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!

Domaine des Chazelles, Vire Clesse, Les Chazelles, 2021

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Domaine des Chazelles, Vire Clesse, Les Chazelles, 2021

From a two-hectare sheltered plot on limestone, with vines between 50 and 100 years old...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV 12%

Bottle75cl

CodeCHZ121

GrapeChardonnay

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Domaine Faiveley, Mercurey Clos Rochette, 2022

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Jancis Robinson
Domaine Faiveley, Mercurey Clos Rochette, 2022

Wholly owned by the family since 1933, a stony and rocky vineyard, hence the name. About 55% in...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV13.5%

En Premier Case75cl

CodeFAJ122

GrapeChardonnay

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Jean-Marie Chaland, Macon Villages, Les Tilles,  2022

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Jean-Marie Chaland, Macon Villages, Les Tilles, 2022

From a small, half a hectare parcel, on clay and limestone planted in the late 1960s. Stainless...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV 13%

Bottle75cl

CodeSAB122

GrapeChardonnay

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Denis Clair, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru, Les Champlots,  2022

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Denis Clair, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru, Les Champlots, 2022

Champlots lies on a south-west facing slope above the hamlet of Gamay with stony, calcareous...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV 13%

Bottle75cl

CodeCLB322

GrapeChardonnay

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Francoise & Denis Clair, Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc, 2021

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Francoise & Denis Clair, Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc, 2021

An elegant expression of Chardonnay with notes of acacia and intense green apple. Invigorating....

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV13%

Bottle75cl

CodeCLB021

GrapeChardonnay

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Antoine et Laurent Robin, Chablis, 2022

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Jancis Robinson
Antoine et Laurent Robin, Chablis, 2022

From vines averaging 45 years old (the earliest planted in 1954), on a vineyard facing the 1er...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV12.5%

Bottle75cl

CodeROB222

GrapeChardonnay

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Huber-Verdereau, Bourgogne Cote D'Or, Pre Aux Dames, 2022

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Huber-Verdereau, Bourgogne Cote D'Or, Pre Aux Dames, 2022

From a plot on the plain just below the village of Puligny, incorporating some Chardonnay...

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV %

Bottle75cl

CodeHUB122

GrapeChardonnay

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Huber-Verdereau, Auxey-Duresses, Les Ecusseaux,  2022

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Jancis Robinson
Huber-Verdereau, Auxey-Duresses, Les Ecusseaux, 2022

From a plot on the plain just below the village of Puligny, incorporating some Chardonnay...

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV13%

Bottle75cl

CodeHUB522

GrapeChardonnay

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Fourrey, Chablis 1er Cru, Côte de Lechet, 2022
Jancis Robinson

The Fourreys own a healthy 3.60 hectares of Côte de Lechet, divided amongst six plots over the...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV 13%

Bottle75cl

CodeFRR722

GrapeChardonnay

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Rene Lequin-Colin, Bourgogne Chardonnay, 2022

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Rene Lequin-Colin, Bourgogne Chardonnay, 2022

Although not shown on the label (François Lequin chooses not to use organic cultivation as a...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV 12.5%

Bottle75cl

CodeLEQ822

GrapeChardonnay

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Domaine Saumaize-Michelin, Pouilly-Fuisse 1er Cru, Clos sur la Roche, 2022

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Jancis Robinson
Domaine Saumaize-Michelin, Pouilly-Fuisse 1er Cru, Clos sur la Roche, 2022

From south facing vines at 380m. on the lower slopes of the Roche de Vergisson, this is one of...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBurgundy

ColourWhite

ABV 13.5%

Bottle75cl

CodeSAU422

GrapeChardonnay

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La Chapelle de Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes, 2019

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La Chapelle de Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes, 2019

The second wine of Lafaurie-Peyraguey, a Grand Cru Classe of the Sauternes with 18 hectares of...

Style

Dry > Sweet

OriginFrance

RegionBordeaux

ColourWhite

ABV13%

Bottle75cl

CodeCLP119

GrapeSemillon, Sauvignon Blanc & Muscadelle

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