French White Wines

France offers the most varied selection of white wines of any country in the world: it’s all in the geography, and the complex matrix of north-south and east-west.

It’s not just a matter of the north being cool and the south hot; it’s the difference between maritime influenced climates to the west and continental climates to the east.

For example, despite being far north Alsace is surprisingly dry - Strasbourg is the second driest city in France after Perpignan! - protected as it is by the Vosges mountains to the west, and enjoys a pretty hot summer. By contrast Bordeaux, right on the bay of Biscay, can be on the receiving end of weather not dissimilar to Cornwall. Then there are regions cooled by proximity to mountains - Jurancon and Limoux, for example, both just north of the Pyrenees; and there’s the really hot zone along the Med in the arc from Marseille to Perpignan.

On the whole each region of France has its own cluster of grape varieties, best suited to its climate and soils: for example the Loire has Sauvignon Blanc grown in the eastern vineyards on calcareous soils, Chenin Blanc in the middle on tufa, and Melon de Bourgogne on the granitic vineyards of Muscadet. Bordeaux has Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon; Burgundy, Chardonnay; and in Alsace there is a bunch of grapes which are also grown in neighbouring Germany and Northern Italy: Pinot Gris (Grigio), Pinot Blanc (Bianco), Gewurtztraminer, plus Riesling. Throughout the Rhône valley, Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon the best results are with grapes able to take the summer heat: Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Rolle (Vermentino) and Macabeu. (Where Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are planted in the south the results tend, with few exceptions, to be poor). Then there are all sorts of weird and wonderful white grapes grown in the outlying areas, such as south-west France (Petit and Gros Manseng among others), Savoie and Jura.

When one considers that many of these wines come in unoaked and oaked styles, the diversity is breathtaking!

Kalian Bernasse, Monbazillac, France, Half Bottle, 2017

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Kalian Bernasse, Monbazillac, France, Half Bottle, 2017

Organically farmed and certified; from grapes picked in several passages through the Griaud...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionSouth-West

ColourWhite

ABV13%

Half Bottle37.5cl

CodeKAL117

GrapeSemillon & Muscadelle

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Domaine des Forges, Coteaux du Layon St Aubin, 2022

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Domaine des Forges, Coteaux du Layon St Aubin, 2022

Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné lies between the Loire and Layon rivers. This late picked Chenin Blanc...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionLoire

ColourWhite

ABV12%

Bottle75cl

CodeFOR622

GrapeChenin Blanc

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Chateau de la Liquiere, Faugeres,  Nos Racines Blanc, 2021

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Jancis Robinson
Chateau de la Liquiere, Faugeres, Nos Racines Blanc, 2021

Second vintage of this wine chez Stone Vine & Sun. Certified organic and presumably grown on...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionLanguedoc-Roussillon

ColourWhite

ABV13.5%

Bottle75cl

CodeLIQ821

GrapeCarignan Blanc, Grenache Blanc & Gris

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Les Chardons, Sauvignon Blanc, IGP Val de Loire, 2022

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Les Chardons, Sauvignon Blanc, IGP Val de Loire, 2022

The hot and dry summer of 2022 brings so much ripeness and weight to this humble Vin de Pays. ...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionLoire

ColourWhite

ABV13%

Bottle75cl

CodeAUM322

GrapeSauvignon Blanc

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Domaine d'Elise, Petit Chablis, 2021

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Domaine d'Elise, Petit Chablis, 2021

A benchmark, far better than most Chablis from the huge co-operatives: cool and oyster-shell...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV12%

Bottle75cl

CodeELS121

GrapeChardonnay

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Cherrier Père et fils, Sancerre, 2022

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Cherrier Père et fils, Sancerre, 2022

Smelling of citrus zest, it's lemony but shows hints of tangerine. A full-flavoured mid...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionLoire

ColourWhite

ABV13.5%

Bottle75cl

CodeROS122

GrapeSauvignon Blanc

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Francoise & Denis Clair, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, La Garenne, 2020

La Garenne is amongst the highest of the 1er Crus between Puligny and Meursault, which helps in...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV13%

Bottle75cl

CodeCLB720

GrapeChardonnay

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Jean-Luc & Bruno Meyer, Gewurztraminer, 2022

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Jean-Luc & Bruno Meyer, Gewurztraminer, 2022

A perfect balance between rose-petal aromatics, exotic fruit and spice. Full bodied, off-dry...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionAlsace

ColourWhite

ABV13.5%

Bottle75cl

CodeMEY322

GrapeGewurztraminer

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Domaine Fourrey, Chablis, 2022

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Domaine Fourrey, Chablis, 2022

Scent of citrus – but actually fruitier than one expects, with a ripe red apple note....

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV12.5%

Bottle75cl

CodeFRR122

GrapeChardonnay

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Jean-Luc Meyer, Pinot Gris, 2022

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Jean-Luc Meyer, Pinot Gris, 2022

Sandalwood aroma prefaces a lightly savoury, textured palate. Only fractionally off-dry (just 5...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionAlsace

ColourWhite

ABV13.5%

Bottle75cl

CodeMEY222

GrapePinot Gris

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Jean-Luc Meyer, Pinot Blanc, Alsace, 2022

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Jean-Luc Meyer, Pinot Blanc, Alsace, 2022

A long-term favourite at SVS - we have been shipping this organic wine from the Meyer family in...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionAlsace

ColourWhite

ABV12.5%

Bottle75cl

CodeMEY122

GrapePinot Blanc

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Château Les Combes, Bordeaux Blanc - Sauvignon Semillon, 2022

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Château Les Combes, Bordeaux Blanc - Sauvignon Semillon, 2022

The addition of about 20% Sémillon adds pleasing fat and moderates the grassy Sauvignon...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBordeaux

ColourWhite

ABV12%

Bottle75cl

CodeGRC622

GrapeSauvignon Semillon Blend

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