Every wine lover is on the hunt for the perfect sip—that bottle of wine that hits all the marks and delivers breathtaking depth and complexity in spades. This past year, the tasting panel at Wine Enthusiast discovered ten wines that achieved this perfection, each earning a 100-point score.
It is no surprise that most are from the iconic and historic regions of Bordeaux and Brunello, where the road to excellence has been paved by generations of tradition. Yet New World innovation can’t be ignored. Two single-vineyard Chardonnays from Napa and Sonoma achieved peak excellence, while a 100-year-old fortified wine from Australia bridged the gap between tradition and modernity.
A perfect 100-point wine is not just a matter of region, vineyard site or vintage quality, however those attributes do play their part. The wine must possess depth and intensity, with impeccable balance and finesse, seeming both ethereal and cohesive. These ten wines all have that magic quality.
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2018 Saint-Julien; $200. Vintage 2018 was generous to the style of Ducru-Beaucaillou. The rich character of this wine is enhanced by… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Château Figeac 2018 Saint-Émilion; $245. With its rich swathe of Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has density and immense structure balanced by… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Château Lafite Rothschild 2018 Pauillac; $780. An immensely structured wine, this is complex, concentrated and yet so contained… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Château Pichon Baron 2018 Pauillac; $222. This great estate in southern Pauillac, facing the Latour vineyard, is at the top of its game… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Il Marroneto 2016 Madonna delle Grazie (Brunello di Montalcino); $350. This dazzling wine is for Sangiovese purists and fans of extreme finesse… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Le Chiuse 2016 Brunello di Montalcino; $99. This gorgeous wine opens with fragrant aromas of violet, wild berry, new leather, tilled earth and spice… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Ramey 2018 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay (Carneros); $70. This is a stunner from blocks planted in 1997 and 1999. Beautiful aromas of toasted hazelnut and stone lead to… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Ramey 2018 Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay (Russian River Valley); $70. This wine is a testament to an outstanding site in the hands of an outstanding producer… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Salvioni 2016 Brunello di Montalcino; $223. Absolutely stunning, this gorgeous red has enticing aromas of wild rose, forest berries, new leather and camphor… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Seppeltsfield 1920 100-Year Vintage Para Tawny (South Australia); $1,000. Seppeltsfield’s Centennial wines have been released annually for past 140 years… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Published: December 10, 2021
