White Wine

One of the best of Alsatian dry Muscats. Deftly crafted, lifted, lilies and blossom. Impressively concentrated and ripe, but so fine, so delicate.

Classic Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc from a declassified 3ha plot in Pouilly-Fumé. Fragrant, with pure juicy fruit and a slight grassy edge. Grown and made by David and Shirley Maudry at their dynamic young estate, Maison Lispaul.

This Muscat wine has had the alcohol removed. Pale yellow, very clean and grapey aromas. Fresh and bright on the palate.

Viña Arroba, meaning “enchanted vineyard” is a captivating wine from Spain’s sun-drenched vineyards. This crisp and refreshing white wine has flavours of stone and tropical fruit and ripe apple. A lovely match to grilled fish, creamy pasta and risotto.

Lovely small-estate, mineral, citrusy Chablis, just as it should be. Crying out for seafood or just good company.

Domaine des Comtes Lafon has the deepest and coldest cellars in Burgundy and they nurture some of the greatest dry white wines of Burgundy. Dominique Lafon has been in charge since 1985, taking over a domaine which already had a reputation for outstanding, if irregular whites, and potentially good reds. When Lafon took over the domaine, most of his vineyards were leased out on a share-cropping basis. It was only towards the end of the 80s that he managed to reclaim all the vineyards and thus have full responsibility for them.The white wines are now consistently among the best in Burgundy while since 1989 the reds have reached the top division. The domaine is now cultivated according to biodynamic principles with no use of herbicides or chemical sprays. All the wines are barrel-fermented, using new oak for the 1er Crus upwards. This is the very pinnacle of White Burgundy with superlative fruit, power, complexity and total harmony being the wines' hallmarks. In September 1999 the Lafons bought a domaine in the Maconnais at Milly Lamartine, sold under the label of Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon. Further vineyards have been bought subsequently, and from 2009 there is a contract in place to farm the vineyards of the Chateau de Viré. This wasn’t produced in 2019 due to frost; the surviving grapes were declassified to Mâcon-Villages. There was no lasting damage, and it’s a real success in ’20. This spot ripens early, so the grapes are picked at the start of harvest. Made in oak foudre, this is fruity and charming with crisp peach fruit and a zesty finish.

Fantastic length. Nothing in excess, there's oak, there's spice, there's richness, stone fruit, citrus fruit, all in balance and all building up. Will age. Sumptuous on second look.

Racy passion fruit, tangerine and gooseberry flavours are graceful and elegant, with a lovely, alive mouth feel and a medium body. A zingy acidity adds to the elegance, and the flavours echo on the finish.

"The nose is not quite as extrovert as the Hautes Côtes de Beaune, and the fruit is whiter on the palate. Certainly ripe, a touch of liquorice, some warmth, but this works and has kept some Pernand-Vergelesses. Stocky but well made." Jasper Morris MW Domaine Rollin Père et Fils works 14 hectares of vines in five different communes in the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy. The domaine, situated in Pernand-Vergelesses (a village behind the Hill of Corton), was founded in 1955 by Maurice Rollin, but it was his father who had started to assemble parcels of vines from which he produced his own wine outside work hours (like his father, he was employed as a vineyard worker by another winery in the village). Rémi, Maurice's son, has now been joined by his own son, Simon.

In this cuvée, Benjamin masterfully blends fruit from mostly Meursault, with some higher altitude chardonnay from the hills above Beaune which adds precision and finesse to this Bourgogne Blanc of unbeatable value. Large, old oak fermenting vessels and lees ageing help keep this wine remarkably fresh and elegant.

This is from just over 1.5 hectares planted in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Bessin’s Forêt vines aren’t far from his Montmains but the wine displays a very different character. There’s some smoky reduction on the nose, with restrained salinity and some delicate citrus fruits underneath. Intense and pure, this is a picture of restraint.

Pure essence of what Viognier is at Yalumba: apricot fruit, long luscious textures and hints of orange oil with a refreshing finish.

A lovely ripe and tropical nose with apricots and ginger, allspice, cashews and toast coming through. The medium-bodied palate displays lovely harmony and has honeysuckle coming through with some minerality and a fresh citrus lift in the finish.

There’s a modest shift in this year’s blend: the domaine now manages two vineyards; and five domaine-owned sites make up the balance. The proportion of new oak (15%) is unchanged, as is the wine’s ability to punch above its weight. The fruit has a Puligny-style bite, with the clever use of the lees adding a creamy sidenote.

Intense dried fruit aromas combine with forestal notes of anise and chlorophyll. Firm mouthfeel with a touch of tannin that gives body and texture. Enclosed by drystone walls on three sides and backing steeply onto the Montagne de Beaune, Clos des Monsnières offers a beautiful panorama of Pommard and the Côte. Quite shallow clay-limestone soils over ironstone gravel enable Chardonnay to ripen slowly.

Meursault Village "Meix Chavaux" Domaine 2020 reveals a strong character. It is a slightly tense wine with excellent acidity. Full of energy, this wine is well-balanced. Meursault Village "Meix Chavaux" Domaine 2018 stems from a 10-hectare production area grown in an organic manner (non-certified) and located between 240 and 260 meters above sea level around the village of Meursault. The north-facing, fairly stony clay-limestone terroir is home to vines planted in 1991.

Meursault Village "Meix Chavaux" Domaine 2020 reveals a strong character. It is a slightly tense wine with excellent acidity. Full of energy, this wine is well-balanced. Meursault Village "Meix Chavaux" Domaine 2018 stems from a 10-hectare production area grown in an organic manner (non-certified) and located between 240 and 260 meters above sea level around the village of Meursault. The north-facing, fairly stony clay-limestone terroir is home to vines planted in 1991.

A seductive combination of white nectarine, pink grapefruit and candied orange rind mingles with the more savoury aromas of roasted chestnuts and hot buttered brioche – an elaborate concoction infused with linseed and woodsmoke. The savouriness carries through onto a wonderfully dry palate that has great texture and concentration, with distinct flintiness, tight structure and terrific ageing potential.

100% Sauvignon grown on selceted plots of argilo-calcaire soils that's harvested at night to preserve all the elegance of the grape. De-stemming, cold maceration on the skins, static draining, pneumatic pressing, settling of the must in cold conditions and fermentation with temperature control (18°C) and a few months further aging in steel tanks. Brilliant yellow colour with green tints. A wine with powerful aromas of exotic fruit on the nose, but comes on a little more citrus on the palate (lemon and grapefruit). A very good effort. Serve chilled (8°-10°C) as an aperitif, with a salad or seafood.

This dry white Bordeaux from a great producer in Sauternes has a new name in 2021, Lions de Suduiraut Sec. Half of the wine is aged in oak barrels, the other half in stainless steel. With bright acidity and plenty of lovely citrus fruit the wine is ready to drink but will keep for 4 years.

A delightful example, with lovely fruit, character and texture.

Classic Picpoul de Pinet with a pretty floral nose, very refreshing on the palate and an attractive grapefruit and lemon peel finish. This is a really lovely vintage from our friends at Domaine de Castelnau, great growers of Picpoul de Pinet.

A bright, pale yellow wine with a lively bouquet of peach and pineapple tropical fruits blend with touches of more savoury, mineral notes. This wine is medium-bodied, with a vibrant, intense core of citrus and stone fruit alongside a firm mineral zip that continues through the long finish.

Natural, Organic, Biodynamic Macabeu, fermented and aged in barrels, racy and minerally with soft texture and generous fruit.