FEATURES ARCHIVE

Of the great winemaking countries there is none whose name and history is so closely associated with wine and the art of creating ‘bottled poetry’. France’s history with wine dates back to before antiquity. Wine then, as now, was produced as a luxury beverage and one vital to the regional economy and religion. Over millennia the people of France revealed the ‘art and passion’ of making great wine to the world, so much so it could be argued that their very identity and national consciousness is intertwined with the vine and its life-affirming produce.

Working closely with a known and trusted shortlist of Christie’s wine connoisseurs, we curated a sale representing five of the major winemaking regions, each recognized for hundreds of years as a benchmark of excellence. Cabernet Sauvignon remains the king of grapes, but how often does one hear of wines that are ‘Bordeaux like’ in style? For dessert, there is relative rarity with the ancient vineyards of Germany and Hungary’s Tokaj, but the greatest of all is Sauternes’ Château d’Yquem. Pinot Noir is now ubiquitous at all price points – but Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and other great Domaines of Burgundy still command the most respect. For Syrah, there is nothing like the tiny single vineyards of the northern Rhône Valley. And, finally, for bubbles, Champagne needs no introduction. Somehow along the way ‘champagne’ became a word for anything that sparkles – from a description of Cognac’s soils to the color of a rare diamond, but true Champagne is a great pleasure –especially aged in bottle, as only the finest artistry will stand the test of time.

So why France? In a word, geography. With the Atlantic to the west and the Mediterranean to the southeast, France has a varied geography understood by monks and artisans alike who endeavored to discover and cultivate the numerous varietals to grow in ideal conditions. Whether it is the cold in Champagne, producing wines with racy acidity, or the heat of in Côte-Rôtie, the ‘roasted slope’, producing rich and hearty wines, France is the only country that can claim such a diversity of styles recognized the world over. To be ‘Made in France’ one has to understand a certain joie de vivre, to enjoy the greatest wines of France one only needs the desire.