Finding good French wine isn’t difficult.  Finding affordable French wine isn’t hard either.  However, when one tries to combine the two characteristics, that can be a challenge.  Thankfully our tasting panel has done the work for you.  Here are a handful of bottles available for $20 or less that still deliver high quality. Cheers!

Saint-Roch 2015 Chimeres

Grape(s): Grenache, Syrah, & Carignan

Region: Rhone Valley, France

Price: 15-20

Tasting Notes:

Notes of cherries, plums, and raspberries play among undertones of spice and herbs on the nose. The palate showcases flavors of cherry, plum, and blackberry that move into accents of pepper, anise, and wild herbs. Nice fruit and structure, along with a savory pop, make this a wine worth checking out.

Rating: 90

Lavau 2015 Rasteau

Grape(s): 50% Syrah & 50% Grenache

Region: Rhone Valley, France

Price: 15-20

Tasting Notes:

The nose is a comb of spicy, fruity, and earthy elements. Cocoa tannins frame flavors of blackberry, cherry, pepper, and forest floor. Offering a good balance of fruit, spice, and earth, it’s a ideal wine to open when serving a robustly flavored lamb dish.

Rating: 90

Chateau de Landiras 2014 Graves Bordeaux

Grape(s):  75% Merlot & 25% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Bordeaux, France

Price: 15-20

Tasting Notes:

A mix of dried cherries, dried currants, earth, and anise come together on the nose. Flavors of dried black cherry and bramble berry emerge on the palate, alongside elements of dusty earth. Plush but very dry, it drinks very cleanly. Fans of classic Bordeaux should check this out.

Rating: 91

Clos Des Lunes 2015 Lune D’Argent

Grape(s): 70% Semillon & 30% Sauvignon Blanc,

Region: Bordeaux, France

Price: 15-20

Tasting Notes:

A combination of apples, pears, and white flowers rises up from a glass. On the palate, flavors of golden apple, white peach, and Asian pear meld with nuances of minerals and honeysuckle. A good body and balanced acidity make this a very approachable wine.

Rating: 90