The Esquire Guide to White Wine: 14 Best Bottles To Buy in 2024, According to Experts

While Cloudy Bay may have made its name with its genre-defining sauvignon blanc, the house’s chardonnay is equally impressive (and a worthy rival to any old world white Burgundy.)

An 11-month oak-ageing process imparts a delicate creaminess, which complements the ripe apple, lemon curd and stone fruit top notes wonderfully.

An excellent example of just how good pinot grigio can be, this bottle from East by North East opens with complex layers of raw almond, before the minerality builds and classic flavours of ripe orchard fruits and lime peel flood the palate.

It's extremely food-friendly; pair with prosciutto and panzanella in the summer, and native oysters when the season (early September to late April) returns.

Vasse Felix is the name to know in Australia’s Margaret River. This premier chardonnay is the epitome of elegance. It opens with clean yuzu citrus and subtle smoke, while buttery brioche rounds out the blend. Impressively high natural acidity and memorable length secured its top spot with our expert panel.

The quality of this albariño belies its palatable price tag. It offers zippy acidity, bags of tart apple, lemon peel and stone fruit aromas, plus impressive minerality to boot. If there’s one bottle to stockpile for summer barbecues, it's this.

Nunzio Jr uses the vines originally planted by his grandfather to make this dry white wine from indigenous Turbiana grapes. Elegant and full-bodied with white peach, almond and apricot at the fore, it will stand up against richer fish dishes (such as coquille Saint-Jacques and sole meunière) as well as buttery cheeses.

After years of being overshadowed by more mainstream appellations, Austrian wine is finally gaining the credit it deserves. If you’re dipping your toe into this diverse new world of wine, then this is the drop to do it with. It’s super-fresh, with white blossom and peach at the fore, followed by apple, green pepper and a final floral flourish.

One for the natural wine drinkers, this Welschriesling is grown on chalky marl soils (known locally as Opok.) This, combined with the hands-off ageing process, results in a hyper-mineral white that offers flavours of lemon sherbet, light smoke and a cider-like funk. It will only get more complex with time – if you can resist drinking it straight away, that is.

A stellar sauvignon blanc, bringing that classic trifecta of tart lime, tropical fruit and freshly-cut grass. Chill right down and enjoy alongside barbecued prawns topped with salsa verde or chilli-flecked ceviche on a summer's day.

With lingering minerality and a citrus-forward nose, we can’t think of a better sparring partner for fattier cuts of raw fish (think: tuna sashimi and smoked salmon.) If you’re planning on serving a seafood starter for a summer dinner party, then be sure to have a chilled bottle of Calvet on hand.

Made using minimal intervention methods, this is a great introduction to the pouilly-fumé style (a dry sauvignon blanc wine produced around Pouilly-sur-Loire.) Expect that hallmark subtle smokiness, refreshing acidity, and hints of crisp gooseberry, flint and ripe apple.

Penfolds’ portfolio proves itself time and time again – and this deeply complex chardonnay (which pays homage to its long-standing Chief Winemaker, Max Schubert) is certainly no exception.

Dry and crisp with stone fruit and vanilla nougat at the fore, it’s got enough character to stand up to most classic chardonnay food pairings (imagine lobster thermidor and brown butter chicken piccata.)

This is a classic South African sauvignon through and through. It opens with crisp citrus and melon, before veering into slightly savoury territory with notes of asparagus and bell pepper. Our panel praised the complex, textured mouthfeel, which has a subtle spritz-like finish.

Wild fermented wines tend to be slightly divisive in style, but Deep Down’s sauvignon blanc proved popular across the panel, with high praise for its complex, vegetal profile.

If you favour wines that go big on fresh, clean flavours — asparagus, cut grass, gooseberry — over more citrus-dominated wines, try this.

This is a little more break-the-mould than most Marlborough sauvignons, with a palate dominated by tropical fruit including papaya, passionfruit and mango, and more restrained acidity than you’d expect of this varietal. Don’t be afraid when it comes to food pairings, as this could easily hold its own against spicy Thai dishes.