This is the 12th edition of top 100 annual wines. This is my most anticipated yearly article and receives the most hits upon publication and beyond. My point of difference is that this ranking doesn’t mean that the number “One” entry does not mean it is the wine of the year. Some publications do that and I say it makes no sense whatsoever. It is not realistic to measure and being able to rank the number one wine in the world. It is a slippery slope of nonsense. My list is simply in alphabetical order.
What does make sense is to rank wines and score them according to their merits. I like a more democratic way of scoring and being able to cull from the total tasting of one year to a top one hundred list. I do think that is possible. If I had to pick just one wine in my top 100 list as being the wine that I find to be the greatest wine in that year I couldn’t do that. The more one tastes in a given year the list is even more difficult to produce; but that is a good thing.
I also think it is strange to publish a top 100 list in August or September of any given year. I do think it takes most of the year to capture what you have tasted. I also look at tasting and ranking all wines from just released vintages to vintages old. This is a point-in-time for me to gratefully taste a unique set of wine that unto itself is a once in a lifetime experience. I long to go back in time for many reasons and this is the only way I can do so.
I get wines to sample throughout the year and I also look to attend tasting but there were many fewer in San Francisco. Tasting in my home base is that there were many fewer media and trade tastings as when compared to prior to Pandemic era. I am not sure media and trade tasting in San Francisco will ever be the same. I get the sense this might be the same across the US perhaps New York might see exactly the same tasting patterns prior to the pandemic. I am not optimistic for San Francisco.
I was extremely fortunate to put foot-on-ground in Italy and attend four Anteprima’s in Umbria: Montefalco, Orvieto, Trasimeno and Torgiano. Umbria is magical and I am captivated by history. Italy’s many regional cuisines are fascinating and Umbria is no exception. It is a landlocked region and emphasis is less on fish than other peninsula cuisines.
I was greeted by the Apennines, and the historical towns of Spoleto and Terni and both are on the ancient Roman Via Flaminia. On the 553, I was fascinated to see the town of Trevi on route to Montefalco. M ontefalco served as my base to attend the Anteprima Sagrantino and thus my reunion with the namesake grape – Sagrantino. While my list is overwhelmingly Italian–it is the place I tasted from the most. I was very fortunate to taste older vintages like Lungarotti Torgiano Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio DOCG – ’74 – 97 Points and Lungarotti Rubesco Rosso di Torgiano DOC – ’81- 96 Points to name a few; these wines were created when the Iron Curtain was still operating.
I do urge you to travel to taste wines that you will not fid in the US or elsewhere. Italian wines in Italy will be a selection of older vintages, producers who don’t export to the US, rare varieties and much more. Tasting wines in Italy is exciting as well as pairing with the respective cuisines is something that cannot be exported as well. Yes, glad and grateful, we have Italian food products in the US but cuisine is all about place. Yes, there is Italian cuisine in the US but it is a distant replication of actual Italian cuisine.
I always look for opportunities to taste; I have my tasting roadmap I have each year which attempts to drive tastings from all wine countries/regions.
Look for opportunities to taste these wines!
Santé,
James
James the Wine Guy Top 100 Wines of 2022
(click on underlined link to see video review)
| 1. Adanti Arquata Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’14 – 95 Points |
| 2. Agricola Mervante Montefaclo Rosso DOC – ’19 – 93 Points |
| 3. Antonelli San Marco “Chiusa di Pannone” Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’08 – 96 Points |
| 4. Antonelli San Marco “Mollino dell’Attone” Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’16 – 95 Points |
| 5. Antonelli San Marco Anteprima Tonda Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC – ’19 – 94 Points |
| 6. Antonelli San Marco Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG Passito – ’16 – 95 Points |
| 7. Antonelli San Marco Trebium Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC – ’18 – 94 Points |
| 8. Arnaldo Caprai 25 Anni Montefaclo Sagrantino DOCG – ’18 – 95 Points |
| 9. Arnaldo Caprai Grecante Colle Martini DOC Grechetto – ’21 – 93 Points |
| 10. Arnaldo Caprai Montefalco Rosso Vigna Flaminia-Maremmana Montefalco Rosso DOC – ’20 – 94 Points |
| 11. Arnaldo Caprai Spinning Beauty Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’06 – 97 Points |
| 12. Arnaldo Caprai Valdimaggio Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’18 – 95 Points |
| 13. Bellenda Sei Uno Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut Rive di Carpiseca – NV 95 Points |
| 14. Beni di Batasiolo Barolo DOCG Bussia Vigneto Bofani – ’13 – 95 Points |
| 15. Beni di Batasiolo Barolo DOCG Cerequio – ’13 – 94 Points |
| 16. Beni di Batasiolo Barolo Riserva DOCG – ’12 – 96 Points |
| 17. Beni di Batasiolo Gavi Del Comune di Gavi ’21 – 94 Point |
| 18. Bocale Montefalco Rosso DOC Riserva – ’18 – 94 Points |
| 19. Briziarelli Montefalco Rosso DOC Riserva – ’18 – 94 Points |
| 20. Castelvecchio Carso DOC Vitovska ’20 94 Points |
| 21. Champagne Launois “Cuvée Réservée” Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV 94 Points |
| 22. Champagne Les Mesnil Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV 94 Points – Episode No. 3200 |
| 23. Cocco Montefalco Fontiola Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG Passito ’16 – 95 Points |
| 24. Cocco Montefalco Phonsano Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ’15 – 94 Points |
| 25. Colle Ciocco Montefalco Rosso DOC – ’18 – 94 Points |
| 26. Colpetrone Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ’14 – 94 Points |
| 27. Domaine Amirault Les Quarterons Crémant de Loire – NV – 94 Points |
| 28. Domaine Carneros La Reve Carneros Blancs de Blanc 2015 98 Points |
| 29. Domaine Michel Briday Crémant de Bourgogne NV 94 Points |
| 30. Donnafugata Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria ’19 – 96 Poins |
| 31. Donnafugata Mille e Una Notte Sicilia DOC Rosso ’18 96 Points |
| 32. Donnafugata Sul Vulcano Etna Rosso DOC ’19 – 95 Points. |
| 33. Duca della Corgna Divina Villa Trasimeno Gamay DOC – ’21 – 94 Points |
| 34. Ducugnanano dei Barbi Mare Antico Orvieto Classico Superiore DOC – ’20 – 94 Points |
| 35. Ducugnano dei Barbi Frammento Orvieto Classico DOC – ’20 – 93 Points |
| 36. Fiddlehead Lollapalooza Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir – ’14 – 95 Points |
| 37. Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay – ’14 – 95 Points |
| 38. Hartford Old Vine Zinfandel Highwire Vineyard Russian River Valley – ’19 – 94 Points |
| 39. Il Molino di Grace Toscana Gratius IGT 2017 – 95 Points |
| 40. Jeff Cohn Cellars St. Peter’s Church Vineyard Alexander Valley Zinfandel – ’19 – 94 Points |
| 41. La Follette Heintz Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – ’19 – 95 Points |
| 42. La Querciolaia Gamay di Boldrino Colli di Trasimeno DOC – ’19 – 93 Points |
| 43. La Querciolaia Gamay Trasimeno DOCG Riserva ’19 – 94 Points |
| 44. La Veneranda Montefalco Rosso DOC – ’20 – 94 Points |
| 45. La Veneranda Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG -16 – 94 Points |
| 46. Lapone L’Escluso Orvieto Classico Superiore – ’21 95 Points |
| 47. Lapone Verdicchio Umbria IGT ’19 – 93 Points |
| 48. Le Cimate Meliade Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC Passito – ’18 – 93 Points |
| 49. Le Thadee 128+ Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino – ’20 Prefillosera – 93 Points |
| 50. Le Thadee Fijoa Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC – ’21 – 94 Points |
| 51. Luca di Tomaso Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’16 – 94 Points |
| 52. Lungarotti Aurente Chardonnay di Torgiano DOC – ’18 – 94 Points |
| 53. Lungarotti Rubesco Rosso di Torgiano DOC – ’00 – 95 Points |
| 54. Lungarotti Rubesco Rosso di Torgiano DOC – ’09 – 95 Points |
| 55. Lungarotti Rubesco Rosso di Torgiano DOC – ’79 – 95 Points |
| 56. Lungarotti Rubesco Rosso di Torgiano DOC – ’81- 96 Points |
| 57. Lungarotti Torgiano Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio DOCG – ’74 – 97 Points |
| 58, Lungarotti Torgiano Vin Santo DOC – ’10 – 95 Points |
| 59. Marchese Antinori Orvieto Classico Superiore DOC ’21 – 94 Points |
| 60. Perticaia Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’03 – 96 Points |
| 61. Revi Trentodoc Dossagio Zero Millesimato 2021 – 94 Points |
| 62. Rocca delle Macie Campoaccionne Vermentino Maremma Toscana DOC – ’21 – 94 Points |
| 63. Rocca delle Macie Sergio Zingarelli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG – ’16 – 95 Points |
| 64. Rockwall Russian River Valley Alegria Vineyard Zinfandel ’17 95 Points |
| 65. Romanelli Capo di Casa Montefalco Rosso DOC – ’19 – 94 Points |
| 66. Romanelli Medeo Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’16 – 95 Points |
| 67. Romanelli Terra di Cupa Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’10 – 95 Points |
| 68. Rombauer Twin River El Dorado Zinfandel – ’19 – 95 Points |
| 69. Scacciadiavoli Rose Vino Spumante Bruto Methodo Classico – NV – 94 Points |
| 70. Scacciadiavoli Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC – ’20 – 94 Points |
| 71. Sciacciadiavoli Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’16 – 94 Points |
| 72. Seghesio Cortina Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel – ’19 – 94 Points |
| 73. Smith-Madrone SMD Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ’19 95 Points |
| 74. Tabarrini Campo alla Cerqua Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’16 – 94 Points |
| 75. Tabarrini Colle Grimaldesco Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’02 – 96 Points |
| 76. Tabarrini Grimaldesco Montefalco Sagrantino – ’02 – 96 Points |
| 77. Tabarrini Grimaldesco Montefalco Sagrantino – ’05 – 95 Points |
| 78. Tenuta Alzatura Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’15 – 95 Points |
| 79. Tenuta Bellafonte Collenottolo Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’15 – 95 Points |
| 80. Tenuta Castelbuono Lunelli Carapace Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’16 – 95 Points |
| 81. Tenuta Castelbuono Lunelli Lampante Montefalco Rosso DOC Riserva – ’18 – 96 Points |
| 82. Tenuta di Saragano Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG -’16 – 94 Points |
| 83. Tenute Baldo Montefalco Rosso DOC Riserva – ’16 – 94 Points |
| 84. Tenute Baldo Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’15 – 94 Points |
| 85. Tenute Baldo Preda del Falco Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’15 – 94 Points |
| 86. Tenute Baldo Spirito Della Vite Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG – ’16 – 95 Points |
| 87. Tenute Baldo Rosa Ancestrale Vino Rosato Spumante – ’21 – 94 Points |
| 88. Terre de La Custodia Exubera Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’16 – 95 Points |
| 89. Terre de La Custodia Montefalco Rosso Riserva DOC – ’16 – 94 Points |
| 90. Terre di Trinci Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG – ’98 – 96 Points |
| 91. Terre di Trinci Ugolino Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’16 – 95 Points |
| 92. Terre Margaritelli Bianco di Torgiano DOC – ’21 – 93 Points |
| 93. Terre Margaritelli Freccia degli Scacchi Torgiano Rosso Riserva – ’16 – 94 Points |
| 94. Terre Margaritelli Pictoricius Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG – ’18 – 95 Points |
| 95 Terre Margaritelli Thadea Vino Spumante Rosato Brut Biologico NV – 93 Points |
| 96. Terre di San Felice Montefalco Rosso DOC Riserva – ’18 – 94 Points |
| 97. Tudernum Fidenzio Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’15 – 94 Points |
| 98. Valdangius Angelina Sagratino DOCG Passitio – ’16 – 95 Points |
| 99. Valdangius Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG – ’14 – 95 Points |
| 100. Valdangius Campo di Pico Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC – ’21 – 94 Points |
Past Top 100 Posting
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