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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Wine Advocate (93-95)
There are eight barrels of the excellent 2017 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (Maison Louis Jadot), an impressive wine that unfurls in the glass with aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, pear, pastry cream and honeycomb. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and satiny, with more concentration and cut than this year's Bienvenues, with an elegant sense of completeness and a long, lively finish. This will be well worth seeking out.HK$19,940.00 -
Discover the refinement of the Alain Gautheron Chablis 1er Cru Fourneaux 2022, skillfully crafted in the picturesque Fourneaux vineyard located in the heart of Chablis, France. Alain Gautheron, esteemed for five generations of winemaking prowess, personally curates this wine which is a renowned treasure in his collection. This magnifique Chardonnay typifies the rich, limestone-clay terroir of Burgundy, yielding a fine minerality and pronounced fruitiness.
As the wine ages in stainless steel vats, it gains a remarkable depth and complexity. Expect a symphony of ripe citrus, blossom, and green apple on the nose, echoed by a vibrant, elegant palate that dances with lemon zest, oyster shell and a delicate streak of minerality. The Alain Gautheron Chablis 1er Cru Fourneaux 2022's well-balanced acidity and enduring finish render it an exquisite companion for any gourmet dining experience.
HK$2,285.00 -
Vinous (87)
The 2021 Chablis Vaucoupin 1er Cru has a primal, grapefruit and lemon thyme scented nose that feels a bit strict. The palate is well balanced with a sapid entry, though it needs more grip and substance on the finish. Fine, but early-drinking. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.HK$1,665.00 -
Experience the sublime elegance of the Ballot Millot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2020, a world-renowned white wine hailing from the internationally acclaimed wine region of Bourgogne, France. Produced by the esteemed Ballot Millot estate, regarded for their meticulous, biodynamically driven approach, this requiste Chardonnay boasts an impressive depth of character. Hand-harvested grapes matured in oak barrels lend complexity, whilst terroir-driven minerality adds enigmatic depth.
Ballot Millot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2020 offers an enchanting medley of invigorating citrus notes harmonised with nuances of baked apple and honey, underpinned by flinty undertones and a sophisticated hint of vanilla, all culminating in a rich yet refreshingly crisp finish. A testament to their centenary history, this Chardonnay elegantly symbolises the passion and precision inherent to Ballot Millot's craft. A must-have for connoisseurs, this transcendent wine is yearning to grace your cellar.
HK$3,780.00 -
The Ballot Millot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2021 is a sophisticated product from the reputed house of Ballot Millot et Fils, located in Meursault, a premier cru village of Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France. This remarkable Chardonnay is a testament to their craftsmanship in viticulture and vinification, exhibiting centuries-old tradition and innovative vision.
Beaming with elegance and complexity, the Ballot Millot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2021 showcases remarkable minerality. Produced using 100% Chardonnay grapes from mature vineyards, fermentation occurs in aged oak barrels, asserting distinct richness and depth to the wine.
This Chardonnay reveals an enticing bouquet of fresh orchard fruits augmented by subtle woody undertones, whilst the palate ensures fine balance between acidity and fruitiness. Punctuated by a lingering finish, the drinkability of this French masterpiece is simply outstanding. A timeless enticement that exudes both heritage and finesse, showcasing the artistry of Ballot Millot.
HK$3,730.00 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet Tête du Clos Morgeot 1er Cru comes from part of the climat with more limestone. It has quite a striking, menthol- and licorice-tinged bouquet that revels in the exoticism of the 2019 but does not allow it to impede upon the terroir. The palate is well balanced with pure fruit –passion fruit, tinned pineapple chunks – and a touch of spice and crushed stone toward the finish, which has plenty of extract. There is a sense of fun about this Chassagne that will make it tempting in its youth, but I suspect that its more intellectual side will only be revealed with bottle age.HK$5,855.00 -
Wine Advocate (93)
More demonstrative than the Charmes, the 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Bouchères bursts with aromas of peach, citrus oil, nutmeg and fresh pastry. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, with an elegantly textural attack that segues into a fleshy core of fruit. Precise and penetrating, it's a charming wine.HK$7,340.00 -
Ballot Millot Meursault 1er Cru Boucheres 2018 is a prestigious offering from the Ballot Millot vineyard, nestled in the heart of Burgundy, France. Their vineyards are renowned for utilising traditional planting methods, yielding an intensely flavourful, quality-driven harvest. This 2018 edition pays testament to the remarkable 1er Cru classification. Harvested from 40-year-old Boucheres vines, it is fermented in French oak barrels and aged ‘sur lie’ for 15 months, resulting in a magnificent, well-balanced wine. The Ballot Millot Meursault 1er Cru Boucheres 2018 emanates opulence, featuring rich, buttery nuances complemented by tantalising citrus notes. Its luxurious creaminess is cut by a pristine finish, exhibiting the vineyard’s unique limestone soil. With an alluring blend of robustness and elegance, this vintage delivers an unforgettable experience for serious wine connoisseurs. Savour the Ballot Millot Meursault 1er Cru Boucheres 2018 when looking to taste the zenith of Meursault winemaking tradition.
HK$7,370.00 -
Discover the elegance of the Ballot Millot Meursault Blanc 2018, a distinguished Burgundy hailing from one of France's most coveted wine regions. This exceptional Chardonnay is produced by Domaine Ballot Millot, a renowned winemaker known for their meticulous viniculture honed over generations. The wine will enrapture demanding palates, offering a bouquet of buttered toast, roasted hazelnuts, and ripe orchard fruits.
Hints of lime blossom, clover honey, and a touch of oak lend the Ballot Millot Meursault Blanc 2018 a complexity that is utterly compelling. Its ageing process in French oak barrels accentuates subtleties that attest to the producer's adept hand and respect for each vineyard parcel.
Elevate your wine collection with the Ballot Millot Meursault Blanc 2018, a testament to the ceaseless pursuit of perfection in the heart of Meursault. Experience the harmonious interplay of tradition and innovation, encapsulated in each bottle of this remarkable white wine.
HK$6,600.00 -
Among the finest and most coveted wines, the Ballot Millot Meursault Blanc 2019 exemplifies top-tier Chardonnay at its zenith. Originating from the esteemed Meursault appellation within Burgundy, France, its character is the result of meticulous cultivation by the Ballot Millot estate, a family-run operation with vineyards immersed in over a century of tradition.
The 2019 vintage enhances its esteemed lineage as grapes are hand-harvested from stratified limestone soil in specifically curated vineyards. Fermentation in French oak barrels follows a careful, traditional Burgundy method, which encapsulates delicate orchard fruit notes, light acidity and a mineral-rich character. Its entirety is then matured in the same oak barrels for 15-18 months to fulfil a splendid harmony of depth and complexity.
The Ballot Millot Meursault Blanc 2019 expertly balances opulence and restraint, revealing notes of honey, pear and butter, dovetailed with a refreshing finish. An exquisite embodiment of the estate's time-honoured precision in viticulture and vinification.
HK$6,590.00 -
Crafted with finesse and care, the Ballot Millot Meursault Blanc 2020 exhibits elegance and complexity. This exceptional white wine hailing from Meursault, the heart of France's celebrated Burgundy region, carries the distinct mark of its world-renowned producer, Ballot Millot. A master of balancing tradition with innovation, Ballot Millot utilises biodynamic practices to create a wine that showcases the extraordinary terroir with precision.
For the Ballot Millot Meursault Blanc 2020, handpicked Chardonnay grapes are gently pressed and vinified in oak barrels, a process that imbues the wine with a subtle, harmonious depth. The resulting wine boasts a robust palate, brimming with notes of citrus, honey and toasted almonds, and complemented by an underlying mineral finish.
Reflective of its illustrious producer and the famous vineyards of Meursault, the Ballot Millot Meursault Blanc 2020 stands as a testimony to the remarkable quality of Burgundian wines, making it an essential addition to any fine wine collection.
HK$6,590.00 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2019 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru, which comes from 85-year-old vines, has an expressive, almost Charmes-like bouquet, wild honey mixed with heather and hints of chamomile. The oak is neatly enmeshed. The palate is very well balanced, one of the most elegant and poised contributions from this Premier Cru, offering touches of orange pith and white peach mixed with hazelnut toward the finish. The kind of Meursault that makes you smile like a Cheshire cat.HK$9,715.00 -
Experience the classic release of Ballot Millot Meursault-Genevrieres 1er Cru 2020, an exquisite expression from the esteemed Ballot Millot estate, situated in the heart of Burgundy’s Cote de Beaune. This premium Chardonnay is meticulously produced using traditional fermentation in wooden casks and showcases brilliance of Meursault appellation terroir. Offering distinct minerality characteristic of the Genevrieres climat, it boasts layered complexity with dominant notes of honey, nuts, and bright citrus.
The 2020 vintage is a testament to the skill of Ballot Millot, a family-owned winery with a legacy extending over a century. Following in his father's and grandfather’s footsteps, Charles Ballot expertly tends his vines, ensuring low yields for concentrated flavour.
Relish the Ballot Millot Meursault-Genevrieres 1er Cru 2020’s long and richer finish, evident of its high ageing potential. For lovers of Chardonnay, this wine represents the epitome of French craftsmanship. Immerse in refined elegance and unmatched finesse with each sip.
HK$9,785.00 -
HK$4,740.00
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HK$6,760.00
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HK$2,345.00
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HK$6,660.00
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Vinous (95)
I thought the 2009 Corton-Charlemagne from Bonneau du Martray was simply brilliant. Perhaps it was the magnum format, but the 2009 was fabulous, with all of the signature mineral, slate and citrus notes given a little extra richness by the warmth of the year. What a gorgeous wine.HK$23,225.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2010 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru offers an enticing array of marine scents on the nose: cockle shells and estuarine aromas. Give it a couple more minutes and watch those lovely grilled walnut scents flourish and multiply so that is ends up almost Meursault Perrieres in character. The palate makes an immediate impression on the entry with that subtle nutty theme continuing, partnered with racy acidity, superb concentration and a long, tense finish that is energetic and surfeit with mineralite, flint popping up on the finish. So delicious you could broach a bottle now - but that would be depriving you of what will be in a decade-s time! Drink 2016-2035.HK$24,410.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2011 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is just starting to drink well. Fresh and mineral, the 2011 also looks to have plenty of life ahead of it. Chalk, lemon confit and white flowers all grace this open-knit, curvy Charlemagne. The 2011 has really softened in recent years. Time in the glass brings out the layers in this very pretty and expressive Charlemagne from Bonneau du Martray.HK$13,675.00 -
Wine Advocate (96+)
The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is showing superbly from bottle, wafting from the glass with a complex and beautifully integrated bouquet of pear, citrus oil, toasted sesame, warm bread, oyster shell and white flowers. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with a racy spine of acidity and superb concentration without weight, followed by a long, defined finish. Surpassing the high expectations I formed a year ago, this would appear to be the finest wine produced at Bonneau du Martray for over a decade.HK$24,115.00 -
Vinous (93)
The 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a reductive nose but there is some fine fruit here, touches of orange pith, honeysuckle and melted candle wax. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, a hint of wood to be subsumed on the entry, impressive depth with a slightly toasty finish. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting.HK$20,200.00 -
HK$4,985.00
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Vinous (91)
The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet Hameau de Blagny 1er Cru has a crisp, slightly flinty bouquet that unfolds nicely in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a malic entry, quite terse at first and steely on the finish, a little vanilla and almond lingering on the aftertaste. Very fine.HK$7,095.00 -
Vinous (88-90)
The 2018 Meursault "St. Christophe" is a blend of three vineyards and sees slightly less new oak that other cuvées from de Montille. There is just a slight reduction on the nose, which develops light menthol notes with aeration. The palate is easygoing, perhaps a bit commercial in style, but there is nothing wrong with that. Finishes pleasantly peachy. Drink over the next five or six years.HK$5,450.00 -
James Suckling (97-98)
This is dense and very structured with phenolic tension and depth. Full-bodied, lightly phenolic with sliced apples, cooked pears and lemons. Lively and intense. Solid as a rock. This is one to watch.HK$6,360.00 -
James Suckling (96-97)
A dense, creamy DC white with lots of rich cooked-apple, mineral, cream and praline character. It’s full and very layered with chewy intensity and a long, bitter-lemon and almost honey finish. Pretty phenolic tension, too.HK$5,570.00 -
James Suckling (98-99)
This is always an impressive white, with a lengthy, layered and compact palate. Lots of dried lemon, clove, fennel, green-apple and cedar. Flint and toast, too. Medium to full body. Very long. 70% sauvignon blanc and 30% semillon.HK$6,390.00 -
Cultivated in the prestigious vineyards of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine du Banneret Chateauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret Blanc 2021 brims with an element of mystery. This distinctive white wine, produced by a 15th generation winemaker, extends the legacy of fine winemaking nurtured on ancestral Berthet-Rayne estate grounds. For three centuries, the secrets of traditional vinification, using only indigenous yeast, have been safeguarded within this domain.
The grapes are farmed organically, hand-harvested at their peak, and whole bunch pressed and fermented in aged oak barrels. As a result, this wine displays a full-bodied richness with dominant notes of honey, ripe peaches, and delicate hints of vanilla. Its compelling balance between acidity and structure bestow an uncandid elegance, worthy of any discerning palate. Domaine du Banneret Chateauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret Blanc 2021 is a premium wine selection that exhibits the true essence of Chateauneuf-du-Pape's terroir.
HK$4,225.00 -
Vinous (92)
The 2016 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru is taut and fresh, showing more vigour and mineralité compared to its showing in bottle last year. The palate is well balanced with good depth, a little creaminess coming through towards the finish with touches of orange zest and dried apricot developing. This has caught up with the Folatières since it lagged behind when tasted from vat. Tasted at Flint Wines Domaine Dujac tasting in London.HK$15,800.00