Five underrated French wines – and the overrated ones to avoid | Wine

If you have just returned from vacation in France, you may be basking in the glow of all things French, especially the wine you bought for a few euros from the local cooperative. And even if you don’t, chances are you still consider French wine the best, especially if that’s where you started your wine journey. (Gah? Did I just write that? Everything is a journey these days. Let’s try again:Especially if, like me, the first wines you drank were French. “)

Brexit certainly doesn’t seem to have stopped us either. From Lidl, which has just launched its latest French Wine Tour, to The Wine Society, where French wine accounts for 60% of sales, French wine has a special place in our hearts.

Does he deserve it though? Sure, France can rightfully claim to produce some of the greatest wines in the world, but it’s also responsible for some of the mediocre ones, and many wines that trade in their reputation. Among these I would include many of the great classics of Burgundy and Bordeaux, in particular Saint-Émilion, Sancerre and the great champagne brands, for which you are no doubt paying the name; likewise, rosé from Provence can cost at least £2 or £3 a bottle more than neighboring Languedoc simply because of where it’s produced.

There’s also a lot of French wine that could honestly come from anywhere. You might like Lidl’s rich, plummy Val de Salis Reserve Malbec 2021 (£6.99, 13.5%), but it might as well have been made in Argentina. Maybe it doesn’t matter, but I have to say I like a wine with a sense of place.

On the merit side, there are so many different and varied wine regions in France – from the much underrated Alsace in the northeast to Roussillon in the south – that you could drink from France alone and never get bored. And there are often cheaper alternatives to the big names – Beaujolais or pretty Mâcon in today’s selection, rather than Burgundy, for example, or Bergerac instead of Bordeaux. That said, there are plenty of very good value burgundies of all colors, as well as some overpriced stuff. Try the totally distinctive Clairet in today’s selection, a deep-colored rosé from which Bordeaux gets its name. The southern Rhône and Languedoc also offer good value for money, despite the challenge of their ever-increasing summer temperatures.

Still, restaurants rely on the fact that French wines are held in such high regard, so if you want to drink Chablis or Champagne, it’s definitely best to do so at home.

Five high-value purchases in France

Collin-Bourisset Macon Red 2020 £6.99 Lidl, 13% off. Fresh and crunchy Gamay with the taste of crushed blackberries. Good value for money for a Bordeaux.

Chateau Thieuley Bordeaux Clairet 2021

Chateau Thieuley Bordeaux Clairet 2021 £9.95 The Wine Society, 13%. A seductive rosé with a deep color to gently approach autumn. Perfect for a late summer barbecue.

Wolfberger Pinot Blanc 2020 12.9%

Wolfberger Pinot Blanc 2020 £10.99 Waitrose, and on offer at £8.99 from Monday at major branches and online, 12.9 per cent. Sleek, smooth and creamy alternative to white burgundy. It would be delicious with scallops.

Chateau Bel Air 2020, Bergerac Red 14.5%

Chateau Bel Air 2020 £8.99 Majestic (or £7.99 on “mix-six”), 14.5%. Attractive Bordeaux red from neighboring Bergerac at a very un-Bordeaux price. Perfect for a Sunday roast.

Domaine des Trinités Abroad 2020

Domaine des Trinités Abroad 2020 £14.95 Lea & Sandeman (or £13.95 per mixed case), £14.99 Cambridge Wine Merchants, 13%. A deliciously gourmet Languedoc red wine, from 120-year-old vines. I’m thinking steak and fries.

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