- Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2018 ranked at Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year.
- Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle Iteration N.26 took the first spot in James Suckling’s annual rankings.
- Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino 2018 was Wine Enthusiast’s top cellar recommendation.
On Friday, Wine Spectator announced its ‘Wine of the Year’ – Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2018.
The publication wrote: ‘In the world of wine, a change of ownership or a stylistic paradigm shift can reap huge benefits, but there are always risks. In the case of Argiano, change has paid off in spades, as new owners arrived with a commitment to a return to a more traditional expression of Brunello. Reflecting more than $10 million in investment in the estate over a decade, the stellar quality of Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2018 earns it Wine of the Year honors from Wine Spectator in 2023.’
The wine has enjoyed increased demand after the announcement and has traded at a 45% premium on its Market Price. This is not a new phenomenon. According to Liv-ex, ‘over the last few years, most of the Wine Spectator’s top wines have enjoyed significant trading activity and an uptick in price’.
For instance, the 2018 Wine Spectator’s wine of the year, Sassicaia 2015, has seen its Market Price double from £1,350 per 12×75 to £2,700 after the announcement. Similarly, the 2019 wine of the year – Château Léoville Barton 2016 – enjoyed an immediate price surge.
This year, other investment-grade wines that ranked in the publication’s top ten list include Château Lynch Bages 2020 (3) and Château Pichon Baron 2020 (8).
James Suckling’s top picks for 2023
James Suckling also released his Top 100 World Wines 2023 and Wine of the Year report, giving Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle Iteration N.26 the first spot.
The critic said that ‘it’s not just an incredible bottle of Champagne, it’s the best wine we rated this year out of the almost 39,000 reviewed by myself and my team of seven tasters/editors’. This is the ‘the largest number of wines [they] have ever reviewed in a year, beating last year’s record of about 32,000’.
Suckling’s top ten also included the 100-point Seña 2021 (3) and Château Figeac 2020 (4).
Wine Enthusiast’s top cellar selections
Another Brunello di Montalcino stole the spotlight in Wine Enthusiast’s annual rankings. Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino 2018 was their top cellar recommendation for 2023.
Their report stated: ‘This list represents what’s next in Wine Enthusiast’s Cellar Selections—wines with consistency and structure that aren’t necessarily the biggest and boldest. The number one wine, for example, is Poggio di Sotto’s 2018 Brunello di Montalcino, not the most legendary in its region of Italy but what a wine!’
Their number two wine was Ribera del Duero Vega Sicilia Unico 2012, which they described as ‘a proven collectible’ and a ‘gem’ which ‘represents Spain as an underappreciated wine country full of discoveries’.
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