France - All White Wines
France is revered for its exceptional white wines, which showcase the country's rich winemaking heritage, diverse terroirs, and unwavering commitment to quality. Today, let us embark on a journey through the best white wines that France has to offer, exploring renowned vineyards and the regions that give birth to these extraordinary expressions.
In Burgundy, the appellations of Chablis, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet stand tall as the epitome of excellence in white wine production. Wineries such as Domaine Raveneau, Domaine Dauvissat, and Domaine Leflaive craft mesmerizing Chardonnays that capture the essence of the region's unique Kimmeridgian limestone soils. These wines exhibit precision, purity, and a remarkable balance of mineral notes, citrus flavors, and vibrant acidity.
Moving to the Loire Valley, the vineyards of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are celebrated for their exceptional Sauvignon Blancs. Domaine Vacheron, Domaine Didier Dagueneau, and Domaine Pascal Jolivet create expressive and terroir-driven wines that showcase the region's distinct flinty minerality, zesty citrus, and herbaceous undertones.
Further northeast in France, in the region of Alsace, vineyards such as Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Domaine Trimbach, and Domaine Weinbach produce stunning white wines from varietals like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris. These wines display remarkable depth, aromatic complexity, and a balance between sweetness and acidity, reflecting the region's unique microclimates and granite-rich soils.
In Bordeaux, the region of Graves is renowned for its white wines, particularly those crafted from the classic grape varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Château Haut-Brion, Château Pape Clément, and Domaine de Chevalier are esteemed vineyards that produce rich and age-worthy white Bordeaux wines. These wines exhibit a beautiful interplay of tropical fruit flavors, vibrant acidity, and a touch of toasty oak.
Finally, in the Rhône Valley, the appellation of Condrieu shines as a beacon of excellence in Viognier production. Renowned vineyards such as Domaine Georges Vernay and Domaine Yves Cuilleron create remarkable Viognier wines that seduce the senses with their exotic aromas of apricot, peach, and delicate floral notes. These wines showcase richness, elegance, and a silky texture that lingers on the palate.
France - All White Wines
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Burgundy | 1 | 93 (BH) | HK$10,990.00 | |||||
Burghound (93)Outstanding. This is also quite floral in character with its array of honeysuckle, acacia and lavender notes that add a touch of elegance to the layered citrus, spice, pear and soft wood aromas. The rich, concentrated and opulent medium-bodied flavors are blessed with plenty of dry extract that soaks the palate while buffering the firm acid spine shaping the beautifully persistent finish. This needs to develop more depth with time in bottle but this exciting Puligny villages appears to be very promising. |
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Burgundy | 7 | 94 (WA) | HK$11,615.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (94)The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignières is especially successful this year, bursting from the glass with notes of crisp stone fruits, white flowers, blanched almonds, pastry cream and sesame oil. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with a concentrated core of fruit, racy acids and striking purity and precision, it's an elegant, penetrating wine that stands out even in this very compelling portfolio. |
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$9,785.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$2,220.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$7,165.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$8,565.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$12,660.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$12,780.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | 96 (TA) | HK$10,360.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (96)A bit of a mysterious wine as there is so little of it and wasn't even made for 20 years while the new vines were settling in, this is always a treat to taste. This is the seventh commercialized vintage with the revitalized vineyard, and it is utterly charming. Starting with match strike and Comice pear, the palate doubles down with riper flavors – including tropical fruits – and plentiful fresh herb lift. The well-knit acidity meshes seamlessly with the medium body lightly brushed with classy oak. It finishes long, dry and refreshing. 2023-34 |
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Burgundy | 1 | 93-95 (IB) | HK$10,040.00 | |||||
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-95)The white Musigny was racked just before the harvest, now back in barrel. Clear pale colour even with a faint green reflection. Rather a beautiful gently perfumed nose, flinty yet fine, this year the Musigny Blanc does seem like grand cru quality. A little lemongrass and then a crystalline white fruit. Really promising. |
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$25,350.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 2 | 94 (VN) | HK$5,165.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)Bottled in May 2021, the 2019 Meursault Les Charmes 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet with white peach, honeysuckle and just a very slight touch of baked bread. The palate is well balanced with a slightly creamy opening, fine acidity, with hints of almond and white chocolate towards the finish. Quite generous, though I am just seeking a little more tension. Closure: Diam 30 |
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Burgundy | 1 | 92+ (VN) | HK$4,580.00 | |||||
Vinous (92+)Perfumed aromas of hazelnut, lime and spice. Rich but racy and stylish; youthful and minerally. Rather elegantly styled wine, quite precise for the vintage. Very long on the finish. Lafon now uses just 50% new oak for his Genevrieres; as recently as 1992, this was made in all new barrels. |
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Burgundy | 3 | 97 (VN) | HK$10,040.00 | |||||
Vinous (97)The 2010 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru is one of Dominique Lafon's finest offerings from this noble vineyard in recent years, echoing Stephen Tanzer's finding from his vertical in 2019. It has an electrifying bouquet with such intense mineralité that it threatens to overwhelm the senses. The palate is beautifully balanced with a killer line of acidity, just a twist of bitter lemon lending tension, and a judicious touch of creaminess on the detailed finish. Ludicrously brilliant. |
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Burgundy | 3 | 92-94 (VN) | HK$6,905.00 | |||||
Vinous (92-94)The 2020 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru has quite a rich bouquet with tropical tones, maybe to the detriment of the mineralité that is slightly masked at the moment. The palate is very well balanced with a fine line of acidity, quite saline, lightly spiced with a vibrant finish that finally delivers the spiciness. Maybe pipped by the Les Charmes this year, this is a classy but not peak Perrières. Bottled under Diam 30. Closure: Diam 30 |
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Burgundy | 1 | 93-96 (VN (ST)) | HK$28,110.00 | |||||
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (93-96)Exotic aromas of pineapple, orange zest, iodine and menthol. Then wonderfully fat and nectar-like, with rare depth of fruit for the vintage. Boasts great richness without any heaviness. Really expands in the mouth and goes on and on on the very long, dry finish. Among the strongest 2004 samples I tasted on my most recent trip. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 94-97 (VN (ST)) | HK$23,830.00 | |||||
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (94-97)Superripe aromas of pear, peach, clove and smoked meat. Very ripe and highly concentrated, conveying a chewy impression of solidity. Wonderfully tactile wine, and yet there's terrific spine and verve here. Quite explosive on the mounting, utterly vibrant finish. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 98 (VN) | HK$33,015.00 | |||||
Vinous (98)The 2010 Montrachet Grand Cru is a spectacular wine that fulfills all its potential. The bouquet rivets you to the spot with yellow flowers, hints of honeysuckle and petrichor, with aeration becoming a little petrol-like. The palate is brimming over with nervous energy. There is incredible depth, real thrust to this Montrachet that just lacquers the senses, yet it is only just beginning to demonstrate what it can do. Wow. Bravo Mon. Lafon. Tasted at Noble Rot's Xmas dinner. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 98 (WA) | HK$38,705.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98)Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting, the 2014 Montrachet Grand Cru from Domaine des Comtes Lafon has a clean and fresh bouquet, perhaps just a bit too much lime for my liking, although there is mineralité tucked in just behind. The palate is fresh and saline on the entry with a superb line of acidity. There is weight and presence to this Montrachet, and it gains weight and delivers a knockout, extremely persistent finish tinged with lemon thyme and sherbet. Though a little disjointed at present, I suspect this will turn into a wonderful Montrachet with style and class. But be warned that it will require several years in bottle. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 96-98 (WA) | HK$31,745.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (96-98)The 2017 Montrachet Grand Cru is a classic in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of lemon oil, citrus blossom, green apple, mandarin and beeswax, subtly framed by new oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, beautifully complete and multidimensional, with a broad, satiny attack, a deep, layered mid-palate and a pure, penetrating finish. Youthfully reserved today, its almost understated elegance conceals impressive reserved of structure and extract. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 19 (JR) | HK$30,635.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (19)Tank sample. Mid lemon. Huge weight, breadth and depth. Spice and real volume and intensity of flavour. Forceful and immediately imposing simply by the size of its style. Tremendous white wine. Honed, dense and focused. (MH) |
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Bordeaux | 1 | - | HK$4,355.00 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$203,000.00 | |||||
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A pinnacle of refinement, D'Auvenay Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2014 is a white wine of incomparable grace and complexity. Produced by Maison Leroy, one of Burgundy's most esteemed estates, it hails from French vineyards bearing a legacy dating back hundreds of years. The meticulously handpicked Chardonnay grapes undergo a slow, natural fermentation process, revealing the essence of Batard-Montrachet's limestone-rich soils and cool climate terroir. The resulting wine is a harmonious symphony of citrus, pear, and almond accented with nuanced minerality and toasted oak. Aged in French barrique, it has a hauntingly beautiful finish, reflecting its maker's attention to detail. This grand cru will enchant connoisseurs and collectors alike. With just 300 cases produced annually, D'Auvenay Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2014 is a rare marvel to be savoured for special occasions or treasured in cellars. Indulge in the unparalleled craftsmanship and passion imbued in every bottle of D'Auvenay Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2014. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 88-90 (VN) | HK$81,210.00 | |||||
Vinous (88-90)Pale yellow. Pure aromas of apricot, peach, hazelnut and butter; like an essence of Meursault. Supple, fat and easygoing, with sweet stone fruit and hazelnut flavors carrying through to a long, satisfying finish. Perhaps less refined and nuanced than the Boutonniers but this may be as long. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 92-94 (VN) | HK$57,810.00 | |||||
Vinous (92-94)The 2011 Meursault is totally alive in the glass. Gunpowder, slate and green pear notes emerge from a wine that impresses for its pure energy and drive. Next to some of the other wines in the range, the 2011 is a bit rough around the edges, but there is no lack of conviction and personality. It will be interesting to see if bottle age softens some of the contours. Still, there is a lot to like here. |
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Burgundy | 2 | 93 (VN) | HK$71,795.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)The 1999 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru boasts a bouquet that stops you in your tracks. It is blessed with stunning delineation despite just a subtle reduction – traces of white chocolate and white truffles underlying the electrifying flint-like aromas. The palate is crisp and fresh, the warmth of that growing season imparting weight and presence to this Puligny-Montrachet, long and persistent with a hint of ginger towards the finish, completing a truly awesome Folatières. 1,455 bottles produced. Tasted at Carré des Feuillants restaurant in Paris. |
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$76,435.00 | |||||
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Indulge in the exquisite d'Auvenay Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres 2004. Hailing from the prestigious French vineyards of Puligny-Montrachet, it's cultivated under the seasoned stewardship of Domaine d'Auvenay. Acute attention to detail ensures only the finest Chardonnay grapes are harvested, manifesting an unmatchable portrayal of Burgundy's celebrated terroir. This 2004 vintage encompasses the winery's diligent commitment, exhibiting a golden hue, elegant minerality, and voluptuous notes of exotic fruit layered with hints of caramel and honey. Maturation in new oak barrels bestows a refined complexity and depth to this splendid wine. Acclaimed wine critic, Robert Parker, celebrates its beautifully balanced acidity, identifying it as one of the exceptional offerings from Domaine d'Auvenay. The d'Auvenay Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres 2004 saturates the palate with a lasting impression, exuding an undeniably rich and enticing allure. A spectacular addition to any discerning wine aficionado's collection. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 94-96 (VN) | HK$66,890.00 | |||||
Vinous (94-96)The 2011 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières , on the other hand, conveys an impression of pure silk. Here the flavors are more sculpted and finessed than in the Richarde, while the minerality is also more apparent. With time in the glass the beauty and purity of the fruit emerges, but the Folatières convinces for its regal texture and personality alone. Readers who can find the 2011 are going to be thrilled. |
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$93,625.00 | |||||
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An extraordinary vintage, the d'Auvenay Puligny-Montrachet En La Richarde 2009 teems with eloquent Burgundian finesse. Crafted under the watchful expertise of renowned winemaker Lalou Bize-Leroy, its origin is the cherished terroir of Puligny-Montrachet, nestled in the heart of Burgundy. This exquisite Chardonnay, produced in minuscule quantities, unveils complex layers of ripe fruit, pared beautifully alongside a seamless mineral backbone and finely honed acuity. Benefiting from meticulous biodynamic farming, this wine matures in French oak barrels, with partial malolactic fermentation inducing a voluptuous creaminess. A superior expression of its vintage, it harmonises dazzling acidity with generous ripeness. The captivating intensity of the d'Auvenay Puligny-Montrachet En La Richarde 2009 truly delivers the epitome of elegance, setting a benchmark for white Burgundy. With a potential to evolve, this wine cements d'Auvenay as a much-coveted producer in the annals of fine wine. |
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Burgundy | 1 | - | HK$18,410.00 | |||||
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Drift into the luxuriance of French winemaking with the d'Eugenie Montrachet Grand Cru 2020, a quintessentially Burgundian Chardonnay. This Grand Cru, cultivated by the illustrious Domaine d'Eugenie, is drawn from the limestoned vineyards of Côte de Beaune, an area renowned for its profound influence on terroir. The grapes are handpicked and meticulously sorted before ageing in French oak barrels, a process lending complex aromas of citrus and bread crust, all sumptuously melded with a hint of vanilla. On the palate, the full-bodied d'Eugenie Montrachet Grand Cru 2020 reveals delicate minerality, enlivened flavours, and an enduring finish. A true testament to the mastery of Côte de Beaune, this vintage is an unparalleled choice for discerning oenophiles. Cherish the grandeur and brilliance of Burgundian winemaking epitomised by d'Eugenie Montrachet Grand Cru 2020. It sets the benchmark for delectability, refinement, and profundity in white Burgundy. |
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