On July 14 each year, the French gather in celebration of the storming of the Bastille in 1789, a symbol of the people’s uprising against the monarchy and the French Revolution. Similar to our Independence Day, the holiday is commemorated with parades, fireworks and parties.

While Bastille Day isn’t usually celebrated this side of the Atlantic, the SG’s think any excuse to drink French wine is a good one. So we’ll raise our glasses to Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité and to the French as well: May they (and we) enjoy many more years of outstanding wine.

Here are some of our favorite French wines from the last year:

From Dry:

2004 St. Cosme Côte Rôtie ($54.99 at Crown)

I tried this beautiful blend of Syrah and Viognier at a Crown wine tasting last year. The wines of Côte Rôtie are considered to be some of the best in the larger Côtes du Rhône region. This wine had an interesting aroma that felt more fresh and floral than most red wines. On the palate, I got more of that floral freshness, along with flavors of sweet dark berries. But this wasn’t a sweet wine at all. Those fresh flavors were supported by firm tannins and a lengthy dry finish. It was definitely a unique and elegant wine and something I enjoyed thoroughly.

This wine consistently scores highly with Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Keep your eyes out for the ’05 vintage, which scored especially high.

2007 Vieux-Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape ($79.99 at A1A Fine Wine & Spirits)

I tried this wine at a fantastic tasting at A1A Fine Wine & Spirits in Palm Beach Gardens early this year. Garnering a whopping 95 points from Wine Spectator and the No. 3 spot on their top 100 wines of the year list, the 2007 Vieux-Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s reputation proceeds itself. This is a big wine. The dark garnet color practically coats the glass. On the nose, strong aromas of currant, cranberry, oak and spice dominate. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and intense with firm tannins and a very dry, practically never-ending finish. This is definitely one for the cellar.

2003 Château Fonroque – St. Emilion ($35 Total Wine)

I was really excited to try Sweet’s selection at our Winettes Bordeaux tasting last year after a salesperson at Total Wine told me how great it was. Being from Bordeaux’s lesser-known Right Bank, this wine is predominantly Merlot (88 percent) and Cabernet Franc. Wine spectator rates the ’03 Fonroque at 91, calling it a “serious wine with jammy blackberry, currants and light earth aromas and flavors… velvety tannins and a long, flavorful finish.”

We had broken out the big guns for this wine, and by guns I mean decanters. It had been aerating for at least an hour by the time we tried it, and wow, what a bouquet! There was so much going on in the nose, it was hard to pick out each individual aroma, but I definitely got darker fruits and a sublime smokiness. On the palate, I felt a lot more earth and smoke than I did fruit. It was super-smooth and everlasting. We all agreed that this wine was sexy, in a slender, leggy lady with a long cigarette kind of way. This is definitely a wine to bring out for a romantic dinner.

From Earthy:

2003 Patrice Rion Nuits-Saint-Georges ($39 at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits)

I first tasted this wine at one of our Winettes gatherings dedicated to Burgundy. I’d like to say I’ve drank it many more times since then, but at $39 (at ABC) it’s been placed on my “reserved for very special occasion” list.

But it doesn’t mean each time I pass it on the rack, where it lays begging from a recumbent position, I don’t linger indecisively and recall how spellbinding it was.

The Patrice Rion had a soft, inviting aroma of black fruits with a touch of smoke and earthiness. I was instantly enchanted. I wanted to wade into a pool of the stuff and do a leisurely backstroke through it.

It coated my mouth with a smooth, creamy texture of blackberry and black cherry flavors, delicately weaved with a touch of vanilla and smoke, yet there was still plenty of structure to its body. It was luxurious. Like satin sheets or a deep tissue massage.

2008 Barton & Guestier Vouvray ($8.99 at Publix)

In time for Bastille Day and, more importantly, just in time for mid-summer scorch, get your hands on a bottle of this refresher.

Vouvray is a sub-region within the Loire Valley of France (and has its own AOC designation), and its indigenous grape is the chenin blanc, of which this wine is 100 percent. In fact, Vouvray is considered by wine aficionados to produce some of the best chenin blanc across the map.

The B&G had a lovely floral aroma with a fresh nose of peach and honey. It was juicy, yet elegant, in the mouth and showed a delicate balance between its honey character and the acidity.

Vouvray comes in a number of styles from dry to sweet, and while the label didn’t note it, this bottle tasted like an off-dry version. There was a smidge of sweetness up front, but it was quickly dispelled by a crisp finish.

From Sweet:

Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rosé ($19.99 at Total Wine)

This lovely sparkling rose kisses the tongue with chic savvy. It has a very light salmon color and is made from 100 percent pinot noir grapes. Think strawberries, smoothness and sophistication. Serve to your friends when they first arrive for the party or pair it with a sophisticated little brie bundle.

2005 Château Lamothe Guignard Sauternes ($20 at Total Wine for a 375ml bottle)

And no mention of great French wine would be complete without a tip of the hat to Sauternes. I recommend the 2005 (great year everywhere!) Château Lamothe Guignard. Rich, sweet, honeyed, decadent. It’s a little bit like drinking liquid gold.

From Bold:

2005 La Fleur de Haut-Bages-Libéral Pauillac ($30 at Total Wine)

The Pauillac region, a Bordeaux super-star, has three of the five First Growth wines, and eighteen of the sixty-one classified wines in Bordeaux. These wines tend to be full-bodied, dark, fruit-driven and bold. The 2005 La Fleur de Haut-Bages-Libéral is a powerful, robust wine with plenty of dark fruit, firm tannins and a long finish. The La Fleur is the second wine of the classified Chateau Haut-Bages-Libéral.

2007 Domaine Pignard Beaujolais ($11.99 at Total Wine)

This was a Beaujolais that stands out in my book, and that means it’s worth writing about. I first tasted this at a Swirl Girl dinner, and it made an impression. It’s very fruit-forward in both the nose and taste, and yet was dry enough for my palate. It’s a lighter wine than I usually drink, but it would be great with chicken or a tomato-based dish of pasta.

~ The Swirl Girls