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WineSpectator.com DEC. 31, 2015 – JAN. 15, 2016 Top

The mosT exciTing of 100 2015 AS SEEN IN Wine of the The Year top100 Our annual roundup of the year’s most exciting wines

Contents he 2015 Top 100 emphasizes how The three countries earning the most nods—France, much the wine world has changed Italy and the United States—collectively account for 53 since we put together our inaugural 64 percent of the list. France held steady, despite chal- honor roll, in 1988. That year, the Top lenging vintages in Bordeaux and the Rhône, as well as Wine of the Year 10 counted three Bordeaux, including rising prices in Burgundy. Italy gained ground slightly 57 our Wine of the Year, four Burgundies, on the strength of the 2010 vintage in Montalcino and Top 100 at a Glance including Domaine de la Romanée- Barolo. And California Cabernet is back on top thanks Conti Richebourg 1985, two Italian to the stellar 2012s, including our Wine of the Year. 59 reds and one California Cabernet. New Zealand and Oregon each increased their pres- Profiles of Wines All four Gaja Barbarescos from the ence, based on the terrific performance of Pinot Noir Nos. 2 to 100 1985T vintage were in the Top 20. in both areas. Washington too grew its representation, Now, less than three decades later, outstanding wines a reflection of its excellent Syrahs and Cabernets, and 65 from almost every corner of the globe compete with Spain upped its contingent from eight spots to 10. Top 100 by Region these historic leaders for consumers’ attention. This Many wines on the list are made in limited quantities, and Variety year, for example, a New Zealand wine and a South a reflection of the greater wine world. As such, our 69 African wine earned Top 10 honors for the first time. Top 100 is not a “shopping list,” but rather a guide to Put simply, it’s a great time to be a wine lover. wineries to watch in the coming months and years. The Wines of the Year The wines our editors found among the most interest- selections reflect the producers and wines our editors 1988–2014 ing in 2015 are a diverse group—ranging from emerging were particularly passionate about in 2015. 72 labels and regions to traditional estates exploring new For complete tasting notes on the Top 100 wines, 10 Years of Top 10s directions—and all generated the excitement we call turn to page 182 of the Buying Guide. Senior editors the X-factor. In addition, we applied the criteria of qual- MaryAnn Worobiec, Alison Napjus and Tim Fish, tasting 85 ity (based on score), value (based on price) and avail- coordinator Augustus Weed, associate tasting coordina- Values in the Top 100 ability (based on the number of cases either made or tor Gillian Sciaretta, assistant tasting coordinators Aaron 182 imported into the United States) to the more than Romano and Emma Balter, and associate editors Mitch 5,700 wines that rated outstanding (90 points or Frank and Ben O’Donnell all contributed to the profiles Top 100 Tasting Notes higher) this year, to determine our Top 100 of 2015. in the following pages. We hope you enjoy the exciting

Overall, the average score and average price are the list of fine values, rising stars and historic producers that obby

187 r same as in last year’s Top 100: 93 points and $47. populate Wine Spectator’s 2015 Top 100. Classic-Scoring Wines Lara of 2015

52 Wine Spectator • Dec. 31, 2015 – Jan. 15, 2016 http://2015.top100.winespectator.com/wine/1-peter-michael/ Wine of the The Year top100 Our annual roundup of the year’s most exciting wines

Contents he 2015 Top 100 emphasizes how The three countries earning the most nods—France, much the wine world has changed Italy and the United States—collectively account for 53 since we put together our inaugural 64 percent of the list. France held steady, despite chal- honor roll, in 1988. That year, the Top lenging vintages in Bordeaux and the Rhône, as well as Wine of the Year 10 counted three Bordeaux, including rising prices in Burgundy. Italy gained ground slightly 57 our Wine of the Year, four Burgundies, on the strength of the 2010 vintage in Montalcino and Top 100 at a Glance including Domaine de la Romanée- Barolo. And California Cabernet is back on top thanks Conti Richebourg 1985, two Italian to the stellar 2012s, including our Wine of the Year. 59 reds and one California Cabernet. New Zealand and Oregon each increased their pres- Profiles of Wines All four Gaja Barbarescos from the ence, based on the terrific performance of Pinot Noir Nos. 2 to 100 1985T vintage were in the Top 20. in both areas. Washington too grew its representation, Now, less than three decades later, outstanding wines a reflection of its excellent Syrahs and Cabernets, and 65 from almost every corner of the globe compete with Spain upped its contingent from eight spots to 10. Top 100 by Region these historic leaders for consumers’ attention. This Many wines on the list are made in limited quantities, and Variety year, for example, a New Zealand wine and a South a reflection of the greater wine world. As such, our 69 African wine earned Top 10 honors for the first time. Top 100 is not a “shopping list,” but rather a guide to Put simply, it’s a great time to be a wine lover. wineries to watch in the coming months and years. The Wines of the Year The wines our editors found among the most interest- selections reflect the producers and wines our editors 1988–2014 ing in 2015 are a diverse group—ranging from emerging were particularly passionate about in 2015. 72 labels and regions to traditional estates exploring new For complete tasting notes on the Top 100 wines, 10 Years of Top 10s directions—and all generated the excitement we call turn to page 182 of the Buying Guide. Senior editors the X-factor. In addition, we applied the criteria of qual- MaryAnn Worobiec, Alison Napjus and Tim Fish, tasting 85 ity (based on score), value (based on price) and avail- coordinator Augustus Weed, associate tasting coordina- Values in the Top 100 ability (based on the number of cases either made or tor Gillian Sciaretta, assistant tasting coordinators Aaron 182 imported into the United States) to the more than Romano and Emma Balter, and associate editors Mitch 5,700 wines that rated outstanding (90 points or Frank and Ben O’Donnell all contributed to the profiles Top 100 Tasting Notes higher) this year, to determine our Top 100 of 2015. in the following pages. We hope you enjoy the exciting

Overall, the average score and average price are the list of fine values, rising stars and historic producers that obby

187 r same as in last year’s Top 100: 93 points and $47. populate Wine Spectator’s 2015 Top 100. Classic-Scoring Wines Lara of 2015

52 Wine Spectator • Dec. 31, 2015 – Jan. 15, 2016 Wine of the Year Peter Michael Oakville Au Paradis 2012 96 points | $195 | 1,785 cases made

BY James LauBe

small, little-known in Napa Valley’s Oakville and exhibit the telltale mix of dark berry, currant, black olive, District has produced a wine that epitomizes the mod- savory herb and scorched earth character that comes from the vine- ern style of Napa Cabernet. yard’s rocky red soil. The lavish use of new French oak adds both Au Paradis is the newest offering from Peter Michael a graceful textural allure and heightened aromatic presence of toasty Winery. This producer’s stellar reputation was built on mocha notes that further enhance the wine’s seductive charm. wines grown in Sonoma County, but the 2012 bottling The vineyard was planted in 1988 by Kal and Dorothy Showket. Aof Au Paradis proves its deft touch extends to Napa. The wine The couple bought the sloping hillside parcel off Silverado Trail speaks of its site, farmed and vinified to perfection by an experi- next to Dalla Valle for their dream vineyard. They planted wisely: enced team capturing the brilliance of a bountiful vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, , and a little Sangio- Au Paradis 2012 offers a panoply of rich flavors that run deep vese. The Showkets made a small amount of wine but sold most of their grapes to the likes of Caymus, Shafer and Dalla Valle before an illness in the family led them to sell the vineyard to Peter Michael in 2009. Michael, a Britain-born tech tycoon, had looked at land in Napa Valley in the 1970s but found the prices too steep even for him and settled instead in a remote corner of Knights Valley due north of Napa. There he had the good fortune to discover a gold mine of a property and has en- joyed tremendous success with a stable of estate-grown Chardonnays and the Bordeaux-inspired red blend called Les Pavots. But he never put Napa out of his mind. When the Showket property came up for sale, Michael seized the op- portunity. Oakville is synonymous with lofty land prices and “grand cru” Cabernets. Cabernet in Oakville dates to the 1880s, grown first in what is still known as To Kalon Vine- yard, made famous by Robert Mondavi and subsequently others. The list of great Cabernets from Oakville reads like a who’s who: Mondavi, Opus One, Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, Harlan, Joseph Phelps’ Backus Vineyard, Dalla Valle, Schrader and Screaming Eagle are among the better known. Au Paradis, as Michael named the vineyard, lies in the eastern hills of Oakville. The site, distinguished by its rocky, reddish-brown soil, faces west and south. Its midvalley lo- cation allows for the steady heat accumulation that Cab- ernet loves, along with exposure to calming afternoon breezes that arise from the south and San Pablo Bay. The Showket’s Cabernets from the site were often ex- emplary. The 1999 (93 points, $75) showcased the wine’s harmony and depth of flavor. Russell Bevan of Bevan Cel-

lars took quality up a notch or two; Kal Showket offered d Boll Winery founder Peter Michael him a ton of Cabernet grapes in 2004 to help Bevan get Richa R

54 Wine Spectator • Dec. 31, 2015 – Jan. 15, 2016 Au Paradis vineyard in Napa’s Oakville District

started, and Bevan went on to use Showket Vineyard for a run of exceptional Cabernets from 2005 to 2009. “The red soil gives you amazing purity of fruit, not just black, blue and red, but it also doesn’t overripen,” says Bevan. “The wines have a distinct minerality, and tertiary development complements those red and blue fruits [with] tobacco.” Michael’s first shot at making a Cabernet from Au Paradis came in 2010, but the heat wave at harvest surprised his team and they decided to skip the vintage, opting to start with 2011; the resulting wine (90, $195) was a success in a damp, spotty year. The 2012 bottling validates all the excitement surrounding the vineyard and the vintage. The wine is a classically structured Napa Cabernet. Nick Morlet, winemaker at Peter Michael, who has made the Knights Valley Les Pavots for a decade, also believes Au Paradis is perfect for Cabernet. The soil and exposure ensure even ripening, he says, and the heat is just right. “Cabernet likes to sweat,” Morlet observes. When the sun sets, the cooler air from San Pablo Bay mitigates the temperature, keeping balance in the grapes. This is the fifth time in the history of the Top 100 that a Caber- net from Napa Valley has been selected as Wine Spectator’s No. 1 wine. The quality of Napa Cabernet has been accelerating over the

RRie Re past few decades, with many of the incremental improvements ca es farming-based. It’s a combination of soil, climate and precision M

: Ja that distinguishes the best-performing . oM TT As a textbook example of the way passionate investment, tech- ide; Bo nical skill and an outstanding vineyard can create compelling wines, the Peter Michael Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Au Paradis Peter Michael winemaker Nick Morlet Top: Jack M cBR Jack Top: 2012 is our 2015 Wine of the Year.

Dec. 31, 2015 – Jan. 15, 2016 • Wine Spectator 55 wine spectator’s top 100 At A glAnce

RANK SCORE PRICE WINE RANK SCORE PRICE WINE 1 96 $195 Peter Michael Cabernet Sauvignon 51 91 $20 Alain Brumont Madiran Château Bouscassé 2009 Oakville Au Paradis 2012 52 94 $60 Brancaia Toscana Ilatraia 2012 2 96 $140 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 53 91 $23 Descendientes de J. Palacios Bierzo Pétalos 2013 Columbia Valley 2012 54 93 $34 Kumeu River Chardonnay Kumeu Estate 2012 3 98 $70 Evening Land Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Seven Springs Vineyard La Source 2012 55 92 $30 Arcanum Toscana Il Fauno 2010 4 95 $85 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2010 56 93 $44 Cune Rioja Imperial Reserva 2010 5 95 $60 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay 57 95 $90 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2012 Santa Cruz Mountains 2012 58 91 $14 Torre de Oña Rioja Finca San Martín Crianza 2012 6 94 $54 Bodegas Aalto Ribera del Duero 2012 59 94 $75 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 7 95 $69 Escarpment Pinot Noir Martinborough Rockaway Single Vineyard 2012 Kupe Single Vineyard 2013 60 93 $48 Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley L’Ermitage 2007 8 95 $85 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 61 95 $75 Grenache Clarendon Romas 2009 Serègo Alighieri Vaio Armaron 2008 62 93 $48 Oddero Barolo 2011 9 94 $72 Clos Fourtet St.-Emilion 2012 63 93 $33 Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch W Block 2013 10 95 $80 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 64 92 $44 Grapes of Roth Merlot Long Island 2010 Constantia 2009 (500ml) 65 93 $56 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 11 95 $40 Big Table Farm Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2012 Signature 2012 12 94 $32 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley 2012 66 91 $18 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier 13 96 $60 La Serena Brunello di Montalcino 2010 Victoria 2013 14 95 $60 Bergström Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge 67 91 $22 Feudo di Santa Croce Primitivo di Manduria LXXIV 2013 Le Pré Du Col Vineyard 2013 68 94 $85 Booker Syrah Paso Robles Fracture 2013 15 94 $30 Abadia Retuerta Viño de la Tierra de Castilla y León 69 93 $51 Bodegas Monasterio Ribera del Duero Sardon de Duero Selección Especial 2011 Hacienda Monasterio 2011 16 93 $25 Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Port 2009 70 92 $37 Allram Grüner Veltliner Qualitätswein Trocken 17 95 $44 Turley Petite Syrah Howell Mountain Rattlesnake Ridge 2013 Kamptal Hasel Alte Reben Reserve 2014 18 98 $125 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli 2010 71 95 $102 Antinori Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso 2012 19 95 $60 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Altamont 2013 72 91 $28 Lavau Gigondas 2013 20 92 $22 Meiomi Pinot Noir Monterey-Sonoma-Santa Barbara 73 90 $18 Alpha Estate Malagouzia Florina Turtles Vineyard 2014 Counties 2013 74 90 $20 d’Angelo Aglianico del Vulture 2012 21 93 $28 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2014 75 92 $40 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé 2014 22 95 $52 Gramercy Syrah Walla Walla Valley The Deuce 2012 76 94 $89 Leeuwin Chardonnay Margaret River Art Series 2012 23 94 $50 Bodegas LAN Rioja Edición Limitada 2011 77 95 $100 M. Chapoutier Hermitage White 24 94 $50 Blandy’s Bual Madeira 2002 Chante-Alouette 2014 25 93 $30 Quinta do Crasto Douro Superior 2012 78 91 $30 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon 26 93 $31 Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2010 Alexander Valley 2012 27 95 $55 Livio Sassetti Brunello di Montalcino Pertimali 2010 79 92 $46 Bérêche & Fils Brut Champagne Réserve NV 28 94 $39 Baer Ursa Columbia Valley 2012 80 92 $28 Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta Viura Rioja Capellanía 2010 29 92 $20 Tenshen White Santa Barbara County 2014 81 91 $27 Bodega Luigi Bosca Malbec Luján de Cuyo 30 93 $30 Dominio de Tares Mencía Bierzo Cepas Viejas 2011 Single Vineyard 2013 31 94 $55 K The Creator Walla Walla Valley 2012 82 91 $23 Viña Polkura Syrah Marchigue 2011 32 91 $15 Viña Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley Alto 83 90 $20 Torre Rosazza Pinot Grigio Friuli Colli Orientali 2014 Gran Reserva 2012 84 91 $20 Duorum Douro 2013 33 91 $17 Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Dry 2014 85 91 $25 Hecht & Bannier Côtes du Roussillon-Villages 2011 34 92 $25 Tenet Syrah Columbia Valley The Pundit 2013 86 92 $30 Ravines Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 35 93 $36 Rombauer Chardonnay Carneros 2013 Argetsinger Vineyard 2012 36 92 $20 Bodegas Godeval Valdeorras Viña Godeval 87 90 $24 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna 2013 Cepas Vellas 2013 88 91 $26 Viña Koyle Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Valley 37 92 $22 Viña Montes Syrah Colchagua Valley Alpha 2012 Royale Los Lingues Vineyard 2012 38 92 $25 Soléna Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Grande Cuvée 2012 89 90 $26 Zisola Sicilia 2013 39 90 $10 Real Companhia Velha Douro Porca de Murça Red 2013 90 91 $23 Philippe Alliet Chinon 2014 40 90 $12 Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc California 2014 91 91 $25 Schloss Vollrads Riesling Spätlese Rheingau 2013 41 93 $35 Podere Sapaio Bolgheri Volpolo 2012 92 95 $116 Rotem & Mounir Saouma Châteauneuf-du-Pape 42 95 $70 Keplinger SUMŌ Amador County 2013 Omnia 2012 43 94 $50 Collosorbo Brunello di Montalcino 2010 93 90 $22 Schola Sarmenti Nardò Nerìo Riserva 2012 44 90 $17 Piattelli Malbec Luján de Cuyo Premium Reserve 2013 94 93 $39 Domaine du Gros Noré Bandol 2012 45 93 $36 Colene Clemens Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains 95 93 $42 Grosset Riesling Clare Valley Springvale 2014 Margo 2012 96 92 $55 Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune Teurons Domaine 2012 46 90 $19 Castello d’Albola Chianti Classico 2011 97 93 $48 Orin Swift Machete California 2013 47 91 $22 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Ste.-Claire 2014 98 93 $81 Château Figeac St.-Emilion 2012 48 90 $20 Calera Chardonnay Central Coast 2013 99 93 $53 Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura 49 95 $65 Felton Road Pinot Noir Central Otago Bannockburn 2013 Les Chamois du Paradis 2011 50 97 $138 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 2010 100 94 $113 Sadie Family Palladius Swartland 2012

Dec. 31, 2015 – Jan. 15, 2016 • Wine Spectator 57