If baseball is the great American pastime, making exceptional red wine may well be the national pastime of France. With such a storied history, French winemaking doesn’t often make headlines—unless, of course, prestigious awards are won or record-breaking sales are made at auction. An exception recently occurred when Le Cercle Rive Droite—the representing body for the premier Merlot producers of the Right Bank—joined forces with Le Cercle Rive Gauche—the premier representation of top Cabernet winemakers of the…