s range of fine, great and unique wines still give it first place in the minds of most professionals and consumers worldwide.

Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne are France’s ‘Holy Trinity’ of great wine. Hand Picked Selections sells wines from all three but they are only a fraction of our sales. Their lofty and ancient reputations can work against the consumer. The greatest producers – the Romanee Contis, Lafites and Krugs make the world’s greatest wines. They sell at breathtaking prices. Lesser producers ‘piggy-back’ on their reputations. Basic red Bordeaux sold at a premium over basic Cotes du Rhone for five centuries. Few would argue that the wines are still better. The reverse might be true. When I first wrote this two years ago, the price premium was still there. Today it’s gone. As modern technology allows old vineyards to achieve new levels of quality the hierarchy of centuries can be upset in a few decades, or even less.

Burgundy is a minefield. You can’t lose an arm and a leg, but hundreds of mediocre bottlings cost those proverbial appendages. Few other wine regions work exclusively (for red wine) with Pinot Noir, the world’s most finicky varietal. No other region commands such high prices for the names of famous villages (Pommard, Gevrey-Chambertin). As a result no other region has been less motivated to improve quality. The names still sell, regardless of what’s in the bottle. Inevitably, this is changing. The chaff no longer sells for the price of wheat.

Bordeaux is a little better. The problem is that in this cold Atlantic climate basic reds are only successful about 2 years in 10. As prices for generic Bordeaux drop, growers become eager to improve quality. A new technique is increasingly employed. Microbullage (micro-oxygenation) aerates the juice as it ferments. This may ameliorate the harsh tannins that have plagued basic unoaked red Bordeaux for centuries.

Mid-level red Bordeaux can represent good value. In most cases both some oak ageing and bottle ageing are necessary. Good wines from Saint-Emilion, the Medoc or Graves can provide very enjoyable drinking after a year in oak (not necessarily new) and several years in bottle. Today very young examples of these kinds of wine rarely provide much pleasure. The technological advances described above may change that picture.

Champagne remains a potent symbol of luxury. Large but limited production of this labor-intensive wine makes the basic price the highest for any major region. Fanatically strict standards keep quality of even basic offerings at a fine, reliable level. Champagne is mostly opened for celebrations. This helps mute criticism. Costs are high but consumers get completely reliable wine, even if sometimes lacking in individual character.