November 2013

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Wine Spectator’s Top 100!

As typically happens every year, many of these top wines are sold out before they are awarded their place. For all of you Vinopolis shoppers, we have pulled together a comprehensive list of Wine Spectator’s Top 100 in stock now and available for purchase:

Chateau Canon la Gafelliere St. Emilion 2010 ($179.95) $149 special SOLD OUT

Wine Spectator 96 points “This takes the power of the vintage and puts it in its pocket for later, preferring instead to let mouthwatering briar, loganberry, mulberry and blackberry fruit strut its way forward, enlivened with roasted wood spice and supported by suavely but thoroughly embedded iron-tinged structure. Should cruise for two decades. Best from 2016 through 2035.”

Wine Advocate 95 points “This wine shows wonderfully exotic tapenade, licorice, Christmas fruitcake, cedar wood, blackberry and sweet cherry notes in its strikingly provocative aromatics. On the palate, the wine is dense and full-bodied, with stunning concentration, purity, texture and length. It is full-bodied, silky smooth and seems to have more in common with the 2009 than one might expect, although the freshness and tannin levels are slightly more elevated. Drink it over the next 20+ years.”

Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 2008 ($179.95) $149 special

Wine Spectator 95 points “Detailed and fragrant, offering floral, strawberry, cherry, licorice and spice flavors, this is elegant and underlined by a strong mineral streak. Well-proportioned, picking up intensity and complexity on the long, savory finish. Extremely fresh and classy. Best from 2016 through 2035.”

Wine Advocate 94 points “Readers will have to be especially patient with the 2008 Barolo Monprivato, a wine that has none of the early appeal of other recent vintages. Still very much closed in on itself, the 2008 possesses serious depth, power and structure, but those elements are suppressed by the recent bottling. Dried rose petals, crushed berries and mint are some of the nuances that flesh out on the powerful, imposing finish. I don’t think the 2008 will ever match the 2006 or 2007, but it is going to be fun seeing how close it gets. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2048.”

Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee 2010 ($119.95) $95 special SOLD OUT

Wine Spectator 97 points “Intense, with the tarry, bittersweet cocoa-fueled grip of the vintage running through a well-endowed core of crushed plum, blackberry paste and braised fig. The muscular finish picks up notes of brick dust, pepper, warm chestnut leaf and smoldering charcoal. A throwback profile, with a hyperripe core of fruit—and it works. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and others. Best from 2015 through 2035.”

Robert Parker 98 points “Looking at the 2010s and a brilliant vintage for Laurence, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape offers up classic Pegau aromas and flavors of ripe dark fruits, garrigue, cured meats, tobacco leaf, saddle leather and hints of game. Full-bodied and beautifully concentrated, it offers a seamless, layered profile on the palate with thrilling mid-palate depth, sweet, yet substantial tannin, and a blockbuster finish that stays fresh and beautifully focused. Quite polished by this estates standards, it nevertheless screams southern France and I doubt it’s possible to have too much of this beauty in the cellar. It will absolutely thrill over the coming 2-3 decades”

And the rest of the Top 100, listed below:

#13– Croft Vintage Port 2011 ($79.95) $69 special 2 bottles left SOLD OUT
Wine Spectator 97 points “Effusively juicy, rich and concentrated, showing plenty of snap to the crisp and well-spiced flavors of wild berry, dark currant and plum tart. Orange-infused chocolate notes linger on the exotic, mocha-filled finish. Best from 2020 through 2045”

#22– La Rioja Alta Rioja Vina Ardanza Reserve 2004 ($34.95) $30.90 special SOLD OUT
Wine Spectator 94 points “Cedar, tobacco and spice hints frame dried cherry, berry and vanilla notes in this silky red. The flavors mingle nicely, framed by juicy acidity and light but firm tannins. The wine has a lovely, weightless intensity. A fine example of the traditional style. Drink now through 2020.”

#32– Bodegas Hidalgo Gitana Manzanilla Jerez La Gitana NV ($19.95) $14 special SOLD OUT
Wine Spectator 91 points “Bright, with saline, sunchoke and blanched almond notes backed by a piercing, chalk-framed finish. This is all precision and cut. Drink now.”

#65- JJ Prum Riesling Mosel Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese 2011 ($41.95) $32 special SOLD OUT
Wine Spectator 93 points “Features a savory aroma, with flavors to match, showing good acidity to the juicy apple, pear and white currant flavors. Curry notes extend on the finish, displaying plenty of cream. Powerfully structured and deep with spice. Drink now through 2032. 1,000 cases made”

#84– Miraval Jolie-Pitt Cotes de Provence Rose 2012 ($24.95) $21.90 special SOLD OUT
Wine Spectator 90 points “Refined and elegant, offering pure and concentrated flavors of dried red berry, tangerine and melon. The focused finish features flint and spice notes, with a hint of cream. Drink now.”

#92– Chateau Larcis Ducasse St. Emilion 2010 ($179.95) $149 special SOLD OUT
Wine Spectator 94 points “A rich, tongue-coating style, with loamy structure and dense plum sauce, roasted fig and warm dark currant confiture notes, all inlaid with espresso and graphite. Still tightly drawn now, this needs a bit more cellaring to unfurl fully, but there’s beautiful polish and lovely fruit worth waiting for. Best from 2016 through 2030. 2,900 cases made.”

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