Red Wine

Our Selection of Red Wines

France produces almost every type of red wine style imaginable – it’s just a question of knowing where to find it!

While the classic areas such as Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Côtes du Rhône without question produce great wines, the south of France and especially the Languedoc is nowadays producing a variety of great red wines at some really attractive prices.  Also, not being hidebound by some of the Appellation Controlée regulations, producers can be more flexible and more responsive to public demand.

The Red Wines of Alsace

The red wine of Alsace is made uniquely from red Burgundy's principal grape variety, the Pinot Noir, which lends itself well to the cooler climate of Alsace situated on the eastern side of the Vosges mountains. The Pinot Noir from Alsace is different than that of Burgundy and is certainly worth discovering…

The Red Wines of Beaujolais

These reds are produced 100% from the Gamay grape and are characterised by a soft juicy fruitiness that can range from light to medium bodied. The Beaujolais region comprises ten "crus" or villages which produce the best of the Beaujolais. You will find at Boursot Wines a selection of these wines including Brouilly, Morgon, Juliénas, Beaujolais Villages and sometimes even ...Fleurie!

The Red Wines of Bordeaux

In the heart of Aquitaine on the west coast of France lies Bordeaux, arguably the world's most prestigious wine-growing region. Being on 45° of latitude, Bordeaux produces every type of wine, from dry to sweet white, rosé as well as a wide variety of red wines, ranging from light to full-bodied.

Better known appellations include Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe on the Médoc peninsula, or left bank, and Saint-Emilion and Pomerol on the right bank of the Gironde estuary.  Other appellations to look out for include Graves, Fronsac and Côtes de Bourg.  All the wines have a balance between the fruitiness derived from the Merlot and the backbone from the Cabernet Sauvignon, but the majority have a slight dryness on the "finish" or aftertaste.  Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenère are also used and all grape content ratios will often vary according to the nature of the year. 

The Red Wines of Burgundy

When it comes to Burgundy, one can't help but mention Pinot Noir, the grape variety that produces succulently fruity yet elegant red wines. The red wine of Burgundy is principally found in the Côtes de Nuits, the Côtes de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais. The best of the vineyards lie on a north-south landslip, so that the exposed soils and substrata have a more direct effect on the wines than in other regions.  Owing to the parcelisation of vineyards over the centuries, many of the landholdings are tiny and there can be several producers in close proximity that work on a variety of different subsoils!  In Burgundy it is more useful to look out for the name of the producer, who uses a certain winemaking style, before the name of a particular village.  For instance, the village of Gevrey-Chambertin has 150 different producers, each of whom produces a slightly different wine at a widely varying price.  Burgundy is complex and not so easy to understand!  

The Red Wines of Côtes de Provence, Languedoc and the South West

The regions of southern France and especially the Languedoc-Roussillon produce nowadays some very high quality wines that can offer some really great value. Thanks to the warmth of climate, these wines can be full and fruity, such as those from Fitou, Minervois and Corbières to name a few. These regions have received much foreign investment in recent years and can produce wines of open sunny nature, not restricted necessarily by an Appellation Contrôlée system that governs grape varieties, cultivation and yields and everything in between.  This is an exciting area to watch.

The Red Wines of the Loire

The Loire Valley produces three times more white wine than red.  The reds are produced in the main from Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Gamay. With such varietals in this relatively northerly latitude, red Loire wines tend towards being fresher and fruity in style that are great with lighter food - or even lunchtime or summer drinking.