All too often, when the world’s white cult wines are lined up, Burgundy, and its star grape Chardonnay, steal the show. Even beyond the Côte de Beaune — from Sonoma to South Africa to Australia — Chardonnay remains the most celebrated white variety in the world.
Frankly, it’s gotten a bit boring.
So for this list, Chardonnay is out. It’s time to give the best of the rest their due — the world’s most coveted “other whites.” We’re also excluding sparkling, dessert, and fortified wines — so no Château d’Yquem Sauternes, Royal Tokaji Aszú Essencia, Egon Müller Trockenbeerenauslese, Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, or crazy-old Madeira.
What’s left? A lineup of white table wines that inspire genuine cult devotion around the world.
In addition to drawing on my own experience as a former buyer for high-end retail, we tapped two cult-specialists for their insight: Mike Zima, founder and sommelier at SommPicks; and Scott Torrence, self-proclaimed “chief bottle washer” at Chapter 4 (ChapFour) Fine + Rare Supply.
As we break down the world’s most prized white bottles not named Chardonnay, one theme emerges: While tricky to track down, not all of them cost a small fortune.
Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc
Napa Valley, Calif.
Since 2010, California’s king of cult in Napa’s high-rent Oakville AVA has produced a laughably tiny amount of white wine. Zima calls Screaming Eagle’s Sauvignon Blanc a “unicorn wine for the big dogs” and “fun to drink if someone else is buying.”
Back when managing a San Francisco boutique, I’d snag somewhere between six to 12 bottles per year — plus a magnum or two — of the red wine to lovingly dole out to our most loyal collectors. But the white? Just one lonely bottle per year was all we could scrounge up. “It’s super layered, textural, and intensely aromatic,” Zima adds. “Honestly, most collectors buying it just want to try a bottle.”
On the other hand, it’s absurdly priced at well over two grand per 750-milliliter bottle on the secondary market, and Torrence would rather spend his hard-earned cash on a certain stylistically similar white Bordeaux further down this list.
López de Heredia ‘Viña Tondonia’ Gran Reserva Blanco
Rioja, Spain
For those rolling their eyes at Screaming Eagle’s price, Rioja comes in for a save. A blend of the local Viura variety and Rioja’s strain of the Malvasia grape family, López de Heredia’s “Viña Tondonia” Gran Reserva Blanco doesn’t command utterly insane pricing. Even better, the average drinker can hunt down a few bottles if tenacious enough.
That doesn’t make the insider interest any less intense, and Torrence is smitten. “You know that meme ‘The Most Interesting Man in the World’? I feel this would be his house wine,” he says. “It’s that unique.”
Zima is likewise infatuated, but he cautions that the throwback winemaking style can turn off some potential devotees. “It’s controversial,” he says. “Either you hoard it, or it’s not your bag.” The nutty, almost sherry-like subtleties imparted by 10 years’ aging in neutral barrels may not be to everyone’s liking, but that’s a major component of what makes this Rioja representative so singular.
For those wanting to dip their toe in without committing the time and money for the Gran Reserva, the estate’s Tondonia Reserva is easier on the wallet and ready to drink sooner. Zima also gives a shoutout to the elusive Tondonia rosé. “[They’re] the benchmark for old-school, oxidative — but fresh — white and rosé,” he says. “I never met a Tondonia blanco or rosé I didn’t love.”
Ganevat Vin Jaune
Jura, France
Speaking of quirky flavor profiles, arguably the most polarizing wine of the bunch comes from Jura. The region and its Vin Jaune wines can be, let’s say, contentious. A civilian friend, who wasn’t down with the bracing, ultra-savory Vin Jaune flavor profile when first introduced, still refers to it as “foot wine.” Cult, indeed.
But this is no typical Jura bottling. It’s the ancient crown jewel of this now trendy region.
Zima waxes poetic on Ganevat Vin Jaune’s deft culinary skills, particularly its fromage affinity. “[It’s] Comte’s soulmate,” he says. “One of the most serious expressions of the oxidative Jura style. Ganevat brings a level of precision and finesse that makes these so much fun to drink. Not for everyone, but it’s a Francophile’s catnip.”
Torrence advises caution, though, as it demands the right crowd to draw acclaim — as opposed to outright bewilderment. “Don’t serve it to friends who wear Rolex,” he warns. “That’s what Screaming Eagle is for.”
Château Haut-Brion Blanc
Bordeaux, France
Going from hipster to stately, Bordeaux and its bounty of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon were destined to make an appearance at some point. But this one is no simple Entre-Deux-Mers white. From its premier cru holdings in Pessac-Léognan, Haut-Brion Blanc dominates over all other dry white bottlings from the region.
It is, quite simply, the white Bordeaux.
In a strange twist, though, it doesn’t seem to be talked about enough outside cult-collector circles. “[It’s] one of Bordeaux’s best-kept secrets,” Zima says. “I don’t know why there’s not more hype around this wine. Savory lanolin and honey-lime, so unique, and ages phenomenally well.”
Torrence agrees completely and points out the cellar potential, describing it as “nearly immortal” and “a far better cellaring option than Burgundy at similar pricing.”
Ironically, due to limited production, it’s far more difficult to track down than the flagship red. To make matters worse, Haut-Brion Blanc also runs around double the price. Still, it winds up costing a fraction of that Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc.
Dagueneau ‘Silex’ Pouilly-Fumé / Vatan ‘Clos la Néore’ Sancerre
Loire Valley, France
It’s no surprise that the Loire Valley’s embarrassment of white-wine riches would eventually make an appearance, and next up is a cross-river duo of two Loire icons.
The tradition of Didier Dagueneau — who tragically died in 2008 at age 52 — and his “Silex” Pouilly-Fumé are faithfully carried forward by his family. He developed a distinctive oak-focused (but not oak-dominated) style that ushered in an era of reinvigorated excitement for the hallmark Loire subregion.
From the other bank comes Edmond and Anne Vatan’s “Clos la Néore” Sancerre. The father-daughter team have become modern cult figures with their sublime expression on this Sauv Blanc hallowed ground.
Zima describes both entries as “God-tier Sauvignon Blanc” and finds it impossible to choose one over the other. “Well-kept examples with age both hold their own with any white wine on the planet,” he says.
Torrence is likewise torn, but admits that sometimes the client settles the score. “Customer visiting from South Korea comes in the other day. … He asks to see what I’m stocking in older Daugeneau,” he says. “His only question: ‘When did Didier die?’ The inference here is he only wanted to take back to South Korea a vintage made by the master himself.” Whether fair or not, Dagueneau’s passing has added to the wine’s prestige in the mind of some collectors. “I have several 10-plus-year-old Vatan ‘Clos la Néore,’” Torrence says. “He wasn’t interested.”
The ‘Goldkapsel’ Rieslings of Joh. Jos. Prüm
Mosel, Germany
Any Riesling devotee will tell you how the variety, when lovingly produced from great vineyards, becomes extraordinary as it ages. Many also argue that Riesling is the greatest of white grapes.
The gold-crowned renditions from century-old producer Joh. Jos. Prüm (often simply referred to as “J.J.” in the trade) are among the world’s most coveted — the golden capsule bestowed only upon the worthiest of lots in exalted vintages. “This wine is legendary amongst global wine aficionados,” Torrence says.
While they may not run you a month’s rent upon release like a few others on the list, legions of Riesling nerds can’t get enough of these creations from the Mosel. As the years go by in bottle, though, the price skyrockets. “[They’re] for the wine geeks and long-time German collectors,” Zima says. “Buy a few, forget about them for 20 years, and enjoy.”
Pro tip from Torrence: “When possible, look for the German auction bottlings — “Grosser Ring” — as they’re a given producer’s finest casks.”
Château-Grillet
Rhône Valley, France
Sometimes cult status is bestowed primarily through extreme scarcity. Château-Grillet is a case in point. This nine-acre monopole region of Viognier on terraced granite in the Northern Rhône Valley ranks high on the list for global unicorn hunters.
Industry enthusiasm for it, though, can be hit and miss.
“I never quite understood the fascination,” Torrence says. “I’ve had them old, middle age, young. Something to try once. I doubt many will try more than three in a lifetime.” Zima is equally disinclined to pursue this one himself, but he readily concedes its enduring allure for some in the market. “[It’s] the most famous obscure wine in the world and the Francophile final boss,” he says. “If someone is asking for it, they’re likely studying for a wine exam.”
By the sound of it, both Torrence and Zima would clearly lean toward other Rhône white heavy hitters for their own enjoyment — à la Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph “Les Oliviers” Marsanne/Roussanne at around $100. But for cult collectors, this speck sandwiched between white bastion Condrieu and Syrah-centric Côte Rôtie retains an unmatchable mystique.
Chateau Musar Blanc
Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
There’s Old World, and then there’s Chateau Musar. Its blend of white varieties Obaideh and Merwah, indigenous to the mountains of Lebanon, stands alone.
Zima sees similarities with the lone Spanish representative on this list. “[It’s] along the lines of Tondonia blanco, but more rustic and savory,” he says. “Definitely, a somm or wine geek’s wine. For the deeply committed or the deeply curious.”
The niche secondary market for these singular wines is so intense that Torrence recommends buying a case, selling four bottles, and drinking the rest for pennies. “Older vintages? Can’t keep them in stock. Everyone wants to try these,” he says. “Practically hen’s teeth to find with any cellaring on them.”
Released seven years after the harvest, Musar blanc is both exotic and utterly enthralling. It may not cost an arm and a leg, but there’s literally nothing else quite like it on Earth. Rest assured it has a maniacal following.
Famille Joly (formerly Nicolas Joly) Savennières Coulée de Serrant
Loire Valley, France
Certain regions in and of themselves have a strange and powerful allure for collectors. While the Loire Valley’s Sancerre, Vouvray, and Pouilly-Fumé get top billing among the general public, it’s Savennières and its inimitable expression of Chenin Blanc that excites collectors.
This tiny region contains an even tinier monopole from which the Loire’s most coveted Chenin reigns supreme: Joly’s Savennières Coulée de Serrant.
Described variously as massively complex as well as challenging and demanding, the flagship wine from this staunch advocate of biodynamics is a concentrated and savory powerhouse. “They can be wild, exotic, intense, and fresh all at the same time,” Zima says. As such, they take time to fully hit their stride. “I like them 20 years old,” Torrence recommends. “They perform better than nearly anyone’s Premier Cru Burgundy at similar age.”
And speaking of Chenin Blanc and Loire, it’s impossible not to at least give a nod to the Brézé cuvée of Clos Rougeard from just upriver in Saumur. “Brézé was the cool-kids wine for a minute,” Zima says, and cult collectors are still clamoring for it. “[It] maybe holds a slight edge today.”
Any white blend from Sine Qua Non
Central Coast, Calif.
Paso Robles’ Saxum and its James Berry Vineyard Rhône-styled white deserve recognition, but the Central Coast’s defining name is the enigmatic Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non.
Admittedly, the Sine Qua Non whites frequently have a modest splash of Chardonnay in the blend. But besides a dessert wine, only a few times have Elaine and Manfred Krankl molded an iteration of their one-off vinous projects into a varietal Chardonnay bottling.
“His powerful wines can rearrange your feelings about wine in general,” Torrence says. “If you like the eclectic, his portfolio is your playground.” From my own experience, the resale market for these has more in common with the fine art crowd than wine collecting. I used to get a decent allocation from Sine Qua Non, and the rare whites were always the first ones spoken for by our SQN-obsessed clients.
Zima agrees, describing these bottlings as not so much wine, but consumable art. “People either chase them or totally ignore them,” he adds. “No in-between.”
