Top 100 Wines of 2021

This is my 11th annual edition of the Top 100 wines. And this is my most anticipated and most highly viewed article that I write each and every years hands down. I am surprised as I have many more thoughtful and compelling articles each and every year. But it is a compliment that so many want to see what is in my ranking of wines of the year.

My list is always different from other wine reviews and publications. My list is sorted alphabetically and not by a specific meaning of what number one means–it is simply a list where the ranking is in the point scores not necessarily a hierarchy.

It is impossible, especially, one and only one wine being ranked above all others is absurd—why would one style be it sparkling, still or sweet or even varietally specific be superior to all other wines?! That makes no sense. My list is more democratic and realistic–after all I don’t give out 100 or 99 point scores (unlike some wine reviewers who give it out “perfects” liberally and rarely do I ever a 98 or 97 point). I do think and I’ve said before my scoring is very much a bell curve statistically speaking.

It is a struggle–in a good way–to select the top 100 wines, I have never had just one hundred wines but in some years many thousands that I rank to get to my top 100. But unlike wine publication or personalities I don’t get every wine that say Wine Spectator gets–I get a fraction. Attending wine events is important and in nearly two years I can barely count on two hands how many wine events I have attended. I do think wine events both consumer and trade events are important. I do get that not everyone is like me at a wine event is taking notes but I do think it expands horizons for everyone–it is essential to have access to many wines not just for the individual but for expanding the wide world of wine.

This year the top 100 come from the following countries:

France	39
Italy	27
US	26
South Africa	3
Germany	2
Canada	1
Portugal	1
Austria	1

My wine list is also unique in that I do taste some aged wines and they are essential to rank in any given year. Wine rankings and reviews is not just about the “latest releases” but it is about the best wines possible tasted in any given year. I hope you get to taste some of these wines as well. There are some listed with a link which is to view the video review.

• A. Rafanelli Dry Creek Valley Zinfandle 2013 – 95 Points
• Altemasi Trentodoc Brut Millesimato 2014 – 94 Points
• Aquilini Red Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2020 – 94 Points
• August Kesseler The Daily August Rheingau Pinot Noir 2018 – 94 Points
• Bailey Family Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2017 – 95 Points
• Bailey Family Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 207 – 96 Points
• Bele Casel Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Brut – 95 Points
• Bells Up Titan Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2018 – 94 Points
• Bells Up Villanelle Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir 2018 – 94 Points
• Blackbird Vineyard Paramour Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine 2017 – 96 Points
• Blackbird Vineyards Contrarian Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine 2016 – 94 Points
• Blackbird Vineyards Illustration Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine 2017 – 96 Points
• Blackbird Vineyards Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend Paramour 2016 – 95 Points
• Blazic Collio Malvasia 2019 – 94 Points
• Caprio Cellars Walla Walla Valley Eleanor Red Wine 2017 – 94 Points
• Caprio Sanitella Walla Walla Estate Red Wine 2018 – 94 Points
• Castello di Fonterutoli Siepi Toscana 2018 – 95 Points
• Catteleya The Initiation Santa Lucia Highelands Syrah 2019 – 95 Points
• Cattleya Belly of the Whale Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019 – 95 Points
• Chanson Premier Cru Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 2018 – 95 Points
• Chasing Rain Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – 94 Points
• Château Bellefont-Belcier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2018 – 94 Points
• Château Chauvin Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2015 – 94 Points
• Château Climens Asphodèle Grand Vin Blanc Sec Bordeaux 2019 – 94 Points
• Château Corbin Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2018 – 94 Points
• Château Dassault Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2016 – 95 Points
• Château de Ferrand Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2016 – 94 Points
• Château de la Ragotière Les Vieilles Vignes Muscadet Sèvre et Main Sur Lie 2018 – 94 Points
• Château de Pressac Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2018 – 94 Points
• Château du Trignon Côtes du Rhône Roussanne 2020 – 94 Points
• Château Faugeres Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2019 – 94 Points
• Château Fleur Cardinale Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2016 – 95 Points
• Château Fombrauge Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2019 – 95 Points
• Château Fongplégade Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2018 – 94 Points
• Château Fonroque Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2016 – 94 Points
• Château Fonroque Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2018 – 94 Points
• Château Franc Mayne Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2018 – 94 Points
• Château Grand Corbin Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2015 – 94 Points
• Château La Couspaude Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2016 – 95 Points
• Château La Marzelle Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2012 – 96 Points
• Château La Marzelle Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2018 – 95 Points
• Château La Tour Figeac Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2016 – 94 Points
• Château Laroze Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2016 – 94 Points
• Château Ripeau Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2016 – 94 Points
• Château Villemaurine Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2019 – 94 Points
• Ciavolich Fosso Cancelli Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo 2019 93 Points
• Clos des Brusquières Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2017 – 94 Points
• Clos des Jacobins Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2015 – 95 Points
• Clos des Jacobins Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2018 – 94 Points
• Col D’Orica Poggio Al Vento Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013 – 95 Points
• Col D’Orica Poggio Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016 – 94 Points
• Costaripa RosaMara Valtènesi 2020 – 94 Points
• Couvent des Jacobins Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2015 – 94 Points
• Dal Bello Asolo Prosseco Superior DOCG Extra Dry 2020 – 95 Points
• Domaine Chevrot Cuvée des Quatre Terroirs Bourgogne Aligoté 2018 – 94 Points
• Domaine Emmanuel Fellot Beaujolais Blanc Chardonnay 2018 – 93 Points
• Domaine Piron & Lameloise Chénas Quartz 2016 – 94 Points
• Donnachiara Taurasi DOCG 2016 – 94 Points
• Donnafugata Etna Bianco 2018 – 94 Points
• Donnafugata Terre Siciliane Tancredi Rosso IGT 2016 – 94 Points
• Eugenio Collavini Broy Collio DOC 2018 – 95 Points
• Franciscan Napa Valley Winemakers Reserve Red Wine 2015 – 95 Points
• Girard Napa Valley Mixed Blacks 2018 – 95 Points
• Il Molino di Grace Toscana Gratius IGT 2017 – 95 Points
• Isabelle et Denis Pommier Chablis 2018 – 94 Points
• J. de Villebois Sancerre 2018 – 94 Points
• Kurtatsch Südtirol Alto Adige Pinot Grigio 2019 – 94 Points
• La Tordera A3 Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Brut – 94 Points
• Le Colture Fagher Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG NV – 95 Points
• Le Colture Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze NV – 95 Points
• Lenné Willamette Valley Yamhill-Carlton Jill’s 115 Pinot Noir 2018 – 95 Points
• Lievland Old Vine Paarl Chenin Blanc 2020 – 94 Points
• Loredan Gasparini Asolo Prosecco Superiore Brut NV – 94 Points
• Maison Sinnae Eléments Luna Côtes du Rhône Villages Laudun 2019 – 93 Points
• MAN Coastal Region Chenin Blanc 2020 – 93 Points
• Marcel Giraudon Bourgogne Aligoté 2019 – 94 Points
• Marco Felluga Mongris Collio DOC Pinot Grigio 2019 – 94 Points
• Michel et Sylvain Tete Domaine du Clos du Fief Tradition Juliénas 2019 – 94 Points
• Ocone Diana Falanghina del Sannio Taburno 2019 – 94 Points
• Olivastri Tommaso Marcantonio Cerasuolo d’Abrruzo 2020 – 93 Points
• Olivier LeFlaive Bourgogne Aligoté 2018 – 94 Points
• Pratsch Niederösterreich Rosé 2020 – 93 Points
• Quails’ Gate Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir 2019 – 94 Points
• Quinta do Crasto Douro Touriga Nacional 2016 – 96 Points
• Ramey Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2018 – 95 Points
• Rhonéa Notre Dame des Vignes Côtes du Rhône Villages Visan 2020 – 94 Points
• Richard Böcking Mosel Burberg Riesling 2016 – 94 Points
• Robert Mondavi Spotlight Collection 115 Clone Carneros Pinot Noir 2017 – 95 Points
• Robert Mondavi Spotlight Collection Momentum Napa Valley Red Wine 2014 – 95 Points
• Smith Madrone Spring Mountain District Chardonnay 2017 – 95 Points
• Smith-Madrone Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 – 96 Points
• Smith-Madrone Spring Mountain District Riesling 2017 – 95 Points
• Stark-Condé Jonkershoek Valley Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 – 94 Points
• Stephane Ogier Le Temps Est Venu Côtes du Rhône 2018 – 93 Points
• Sturm Collio DOC Ribolla Gialla 2019 94 Points
• Toròs Franco Collio DOC Pinot Bianco 2019 – 93 Points
• Turley Kirschenmann Lodi Zinfandel 2018 – 94 Points
• Vignetti Masa Piccolo Derthona Timorasso 2019 – 94 Points
• Youngberg Hill Natasha Block McMinnville Pinot Noir 2018 – 94 Points
• Youngberg Hill Willamette Valley Aspen Chardonnay 2019 – 94 Points

Past Top 100 Posting:

2020 Top 100 Wines

2019 Top 100 Wines

Happy Holidays and Santé,

James

Santé,

James

© 2021 James Melendez / James the Wine Guy— All Rights Reserved – for my original content, drawings, art work, graphs, photographs, logo, brand name, rating, rating, taxonomy, graphic and award, my original art work and all designs of James the Wine Guy.  James the Wine Guy is also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

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