My little Tour de Vin was a grand success. Drinking nothing but French wine for a month once again reminded me that I don’t drink enough French wine. There are so many different wines to try, I felt like I was just barely scratching the surface, so of course I’ll continue to incorporate French selections into my regular wine-tasting column.

For a study in contrasts, and as a foreshadowing of what may be Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France victory next year on the new RadioShack team, I’m going to go all-American in August – tasting wines and cheeses from the good ol’ U.S. of A. But before I embark on the new voyage, I’m making one last stop in Burgundy – after all, we are still in July.

The Château du Cray Mercurey 2006 ($19) is much lighter in color than the Pommard that I tried earlier in the month, with very fragrant floral and shitake mushroom aromas, along with some pencil shavings and a dash of cinnamon. The flavors are classic Burgundy: some good strawberry and cherry fruit, but also intriguing minerals and a wisp of hickory smoke. I found the finish a bit abrupt, but that doesn’t take away much from what is an excellent value Burgundy.

Quaffability Rating: 89