<p><span>For years, Touraine would compete with the Beaujolais for the release of an early bottling of Gamay that would rival the Beaujolais nouveau. While the competition is not so much of a focal point now, there are still some producers who release early bottlings of the wine around the same time as Beaujolais. The soil around the Touraine area is a variety of limestone with excellent drainage that is known as tuffeau which is the same material used to build many of the famous Loire Valley Ch&acirc;teaux.</span></p> <p><span>The region around Vouvray, Montlouis-sur-Loire and Touraine has some of the most diverse plantings of all

<p>These red Grands Crus frequently give good results from long laying-down. As a general rule, they shouldn&rsquo;t be drunk under about ten years of age but sometimes they will be aged up to 20 or 30 years. Each appellation has its own distinct personality depending on its year of production and on the stage it has reached in its development. These flamboyant red wines fully express the subtlety and complexity of the Burgundian Pinot Noir grape. Their colour is a dark ruby turning crimson with age. Their wide-ranging bouquet is divided among small red and black fruits, violet, spices and, with time, underbrush. On the palate, this wine is well-defined with a powerful body. It is delicate, sensual, frank and full.</p>

<strong>Barolo</strong> is a red Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wine produced in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. It is made from the Nebbiolo grape and is considered one of Italy's greatest wines. Some would say it is pre-eminent. Five townships (Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d'Alba and Serralunga d'Alba) account for roughly 90% of Barolo production. The entire appellation consists of 11 townships, 2000ha of vineyards and 700 wineries that produced 13 million bottles in 2015, of which some 80% was exported. The other townships of Barolo are Cherasco, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, Novello, Roddi and Verduno. Although production codes have always stipulated that vineyards must be located on hillsides, the most recent revision of the production code released in 2010 goes further, categorically excluding valley floors, humid and flat area