If you love crisp, dry, appetising whites, you can’t do better than Muscadet. Having lost out in the past to the New World, its winemakers have been working extremely hard of late to win back consumers so quality and value have never been better.
Robert Parker described the Muscadet appellation’s wines as “probably the world’s greatest white wine value”, while wine writer Hugh Johnson said “I can think of nothing more refreshing”. The region is right on the Atlantic coast, so its wines are wonderfully evocative of the sea. You’ll taste that maritime freshness in this delicious white from fourth-generation winemaker Noël Bougrier. For a quintessentially French experience, serve chilled with a bowl of moules frites – mussels and French fries.
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Bernard Moreau has been in charge of his small family domaine in the Mâconnais since 1982 and is now assisted by his son, Alex, as winemaker. It lies very close to a village called Chardonnay, just like the grape! For this white, they use fruit from their 60-year-old vines, planted on calcareous soils and with excellent sun exposure. This is the perfect formula for wine with depth and concentration.
Plus, 2022 whites are blessed with richness, body and ripeness, a generous year. Bernard tends his vines with the utmost care, using sustainable, eco-friendly methods. This results in a wine with a balance of creamy roundness, ripe pear, crisp minerality and finesse. Serve cellar cool with creamy sauced dishes to best enjoy its subtle flavour.
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Tony Laithwaite has long wanted to make an estate white at La Clarière, but traditionally Castillon is all about reds. Now he's crafted this oak fermented white. Long, complex and citrusy, it's won four Golds.
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This fine Jura estate was founded in 1742 and, with the accumulated wisdom of nine generations, remains in the same family. They started out as farmers, with a few vines. Then in 1950, 7th-generation René Baud worked to restore the vineyards after the devastation of both two world wars and phylloxera. Since then, the four hectares has grown to 20 and the 9th generation, Bastien and Clementine, are running the domaine.
They are sustainable in their approach, gaining Terra Vitis status in 2014. Just over half of their production is Chardonnay, here from some of their oldest vines, planted in 1930. Fermentation and ageing in seasoned oak barrels lends a creamy weight and roundness to the apple-fresh fruit. Great with creamy sauced chicken.
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An innovative white from southern France. Brothers François and Vincent Pugibet fell in love with the Cabernet Blanc grape and planted it. White skins, white flesh, the grape has produced gorgeous creamy apricot fruit and lovely freshness.
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