Text by: Gleb King
These 5 white wines show how dramatically whites and reds’ desirable weather conditions differ. While the reds in 2024 were struggling, the whites celebrated the better year.
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc
JS 97-98
The 2024 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is widely praised for its exceptional quality, thanks to a combination of elite terroir, expert winemaking, and favorable vintage conditions. Part of the prestigious Clarence Dillon estate and sharing viticultural practices with Haut-Brion Blanc, the wine benefits from early-morning harvesting to preserve freshness and precision. Despite a variable year, the dry white wines of Bordeaux excelled, with La Mission’s summer marked by dry weather that led to ripe, healthy grapes. The wine has received outstanding reviews. James Suckling rated it 97–98 points, and Vinfolio noted its elegant restraint, tropical fruit, and vibrant acidity. Aged in 40% new oak, it offers complexity without overpowering the fruit, combining concentration, brightness, and structure to ensure both immediate appeal and long-term aging potential.
Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux
JS 98-99
The 2024 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux shines as one of the most compelling white wines of the vintage, thanks to its exceptional terroir, precise winemaking, and ideal growing conditions: harvested from September 2–8 in cool morning hours across meticulously selected Sauvignon Blanc plots, the grapes benefited from a mild summer without heat spikes and flawless vineyard health, ensuring superb balance, freshness, and concentration. Critics have lauded its elegance and tension, with Lisa Perrotti-Brown awarding 96–98+ points for its satiny texture, intense tropical and citrus layers, and long, mineral finish. James Suckling echoed this, rating it ~98–99 for its purity, precision, and saline brightness. Additional reviews praise its creamy mouthfeel, bright acidity, and complex aromatics of passionfruit, elderflower, green apple, and slate, all framed by just enough oak (20%) to support rather than overshadow the fruit. In short, the 2024 Pavillon Blanc is a stunningly refined, vibrant, age-worthy Sauvignon Blanc that delivers both immediate appeal and long-term aging potential.
Aile d’Argent Blanc du Château Mouton Rothschild
JS 96-97; WI 92-94
The 2024 Aile d’Argent Blanc du Château Mouton Rothschild excels in this vintage due to a combination of ideal harvest timing, expert vinification, and favorable climatic conditions for white varietals. A cooler growing season preserved the freshness and aromatic purity of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, while careful morning harvesting maintained acidity and structure. The wine benefits from precise blending and aging in 45% new oak, which adds depth without overshadowing the fruit. Critics highlight its aromatic complexity: pear, kiwi, lime blossom, and passionfruit alongside a silky texture, chalky minerality, and vibrant yet soft acidity. Altogether, these elements make the 2024 vintage a standout for its balance, elegance, and aging potential.
Château Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
JS 96-97
The 2024 Château Domaine de Chevalier Blanc stands out as one of the vintage’s top dry white Bordeaux thanks to a textbook growing season for whites in Pessac-Léognan. Harvested between September 4–16 under optimal weather conditions, the blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Sémillon showcases exceptional ripeness, aromatic purity, and bright natural acidity. The wine bursts with complex aromas of citrus peel, green apple, white peach, tropical fruit, crushed stones, and subtle floral notes, wrapped in a creamy yet racy texture. Aged partly in new oak, the wood is expertly integrated to enhance structure without masking freshness. The palate is layered, saline, and long, with chalky minerality and terrific precision. Critics like James Suckling and Vinous have scored it 95–97, calling it one of the best Domaine de Chevalier Blancs to date, with outstanding aging potential into the 2050s. It combines purity, energy, depth, and finesse, making it a benchmark for the 2024 vintage.
Château Pape Clément Blanc
AG 94-96
The 2024 Château Pape Clément Blanc is capturing attention as one of the top dry whites of the vintage, thanks to its finesse, balance, and aging promise. Vibrant notes of citrus, white and exotic fruits evolve into chalky, mineral undertones with subtle spice and saline freshness. Its blend is 50 % Sauvignon Blanc, 43 % Sémillon, 7 % Sauvignon Gris. It was harvested under ideal conditions, preserving aromatic purity and bright acidity. Partly fermented and aged on lees in French oak and egg-concrete vats, the oak integration adds creamy texture without masking freshness. Critics rate it around 93–96 points: Wine‑Searcher praises its intense passionfruit, gooseberry, and leesy richness with excellent length and structure, and Jeff Leve and The Wine Independent highlight its precision and balance. Medium to full-bodied, with a racy but creamy finish, it's a beautifully textured, age-worthy Graves Blanc ready to enjoy now and develop over at least a decade.
