White wines from Burgundy

These are entirely authentic wines, with bright, fresh aromas of flowers and citrus enhanced by slight buttery notes. Supple balance in the mouth shows off a lovely texture and great typical minerality, making this an obvious choice for seafood dishes, oysters, charcuterie and cheese, as well as a great aperitif.

Though the Baillard and Servin families have long experience in wine and winemaking, Julien Baillard has only recently been set up to vinify and bottle part of the fruit produced at Domaine Baillard.

Julien Baillard's granddaughter Elodie takes care of vinification, while her partner Kevin deals with marketing and distribution of a developing range of wines from the domaine's twenty-four hectares, which include some of Chablis' most prestigious plots of land.

(We've added approximate English subtitles to the video clip below. If the subtitles aren't visible, you can always go direct to the YouTube page.)

From a single vineyard just outside Puligny-Montrachet comes this expressive, rounded Burgundy, with smooth citrus and apple flavours and a clean, fresh finish, described by Matthew Jukes as "a wine for classicists and...what every turkey in the world dreams of being matched with"

You could easily keep this wine for a few years and let it mellow, but there's an arresting balance between zest and fullness that makes it an absolute treat in its youth too.

Since Romaric Chavy took over from his father Hubert, he has moved away from selling to négociants in favour of bottling much more of the estate's production. Because the family's vines include some of the most prestigious sites in the village of Puligny-Montrachet, there is ample opportunity for this able and already very experienced young man to continue his path to Burgundy stardom.

Peach-fresh aromas with a definite floral component put a spring in the step of this premium Chablis before the first sip.

Match it with seafood, poultry, white meats, charcuterie or cheese for a real treat.

Citrus character is underpinned by richer tropical hints and smooth, buttery softness in a dry, lithe Chardonnay from the Mâconnais.

This cuvée is not quite a new venture for the Perrachons—their forebears worked in the Pouilly vines in the nineteenth century. Now, through a family connexion, they have been able to lease a small plot in the Pouilly appellation en fermage and make a new vintage from three terroirs of a 1.7 hectare vineyard in Fuissé.

The wine is partly aged in five-hundred litre barrels and partly in stainless steel vats, to balance freshness of fruit with the smooth complexity typical of the appellation. 

This is an aromatic Chardonnay, with attractive notes of vanilla, pineapple and white flowers. There's a suggestion of spicy complexity and in the mouth its full, rounded and buttery texture makes it a very satisfying accompaniment to fish, white meat dishes and even the notoriously hard-to-match asparagus.

The Guérin family have forty-five hectares of vines ten miles south-west of Beaune, and limit yields to give distinct expression to each of their wines, which are vinified according to traditional methods.

This is a terrific white wine from a supplier whose wines we're delighted to have in stock again.

From the very southern tip of Burgundy, white Mâcon wines are generally softer and fleshier than the Chardonnays of Chablis and the Côte de Beaune further north. Good winemaking will preserve the grapes' natural freshness to give a succulent, ripe white wine that is aromatic and not too powerful, delicious on its own and an excellent match for a range of foods from seafood to pork and poultry dishes.

Dominique Cornin (pictured) and his son Romain run their small estate organically, preferring to work with Coccinelle the horse rather than a tractor as they manage the vineyards.

All the refinement and elegance you could wish for in a Chablis, with fresh, citrus aromas leading to a taut but generous mouthful, with pure minerality and a precise, lemony finish.

There's hardly a better partner on our list for fish and seafood dishes, and the ample, supple weight of this superior wine makes it a revelation too with a variety of poultry dishes.

The trademark vibrant and intense crispness of Chablis is rounded out by delicious depth and the beginnings of more complex, buttery notes in this dry white wine made for dining.

The double-sized magnum bottle makes this a perfect choice for entertaining.

The white wines of Santenay account for only about one tenth of the appellation's production; powerful, intense reds are more usually associated with the name.

The south-facing lieu-dit of Le Chainey lies west of the village of Santenay, and shares a boundary with the premier cru vines of the Grand Clos Rousseau lieu-dit, which claims more varied soils on lower slopes.

The balance of nervy freshness and oak-influenced weight and texture makes this a superb dining wine for pasta, risotto dishes with mushrooms and poultry in creamy sauces.

Dominique Cornin writes:

These vines were planted by my father in the '60s. They have since been bequeathed by their owner, Mlle Poisard, to the Hospices Civils de Beaune, who have given me a part to farm. The rest of the parcel is cultivated by the Hospices and the wine is sold the day of their famous charity wine auction. “Les Chevrières” vines are located at the top of the hill in the village of Chaintré, clinging to thin clay soil, rooted in hard limestone stratums…It comes as no surprise that these big-hearted “Chevrières” wines are always elegant and distinguished…

This is a deliciously aromatic and intense Chardonnay, representing tremendous value in comparison with the famous names from the Côtes de Beaune further north. Like them, it will repay keeping as its complexities emerge. It already has a rich nose of tropical fruit and flowers, with a buttery softness that will continue to develop and integrate with its youthful acidity. A really fine wine to drink or keep as a consummate match for seafood or subtle poultry dishes.

Golden, fruity village wine, with stone fruit and citrus energy and flinty minerality.

Partner its aromas of white flowers and lemon and its mineral crunch with firm-fleshed fish dishes, seafood or poultry.

This isn't a wine meant for long ageing, but with a little time its initial zest broadens into notes of almonds and tangerines and a supple sensation of fullness.

Pale and bright, with flinty tautness, this is a full-bodied and elegant grand cru Chablis.

Floral and mineral aromas take on toasty, spicy notes in the mouth to offer a rounded, balanced and lingering assembly of flavours that will show to advantage alongside fine and delicate foods such as scallops, soft cheese or foie gras.

Hand-harvested grapes from thirty-five year old vines yield a limited quantity of this fine, racy 1^er cru Chardonnay.

Brisk citrus and floral aromas are matched on the palate by crisp, vibrant acidity that blossoms into flavours reminiscent of peach, apricot and honeysuckle.

This is a great match for smoked salmon or sushi, and an ideal partner too for seafood, white meats and soft cheeses.

Precise and mineral, with apple and greengage aromas and some floral softness.

In the mouth, mandarin and peach flavours harmonize with crisp texture and a long, focused finish.

Aromas of white flowers with hints of honeysuckle, even of honey, lead to a beautiful balance of crisp attack and creamy fullness.

This is a pure and elegant Chablis, with a clean, mineral freshness that develops through its sustained bright fruit towards notes of honey and almonds in the finish.

Insisting only on the finest fruit, whether from his own vineyards or from those of very carefully selected neighbours and associates, François d'Allaines puts equal care into all his wines from the humble to the most celebrated.

This delicious Auxey-Duresses is full but shapely, with understated use of oak lending texture and form to ripe, pure Chardonnay.

There's more than a suggestion of Burgundy's grandest whites about this excellent alternative.

Rully, in the Côte Chalonnaise, is an appellation offering a diversity of soils and situations.

A careful choice of the best fruit gives this luxurious, full-flavoured white wine.

Citrus and orchard fruit aromas jostle with those of honeysuckle and violets to introduce a generous mouthful of confident, lingering fruit flavours in a wine that is a good match for poultry or pork dishes in a cream sauce. It's also a satisfying option as an aperitif.

Firmly refreshing but supple and delicious white Burgundy from brothers Paterne and Baudouin Millet of Domaine Millet in Tonnerre.

The finesse, elegance and freshness of the estate's celebrated Chablis wines are already evident in this vibrant, citrus-crisp Chardonnay, which makes an excellent aperitif and a fine accompaniment to starters and light meals.

Pale and brilliant in the glass, this is an aromatic wine with aromas of green apple and citrus, flowers and a touch of honey.

On the palate it's a caress—smooth, light and subtle with seductive richness.

A pure and simple luxury such as the best smoked salmon would show off its refinement perfectly.

A crisp, mineral Chardonnay that maintains its freshness while offering rich aromas reminiscent of dried fruits.

It's a good partner for dishes with creamy sauces, hard cheeses or your favourite risotto.