10 White Wines Our Editors Are Drinking This Fall

It’s not unusual to hear people proclaim that, once summertime is behind us, white wine season is, too. Of course, most of us drink plenty of white throughout the year, but the tendency is to focus less on them as the weather turns cooler and the foods we eat get richer.

But there are plenty of delicious white wines that are perfectly suited to the cooler weather…as is rosé, but that’s another story for a different day. In fact, autumn is the perfect time of year to explore white wines that are a bit broader in texture. We don’t mean heavy, however: None of the ten below are in that white-wine-that-drinks-like-a-Guinness style. Rather, they are texturally richer, or more concentrated, or exhibit the kinds of flavors that evoke this season with such flair. You should drink them throughout the year, of course, but right now, they’re particularly perfect.

2021 Big Table Farm The Elusive Queen Chardonnay Willamette Valley, Oregon

Meticulously produced from a four-barrel selection, this Chardonnay is, in many ways, akin to an Oregon Puligny-Montrachet in character. There are floral notes to the lemongrass, a lovely framing of subtle tannins from oak, and creaminess alongside serious underlying energy. Apricot and nectarine notes are flecked with tarragon and joined by white tea and golden chanterelles. This wine promises to evolve in utterly fascinating ways over the next decade, but there’s no need to wait.

2019 Bodegas Murua Rioja Blanco Fermentado en Barrica

Viura, Malvasia, and Garnacha Blanca come together in this rich yet lively wine that was fermented in the same French and American oak barrels it was subsequently aged in, on the lees, for nine and a half months. That work has built some serious texture into the wine, and that creaminess is a fine vessel for herbal tea and sweet baking spice notes, as well as flowers, yellow apples, and fresh turmeric root.

2021 Cantina Morone Alba Nora Falanghina Sannio

Crafted in Campania from the great white grape variety of Sannio, this wine gains texture from a solid day of skin contact prior to fermentation and aging in stainless steel. It’s full of  almond and lemon blossom notes, as well as cooked honey, rum baba, grilled pineapples, hazelnuts, and stony minerality. Break out the mozzarella and the good ham, or just enjoy it on its own.

2018 Ciavolich Fosso Cancelli Pecorino Colline Pescaresi

This wine shows fennel, white licorice, and balsamic notes alongside stone fruit, lemon pith, and beeswax. The winemaking was done both in amphora and large barrels, and the textures imparted by both vessels are deliciously evident. 

2020 Domaine du Cellier aux Moines Aligoté Sous Les Roches Vieille Vignes 1945

This is the kind of wine that gives Aligoté, the other white grape variety of Burgundy, the star turn it so richly deserves. Produced from old vines that were planted in 1945, this is full of energy and life, with fresh-cut herbs (tarragon, shiso) that find deeply rooted footing in layers of preserved lemons, hard pears, and spice in the coriander and white cardamom family. Each sip is vivid with crunchy mineral acidity and serious depth.

2020 Ramey Wine Cellars Sonoma Coast Chardonnay Fort Ross - Seaview

This vanilla-kissed gem is a classic example of what the great David Ramey does so brilliantly, and its balance of generosity and vibrancy is phenomenal. A deep mineral spine is layered with hazelnut- and caramel-coated green apples, quince, and lemon oils through the graceful finish.

2020 Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit Blanc de Tablas

This is the top white wine from highly respected Paso Robles-based producer Tablas Creek, and brings together less commonly seen grapes like Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette Blanche, and Picaridin. That blend evokes both its inspiration in the Rhône Valley and its home in the Adelaide District of Paso Robles with richness, energy, and length to boot. Dried pineapples and honeycomb notes join almonds, white figs, and tres leches in a wine that is perfectly suited to autumn.

Tio Pepe Leonor Palo Cortado

This sherry is crafted from a 12-year solera, and shows ambrosial aromas reminiscent of a kitchen as sourdough ferments away. Broad notes of walnuts, pretzels, and freshly baked bread lend savory heft to dried apricots. It’s perfect when enjoyed as an aperitif, or alongside a wide range of autumnal dishes.

2022 Trothe Sauvignon Blanc Horse Heaven Hills, Washington

This deeply textural Sauvignon Blanc wine is subtly creamy with a serious hit of energy. That unforgettable structure delivers concentrated grapefruit flavors, honey, lemongrass, and mouthwatering fresh-squeezed lemon-lime, as well as notes of Asian pear and membrillo.

2020 WillaKenzie Estate Cuvée Blanc Tourdion

This white isn’t what you’d usually think of when the subject turns to autumn wines, but it works beautifully as the temperature drops. The acidity and freshness of white cranberries and lemon-lime inform verbena, springtime flowers, and oyster shell minerality, all of which are carried by a quiet creaminess in this blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. That silkiness softens the concentrated zip of acidity and makes this an absolutely perfect wine as summer transitions to fall.