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If you’re looking for Christmas wines, either for yourself or as a gift, then the Top 100 Wines list 2019 from Wine Spectator is a very good place to start.
The wine publication askes their editors to rate the wines they’ve tasted throughout the year and then compile a list of the top 100 based on that rating.
The criterion for rating are quality, value, availability and excitement and the list is a refreshing collection of wines from a diverse range of countries, wineries and vintages. As you can see, the price has no bearing on a wine’s place in the list except with respect to value. The most expensive bottle is a Château Pichon Longueville Lalande Pauillac costing $197, while the cheapest is Marchesi di Barolo Barbera del Monferrato Maraia coming in at $13.
Sitting on top of the list is a 2016 Château Léoville Barton St.-Julien with a price of $98, described by Wine Spectator:
“This is so vivid as it brims with pastis-soaked plum, blackberry, black current and blueberry paste flavors all carried by a perfectly integrated brambly spine. Tar and ganache notes give the finish an extra kick while everything stays within the mouthwatering roasted apple wood frame. Both regal and rambunctious. This is St.-Julien to a T”
1. Château Léoville Barton St.-Julien (2016) $98
2. Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder (2015) $125
3. San Giusto a Rentennano Chianti Classico (2016) $36
4. Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Reserve (2016) $150
5. Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley L'Ermitage (2012) $48
6. Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (2016) $107
7. Ramey Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros Hyde Vineyard (2016) $65
8. Château Pichon Baron Pauillac (2016) $176
9. Penfolds Shiraz Barossa Valley RWT Bin 798 (2017) $150
10. Viña Almaviva Puente Alto (2016) $130
