Eight exceptional sweet white wines for the festive season

Sweet white wines are making their way onto festive tables! Still too often neglected, they nevertheless reveal an incredible versatility. Discover our selection of refined cuvées, whose balance of sweet, fresh and acidic flavors will magnify every dish.

Laetitia Gautheron Published today at 11:29 AM

as the festive season approaches, sweet white wines have their place in moments of sharing and celebration, whether opening the meal with foie gras or continuing through to the cheese. Their real strength lies in their freshness, which enables them to avoid heaviness and offer great finesse at the table.

Domaine Sainte Joie - Vendange tardive - Pinot gris 2018 - Alsace

Noémie Meyer Ferré and her husband Gilles Meyer created Domaine Sainte-Joie in 2022 after a smooth handover from Claudine and Hubert Meyer. This singular "Vendange tardive" made from pinot gris has a beautiful, luminous orange color and an intense nose of coffee, cigar, dark chocolate, bramble honey and dried apricot. Full-bodied and powerful on the palate, with spicy notes that carry through to a long finish. A wine for gourmets.

Perfect match: lamb tagine with dried apricots
92/100
65 €

Domaine Weinzaepfel - Vendanges tardives - Gewurztraminer 2020 - Alsace

This estate in Soultz, Haut-Rhin, produces a late-harvest Gewurztraminer whose nose is very typical of this grape variety, with exuberant aromas of rose and lychee. On the palate, it's delicious and bewitching, yet elegant. Always very expressive, with tropical fruit, flowers and curry. A wine with a spicy, slightly saline finish that gives it a refreshingly youthful feel.

The perfect match: a Munster cheese
93/100
53 €

Le Domaine du Monteillet - Condrieu doux - Candice 2022 - Condrieu

Complex aromas of honey, dried apricot, violet candy, spices and even a touch of eucalyptus.on the palate, the sweetness of sugar is combined with great concentration and flavors of caramel, hazelnut and toffee apple.notes of cigar leaf and tannins from barrel ageing add substance, making this a gastronomic wine.

Perfect match: foie gras terrine and gingerbread
91/100
53,50 €

La Grange Tiphaine - L'équilibriste 2022 - Montlouis-sur-Loire

The nose is fresh and lively, with notes of honey, spices, quince and orange marmalade. The palate is enveloping, with well-integrated sugar and superb through-flowing acidity. Lime, white flowers and black tea take us on a delightful tasting tour.a wine that's rich and fresh at the same time, with an airy quality throughout that leaves a dynamic finish without any heaviness, with some lovely bitters and a crisp saline impression.

Perfect match: quail with grapes
94/100
50 €

M. Chapoutier - Vin de paille 2009 - Ermitage

For this cuvée, made from Marsanne grapes, the grapes are dried in crates for over forty-five days to concentrate the sugars. The result is a wine that takes us on a journey to an oriental market, with aromas of sandalwood, vanilla, incense and walnut paste. On the palate, it's spicy and woody with a patina-like texture, but the wine remains airy and fresh. The aromatic complexity continues with candied Corsican clementine, cranberry, hazelnut, dried rose, saffron, white pepper and ginger. A vibrant wine!

The perfect match: Tarte Tatin
95/100
140.40 € (37.5 cl)

Château de Fargues - Vintage 1998 - Sauternes

From the very first nose, you know you're in Sauternes, and that makes you happy. We love the racy aromas of tanned leather, mountain honey, beeswax, dried mango, apricot fruit paste and coriander. On the palate, a fresh attack with a hint of lime introduces a dense texture. This balance of sugar and acidity gives the wine great elegance, while retaining its deliciousness with notes of nougat, caramelized apple and black peppercorns. The lingering finish shows great ageing potential.

Perfect match: duck breast with peaches
94/100
80 €

Domaine de la Bongran - Levroutée 2017 - Viré-Clessé

A denomination that appeared in 2018, levrouté viré-clessé is a wine produced from chardonnay with a slight residual sugar content. For this 2017 cuvée, the nose is floral, honeyed with a hint of walnut and coffee. The palate is straightforward and salivating, with sugar in the background. In retro-olfaction, honeysuckle, apricot and spice notes dominate, with a white truffle finish. A lovely, delicate wine with controlled power and potential.

Perfect match: truffle risotto
93/100
55 €

Domaine de Bellivière - Discours de Tuf 2020 - Jasnières

This mellow, chenin-based cuvée is a perfect example of controlled acidity/sugar balance. The nose is gourmand, with aromas of roasted pineapple, acacia honey, ginger, lemongrass and cocoa almond. On the palate, the harmony between smoothness and tension produces an airy wine with notes of dried mango, spices and lime. A muscat, peppery and slightly chalky finish completes this wine full of life and light.