Are you fond of great wines? These were the world's 10 best in 2016, according to the authoritative opinion of Wine Spectator, prestigious magazine specialized in wines.
1. Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2013
The first place in the ranking is for this Californian nectar from the Napa Valley, vintage of 2013, bottled by the Lewis Winery. It is an elegant wine that satisfies the most refined tasters, standing out for its long-lasting aftertaste and for the consistency and stability of its tannins. The wine leaves flavors of plums, blackberries and currants in the mouth, with hints of licorice, coffee, vanilla and cedar. It is still a young wine, so it can be a good investment in the long term (the bottle is in the order of $ 90), since in about 8 years it will be in all its splendor.
2. Domaine Serene Chardonnay Dundee Hills Evenstad Reserve 2014
Proof that times have changed is that a white wine from Oregon, United States, appears as the second best in the world. This Chardonnay grape nectar is matured in French oak barrels, which are periodically moved through different rooms under a strict and calculated process, in order to control the temperature and regulate the fermentation. The Domaine Serene Winery, based in the city of Dayton, Oregon, has scored a success with this expressive, elegant and proportionate wine. Its flavor is reminiscent of green guava and pear, providing an expansive finish. The outlay is $ 55 on average.
3. Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge The Beaux Freres Vineyard 2014
The Pinot Noir grape is difficult to harvest, but you can reward the effort with a sublime result, such as that obtained in the 2014 vintage by the Beaux Freres Winery, from Oregon, United States. East Red wine from the North Valley city-based house of Newberg, it offers fruity and floral flavors that lushly overlap on the palate. Leaves a long aftertaste and awakens memories of plums, gooseberries and pomegranates. It is recommended to uncork the last bottle in 2024, although probably by that date it will be worth much more than the 90 dollars that you can pay today.
4. Chateau Climens Barsac 2013
The first French wine on the list comes in fourth place, Barsac 2013, a sweet white produced by the Bordeaux winery Chateau Climens. The Semillon grape became the most harvested in the world of white wine. For example, in Chile it represented 3 out of every 4 hectares of vineyards in the mid-20th century. Its cultivation has been drastically reduced, but with this broth it shows that it is not dead by any means, at least in quality. It is a smooth, fresh and silky wine, bottled after spending 18 months in new French oak barrels. Leaves flavors of apricot, nectarine, orange peel, papaya and mango in the mouth, with underlying hints of bitter almonds. It costs $ 68 and you can save it until 2043.
5. Barbaresco Asili Riserva 2011
The best positioned Italian wine on the world list is this Piedmontese red wine from the Produttori del Barbaresco winery. The Nebbiolo, grape par excellence of the Piedmont region, sends its terroir to the top 5 with a well-structured wine, with a persistent flavor in the mouth, producing intense evocations of cherries, while leaving traces of blackberries, ripe fruits, minerals and spices. The Barbaresco Asili is fermented and converted in stainless steel tanks, to then be aged in barrels for 3 years. This $ 59 a bottle wine should be consumed preferably until 2032.
6. Orin Swift Machete California 2014
This Californian wine is obtained by mixing Petite Sirah, Syrah and Garnacha grapes. The red wine from Orin Swift, a winery based in the city of St. Helena, Napa County, offers a rather dark red to the eye. It is a thick, lively and generous broth, leaving a long aftertaste. The lucky ones who have tried it claim that it leaves on the nose reminiscences of ripe cherries, vanilla, ripe blueberries and toasted oak, with hints of dark chocolate and violets. You can uncork the first bottle ($ 48) as soon as possible and no later than 2030.
7. Ridge Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains 2012
It is a Bordeaux type wine obtained by mixing the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot varieties, from Ridge vineyards, grown at an altitude of between 400 and 800 meters above sea level in the foothills of the Californian mountains of Santa Cruz. Experts recommend the consumption of this wine, matured for 16 months in oak barrels, between the years 2020 and 2035. It is a well-structured wine, with firm acidity and tannins, which leaves in the mouth reminiscences of currants and juicy blackberries. It's the most expensive on the top 10 list, at $ 175 a bottle.
8. Antinori Toscana Tignanello 2013
The Antinori Winery ranks the first Tuscan and second Italian wine in the ranking of the 10 best wines of 2016. This red, made with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes, is distinguished by being the first high-quality red wine produced with non-varietals. traditional. The Toscana Tignanello is aged for 14 months in French oak and Hungarian oak barrels. Its fragrances are tobacco, smoked and graphite, and in the mouth it recalls cherries, minerals and spices. It is an intense ruby color with violet hues and a persistent aftertaste. It costs $ 105.
9. Pessac-Léognan White 2013
This Bordeaux white wine came from the talent of the French winemaker Fabien Teitgen, mixing Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Sauvignon Gris grapes in 90% / 5% / 5% proportions. The wine from the Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Winery is a Grand Cru Classé of pale yellow color with greenish tones. Its bouquet is fruity, evoking peaches, citrus (lemon, grapefruit) and notes of butter. It is aged for one year in French oak barrels, half new. Its price is 106 dollars.
10. Zinfandel Russian River Valley Old Vine 2014
Our list closes with another Californian red, the 2014 Zinfandel Russian River Valley Old Vine, produced by the Hartford Family Winery, which operates in the area of the short and low-flow Russian River in Sonoma County. The Zinfandel grape arrived in California in the mid-nineteenth century, gaining a good space in the vineyard area, which it has not been able to achieve in most of the other wine regions of the world. In this case, the Zinfandel goes in partnership with the Petite Sirah grape, producing a robust wine rich in tannins. It is opaque purple in color and its aromas are of raspberries, liquorice, anise, cherries, currants and incense. It's the lowest priced ($ 38) on our list of the best wines of 2016.
