2020 Wine Spectator top 100 wines revealed

Posted on January 5, 2021 by The Wine Commander

Each year since 1988, the influential and prestigious US Wine Spectator magazine has released its Top 100 list, where the editors select the most exciting wines from the more than 11,000 they reviewed during 2020. Its influence is substantial; many wines that feature highly in the list sell quickly in following months, often at increased prices.(The selection prioritises quality (based on score), value (based on price) and availability. These criteria are applied to the wines that rated outstanding (90 points or higher on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale) to determine the Top 100 for the year.

For the third year in a row, a widely known European wine took top honours, with the 2010 Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial ($120.00) from Rioja taking up the mantle from the 2016 Léoville-Barton ($180.00) and 2015 Sassicaia ($325.00), the 2019 and 2018 victors.

I was pleased to see a number of wines from Dundee Hills and the Willamette Valley in Oregon featured as I reviewed these wines in a previous Blog when I visited in 2017.

But lets face it. All top wine lists are subjective. For instance Penfold’s Grange has been selected number one in previous lists but this year did not make the top 100. Instead its 2018 Bin 28 Kalimna shiraz ($40.00) came in at 41st. Another surprise was Central Otago’s 2018 Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir (75.00) at 14th.  This wine does not enter the NZ wine shows so no comparison can be made to other Central Otago pinot noirs.

Among the other Australasian  wines to win gongs were Vasse Felix Filius Cabernet, 46th ($39) and for Sauvginon Blanc drinkers, Marlborough’s 2020 Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc 23rd ($15.00) and 2019 Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 73rd ($18.00).

Hold your hats!  Of all the Shiraz produced in Australia it was the Fowles 2018 Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch from the Strathbogie Ranges ($32.00) who scraped in at 97th position leaving Elderton and Henschke in its wake.

There are good quality bargains among this subjective lot to seek out. Enjoy and leave your comments.

Rank 2020 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines Vintage Score
1 Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja DOCa 2010 96
2 Aubert Wines UV Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2018 95
3 San Filippo Le Lucere, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2015 97
4 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder 2016 96
5 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Trois Sources, Rhone 2016 96
6 Kistler Vineyards Vine Hill Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2017 96
7 Massolino Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2016 95
8 Bodegas Piedra Negra Chacayes, Los Chacayes 2015 96
9 Beaux Freres ‘The Beaux Freres Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2018 95
10 Bollinger La Grande Annee Brut, Champagne 2012 97
11 Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany 2016 97
12 Bodegas y Vinedos Valderiz ‘Valderiz’, Ribera del Duero 2016 96
13 Tolaini ‘Legit’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Tuscany 2016 95
14 Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Bannockburn 2018 95
15 Duckhorn Vineyards Three Palms Vineyard Merlot, Napa Valley 2017 96
16 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2015 95
17 Bodegas Godeval Cepas Vellas, Valdeorras 2018 94
18 Hall Wines Knights Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2018 94
19 Resonance Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District – Willamette Valley 2017 93
20 Caiarossa ‘Pergolaia’ Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 94
21 Joel Gott Wines Sauvignon Blanc, California 2019 92
22 Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Domaine Grand Romane, Rhone 2017 94
23 Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2020 92
24 Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2015 97
25 Bodegas Montecillo Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2013 92
26 Quivira Vineyards Fig Tree Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley 2018 93
27 Concha y Toro ‘Gravas del Maipo’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Puente Alto 2017 95
28 Bodegas Borsao Zarihs Syrah, Campo de Borja 2016 93
29 The Four Graces Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2017 94
30 Pinyolet Garnacha, Montsant 2016 91
31 Forge Cellars Classique Dry Riesling, Seneca Lake 2018 91
32 Foradori Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2018 93
33 Ken Wright Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2017 91
34 Glenelly ‘Estate Reserve’ Chardonnay, Stellenbosch 2018 92
35 F E Trimbach Riesling, Alsace 2017 91
36 Marchesi Frescobaldi Tenuta Perano Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany 2015 92
37 Bergstrom ‘Cumberland Reserve’ Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District 2018 94
38 Bodegas Juan Gil 18 Meses Blue Label Monastrell, Jumilla 2017 94
39 Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Tuscany 2016 94
40 Tensley Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah, Santa Barbara County 2018 94
41 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz 2018 93
42 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee Brut Sparkling, Carneros 2013 93
43 Domaine Bousquet Malbec, Tupungato 2019 90
44 Hartford Family Winery Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay, Sonoma County 2018 92
45 Ferraton Pere & Fils Crozes-Hermitage Les Calendes, Rhone 2017 92
46 Vasse Felix ‘Filius’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River 2017 92
47 Vietti Tre Vigne, Barbera d’Asti DOCG 2017 91
48 Maggy Hawk Jolie Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley 2017 95
49 Istine Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany 2016 93
50 Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley 2019 90
51 Paul Hobbs Goldrock Estate Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2018 95
52 Domaine Vincent Careme Vouvray Le Clos, Loire 2018 93
53 Dry Creek Vineyard Spencer’s Hill Vineyard Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley 2016 94
54 Travaglini Gattinara DOCG, Piedmont 2015 92
55 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Rosado, Rioja DOCa 2009 93
56 Familia Zuccardi ‘Jose Zuccardi’ Malbec, Uco Valley 2016 94
57 Chateau Figeac, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2017 96
58 Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2017 93
59 Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley 2019 90
60 Il Conte Villa Prandone ‘Marinus’ Rosso Piceno Superiore, Marche 2017 91
61 Marichal Premium Tannat, Canelones 2018 90
62 Francois Chidaine Clos de la Grange Touraine Sauvignon, Loire 2018 90
63 DeLille Cellars D2, Columbia Valley 2017 93
64 La Crema Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon 2018 92
65 Ployez-Jacquemart Extra Quality Brut, Champagne NV 92
66 Invivo X SJP Sarah Jessica Parker Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2019 90
67 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone 2017 95
68 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder 2017 95
69 Luigi Bosca Single Vineyard D.O.C. Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo 2017 91
70 Suavia Monte Carbonare Soave Classico, Veneto 2017 92
71 Stark-Conde Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch 2017 91
72 Mercer Bros. Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills 2017 90
73 Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2019 90
74 Jermann Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia IGT, Friuli Venezia Giulia 2017 91
75 Chateau de Pibarnon Bandol, Provence 2016 92
76 El Cep Marques de Gelida Gran Reserva Brut Cava, Catalonia 2015 90
77 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains 2017 96
78 Clos Fourtet, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2017 95
79 Stoller Family Estate ‘Estate Grown’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2018 90
80 Jamieson Ranch Vineyards Reata Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2018 90
81 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, Pessac-Leognan 2017 96
82 Tormaresca Torcicoda Primitivo del Salento IGT, Puglia 2016 90
83 Golan Heights Winery Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon, Galilee 2017 91
84 Delas Freres Saint-Joseph Les Challeys Blanc, Rhone 2019 94
85 Koehler-Ruprecht Spatburgunder Kabinett Trocken, Pfalz 2017 90
86 Chateau Thivin Brouilly ‘Reverdon’, Beaujolais 2018 91
87 Wine & Soul Pintas Tinto, Douro 2017 96
88 Sleight Of Hand Cellars ‘The Archimage’ Red, Columbia Valley 2016 93
89 Chateau Cambon La Pelouse, Haut-Medoc 2017 90
90 Schafer-Frohlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 96
91 Chateau Lamartine, Cahors 2016 90
92 Oremus ‘Mandolas’ Tokaji Dry, Tokaj-Hegyalja 2018 90
93 Chateau Pavie-Decesse, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2017 97
94 Klinker Brick Winery Grenache Blanc, Lodi 2019 90
95 Albert Morot Les Cents Vignes, Beaune Premier Cru 2017 93
96 Guerrieri Gonzaga Tenuta San Leonardo ‘Vette di San Leonardo’ Sauvignon Blanc, Trentino-Alto Adige 2018 90
97 Fowles Ladies who Shoot their Lunch Wild Ferment Shiraz, Strathbogie Ranges 2018 90
98 Domaine Alain Voge Cornas Les Chailles, Rhone 2017 94
99 Grifalco della Lucania Gricos Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata 2017 90
100 Weingut Moric Hausmarke Gruner Veltliner – Chardonnay, Burgenland 2017 91

 

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