White Burgundy doesn’t need much introduction ... but it does need a little curation right now.
Between rising prices and uneven availability, finding bottles that still feel honest—true to place, well-made, and fairly priced—isn’t as easy as it used to be. We can't drink cru Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet every week, hope as we might! So we pulled together four lovely and refreshingly, approachably priced French Chardonnays we’d actually open ourselves, spanning Chablis through the Mâconnais and into the Côte d’Or.
2023 Louis Jadot Bourgogne Blanc $21.50
Not to be confused with the ubiquitous Bourgogne Chardonnay, this is a cuvée exclusive to restaurants and specialty retailers (yay us!) that draws more fruit from Meursault and gives the juice a judicious kiss of oak. With bright orchard fruit, citrus lift, and a gently creamy texture, and at less than $22, this is weeknight-friendly, but far from basic.
2023 Domaine Gilbert Picq Chablis AOC $34.99
Such pure, incisive Chardonnay! No oak, no fuss, no excess. We get crunchy green apple, crushed stone, citrus zest, and incredible clarity and tension—wow. The Picq brothers have been quietly producing benchmarks for traditional, stainless-steel Chablis, letting that fossil-riddled Kimmeridgian limestone do all the talking. This is the style that made Chablis famous and what we remember before global warming really took hold.
2023 Jean Manciat Mâcon-Charnay "Franclieu" $24.99
“Franclieu” comes only from old vines grown on clay-limestone, so while the label says Mâcon, you’re getting something closer to a site-driven bottling. Bright orchard fruit, citrus oil, and a smoky, saline edge hint at something far more serious than the appellation suggests.
2024 Paul Pernot Bourgogne Côte d'Or $47.99, $45/btl if you buy a solid case of 12
Many top Puligny producers quietly channel excess or younger-vine fruit into Bourgogne bottlings like this, which are often the smartest buys in their lineup ... and we did mention wanting more Puligny in our lives. This is exemplary Côte d’Or Chardonnay: lithe and fine-boned, with lemon peel, white flowers, and that unmistakable mineral drive. Even after the tariffs, this is still an incredible bargain!
***If we're out of stock online, these are wines we usually can get more of. Just ask us! Shoot us an email and we'll do our best to fulfill your request.
