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!
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60% is fermented and aged in stainless steel with the remaining 40% going into old oak. Bright...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
ABV %
Bottle75cl
CodeHUB023
GrapeChardonnay

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10 months in oak before returning to steel this has an excellent core of pear and lemon, with a...
ColourWhite
Bottle75
CodePAQ123
GrapeChardonnay

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Anchored at the foot of the Roche de Vergisson, by the village of Davayé, from two plots...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
Bottle75cl
CodeSAU823
GrapeChardonnay

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From the oldest plot of vines on the estate, averaging 85 years of age. Matured in oak for 12...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
Bottle75cl
CodePAQ223
GrapeChardonnay

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From a very calcareous site and given 10-15% new oak. White flowers and citrus, open and...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
ABV %
Bottle75cl
CodeCLB222
GrapeChardonnay

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Blanchots is the sole south-east facing Grand Cru, giving a longer ripening season – and...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
ABV %
Bottle75cl
CodeROB622
GrapeChardonnay

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From a two-hectare sheltered plot on limestone, with vines between 50 and 100 years old...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
ABV %
Bottle75cl
CodeCHZ122
GrapeChardonnay

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Picked last of his whites as the coolest site; aged in barrel, 10% new, for 10 months. White...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
ABV %
Bottle75cl
CodeCLB022
GrapeChardonnay

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Santenay is becoming increasingly popular amongst drinkers seeking a generous and not too...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
ABV %
Bottle75cl
CodeCLB122
GrapeChardonnay

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From a very small plot at the top of the slope, planted in the 1940s on gravel and red clay...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
ABV %
Bottle75cl
CodeSAB322
GrapeChardonnay

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From two parcels, one planted in 1954 and the other in 1982, in this top 1er Cru, which faces...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
ABV %
Bottle75cl
CodeROB522
GrapeChardonnay

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Named after the 5-sided marine fossils found locally, this wine is selected from three parcels...
OriginFrance
RegionBurgundy
ColourWhite
Bottle75cl
CodeSAU723
GrapeChardonnay