Robert Parker Wine Advocate’s Inaugural Top 100 Wine Discoveries List Reveals the Next Big Icons and Trends Around the World

Reviewers spotlight noteworthy wine discoveries based on criteria such as sustainability, innovation, investment value and age-worthiness.

 

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 November 2020 – Following on the success of unveiling ten top wine discoveries last year at their New York Matter of Taste event, the review team at Robert Parker Wine Advocate take this initiative a step further, announcing their best newly discovered, under-the-radar wines of the year: Top 100 Wine Discoveries 2020. True to Robert Parker Wine Advocate’s vision to independently evaluate and highlight wines from all around the world, this innovative move means to encourage wine lovers to explore new territories and learn about the passionate work of often previously unheralded wine makers.

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Domaine Franco-Chinois is the new product to emerge from the old Sino-French experimental vineyard and winery located in Hebei, China. This is a joint venture between the Chinese government (CITIC) and the French government

 

From over 30,000 wines reviewed by the ten-strong team of wine critics over the last year, this Top 100 Wine Discoveries list complements the 100-point rating system developed by Robert Parker Wine Advocate back in 1978, spotlighting not the well-known, highest scoring wines, but those singular wine gems revealing unexpected greatness or fresh, exciting new takes on familiar labels.

 

The selection discovers a number of wines produced from lesser-known grape varieties and/or in non-traditional growing regions, and also rediscovers dozens of renowned marques that are making significant innovations, such as in sustainability and terroir-driven decisions, that are informing the taste of the new generation. Wineries in the Old World regions such as France and Italy show plenty of innovation, while the United States has emerged as one of wine’s most innovative frontiers.

 

“The results of our assessment highlighted to us that there are wines that are not necessarily our top-scoring wines, but have compelling stories behind the bottle. So much change and innovation is currently happening in regions around the world, whether new like California or those with a long history like Bordeaux. Even if the labels are not at all new, what’s happening behind those famous names and all that regional tradition is occasionally quite innovative. These stories and innovations are what consumers are increasingly motivated by when they seek out new discoveries–hence the creation of what we offer our readers as our Top 100 Wine Discoveries,” said Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, Editor-in-Chief.  

 

As noted by Robert Parker Wine Advocate China reviewer Edward Ragg, “China is expanding into producing a wider range of wine styles, as interest within and outside of the country grows. The two whites showcased in this list make this point. While Domaine Franco Chinois, a joint venture between the Chinese and French governments, is associated with red blends in a Bordelais mould, its best wine is arguably its sweet Petit Manseng. This 2014 example has all of the vibrant quince fruit and buoyant acidity of the varietal and is one of China’s highest quality and more age-able sweet whites. And at Chateau Nine Peaks in Shandong, a region better known for beer, its Chardonnay has the abundant fruit of Meursault, with softer acids and no lack of texture.” 

 

Deciding the Top 100 Wine Discoveries

As the world’s most recognised authority on fine wines, the Robert Parker Wine Advocate team of wine critics cover the entire globe in their quest to inform readers of the most noteworthy wines, including the major wine-producing regions of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United States and more.

This year’s Wine Discoveries were handpicked by all 10 reviewers from over 30,000 wines reviewed between October 2019 and October 2020. The selection criteria for the Top 100 Wine Discoveries are founded on wines that come from outside the mainstream or are new, and have one or more of the following attributes: value, age-worthiness, sustainability, and wines that represent innovative approaches, whether in the vineyards, winery or otherwise. Not every wine region will be equally represented, and not every vintage is created equal.

 

“The regional composition of this list will vary considerably from year to year, depending on local weather conditions and the number of wines reviewed from the different parts of the wine-growing world,” said Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, Managing Editor.

 

The next big thing: Spotlight on wineries in the list

For the inaugural list, the reviewers have discovered or rediscovered an exciting range of wines in a new light. Each one has its story of why it stood out, whether it’s a rising star, an experiment, or a value investment that would match similar styles in a reader’s cellar. Get to know a few here:

 

• Pasarene Union 2016, Tulbagh, South Africa

“Even though their labels are beautiful and catch the eye, it’s what’s inside the bottle that is truly captivating,’ said Robert Parker Wine Advocate South Africa and Washington State reviewer Anthony Muller of this rising star from Tulbagh, South Africa. “The 2016 Union is a Rhône style blend made from Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre, which boasts dusty, dark-berried aromas with a floral elegance, that is both food-friendly and age-worthy.”

 

• Aquilini Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain 2017, Red Mountain, USA

Anthony Muller has also spotted this relatively new kid on the block in Washington State, USA. “Focusing on Bordeaux varietals, Aquilini wines are owned by the Canadian billionaire family of the same name, who spare no expense to craft fine, high-quality wines from Red Mountain,” he noted. It’s not too late to start investing in discoveries from this region, which has produced 100-point wines in recent years.   

 

• Chateau Montfin Corbières Vincent Sans Sulfites Ajoutés 2018, Languedoc, France

There are rising stars in the southern French region of Languedoc, and this is one that stood out for Joe Czerwinski. “Made without added sulfites, and selling for a song (under $20), this new cuvée does a fine job representing the ‘new Languedoc’. Organically farmed, it’s a delicious blend of traditional grape varieties (Grenache, Carignan and Syrah) from an underrated appellation,” he explained.

• Castello dei Rampolla Liù 2018, Toscana, Italy

Robert Parker Wine Advocate Italy Reviewer Monica Larner’s search led her to the heart of Tuscany and the Conca d’Oro vineyard in Panzano in Chianti where biodynamic vintner Maurizia Di Napoli offers the iconic wines d’Alceo and Sammarco. “A pure expression of Merlot, Liù is an exciting new addition to the Castello dei Rampolla portfolio,” she shared, of this winery that isn’t afraid of innovating, first with international blends in the 1970s, to biodynamics for the past 20 years.

 

• Chateau Séraphine 2017, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France

“Expect great things in the future from this producer, this is a Chateau to watch!” observed Lisa Perrotti-Brown. A newcomer to Pomerol, Séraphine was purchased by British businessman Martin Krajewski in late 2016, and this 2017 is the first vintage and a very promising beginning. Krajewski is also the owner of Grand Cru Saint-Émilion estate Clos Cantenac and Aristea Wines in South Africa.

 

In summary, “While our critics spend much of their time reviewing traditional wines from classic wine regions, part of the ethos at Robert Parker Wine Advocate has always been about discovering great wines, regardless of where they’re from and how they’re made. With the team’s global reach and decades of experience, Robert Parker Wine Advocate is uniquely qualified to highlight new or innovative wines that today’s modern wine consumers should seek out,” said Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW.

 

To mark the occasion of this inaugural list, Robert Parker Wine Advocate is giving a one-month complimentary trial for all new subscribers, where they can access the full details of the selection. After that, the essential one-year subscription to RobertParker.com can be continued at the usual membership fee with access to an unparalleled database of more than 450,000 wine tasting notes, ratings and in-depth reports from expert reviewers around-the-world, as well as priority booking for Matter of Taste (a premier fine-wine tasting event) and more.

 

For more information visit: https://www.robertparker.com/wine-discoveries/2020

 

ANNEX: Robert Parker Wine Advocate Top 100 Wine Discoveries List

Country	Region	Wine Name	Vintage
Argentina	Patagonia	Chacra Chardonnay	2018
Australia	Clare Valley	Koerner Gullyview Vineyard Pigato Vermentino	2019
Australia	Margaret River	Evoi Reserve Chardonnay	2018
Australia	McLaren Vale	D’Arenberg The Anthropocene Epoch Mencia	2018
Australia	Swan Valley	Corymbia Chenin Blanc	2019
Australia	Swan Valley	Faber Vineyard Grand Muscat	NV
Austria	Kamptal	Weingut Bründlmayer Riesling Zöbinger Ried Heiligenstein Alte Reben 1ÖTW	2018
Austria	Südsteiermark	Tement Ried Zieregg Sauvignon Blanc Reserve IZ	2015
Austria	Wachau	Prager Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Wachstum Bodenstein	2018
Canada	British Columbia	CheckMate Queen’s Advantage Chardonnay	2016
Chile	Limari Valley	Tabalí Talinay Pai Pinot Noir	2018
Chile	Malleco Valley	Baettig Selección de Parcelas Los Primos Chardonnay	2018
China	Hebei	Domaine Franco Chinois Petit Manseng	2014
China	Shandong	Chateau Nine Peaks Qi Chardonnay	2018
Cyprus	Cyprus	Vouni Panayia Woman in the Wine Press	2017
France	Alsace	Valentin Zusslin Pinot Noir Bollenberg Luft	2016
France	Beaujolais	Jean-Marc Burgaud Beaujolais-Villages Les Vignes de Lantignié	2019
France	Bordeaux	Chateau Asphodele	2019
France	Bordeaux, Lalande de Pomerol	Les Champs Libres	2017
France	Bordeaux, Margaux	Chateau Palmer	2017
France	Bordeaux, Pessac-Leognan	Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion	2017
France	Bordeaux, Pomerol	Chateau Séraphine	2017
France	Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion	Chateau La Gaffeliere	2017
France	Burgundy	Domaine Dureuil-Janthial Rully 1er Cru Meix Cadot Vieilles Vignes	2018
France	Burgundy	Domaine Jean-Marc Vincent Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravières	2018
France	Burgundy	Domaine Bruno Lorenzon Mercurey 1er Cru Clos de Champs Martin Cuvée Carline	2018
France	Burgundy	Domaine Lamy-Caillat Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets	2017
France	Burgundy	Aurélien Verdet Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Le Prieuré	2018
France	Champagne	Champagne Roses de Jeanne (Cédric Bouchard) Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine	2017
France	Languedoc	Chateau Montfin Corbières Vincent Sans Sulfites Ajoutés	2018
France	Northern Rhone	Stephane Rousset Crozes Hermitage Marsanne Vieilles Vignes	2017
France	Northern Rhone	Benjamin et David Duclaux Cote Rotie Unnamed Cuvée	2018
France	Roussillon	Oiseau Rebelle Vin de France P’tit Rebelle ClanGrenGris	2017
France	Southern Rhone	Domaine Isabel Ferrando Chateauneuf du Pape F601	2018
France	Vouvray	Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Sec	2019
Germany	Franken	Weingut Rudolf Fürst Spätburgunder Hundsrück GG	2018
Germany	Mosel	Markus Molitor Riesling Erdener Prälat Auslese *** (White Capsule)	2018
Germany	Mosel	Jakob Tennstedt Waldportier	2018
Germany	Mosel	Max Ferd. Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett	2019
Germany	Rheingau	Peter Jakob Kühn Riesling Trocken Landgeflecht Unikat	2015
Germany	Rheingau	Robert Weil Riesling Monte Vacano	2018
Germany	Rheinhessen	Weingut Saalwächter Silvaner Grauer Stein	2018
Greece	Evia	Vriniotis Assyrtiko Sur Lie	2018
Greece	Santorini	Karamolegos Winery Papas	2016
Greece	Drama	Oenops XinomavRaw	2018
Italy	Alto Adige Valle Isarco	Köfererhof Kerner	2018
Italy	Barolo	Arnaldo Rivera Barolo Undicicomuni	2016
Italy	Campania, Roccamonfina	I Cacciagalli Phos	2017
Italy	Colli Tortonesi	Vigne Marina Coppi Colli Tortonesi Timorasso Fausto	2016
Italy	Etna	Tenute Bosco Etna Rosso Pre-phylloxera Vico	2016
Italy	Etna	Tasca d’Almerita Etna Rosso Contrada Sciaranuova V.V.	2016
Italy	Greco di Tufo	Tenute Capaldo Greco di Tufo Goleto	2017
Italy	Langhe Nebbiolo	G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo Claré J.C.	2019
Italy	Sicily, Terre Siciliane	Tenuta di Castellaro Nero Ossidiana	2016
Italy	Toscana	Duemani G. Punto	2018
Italy	Toscana	Castello dei Rampolla Liù	2018
Italy	Valdaro di Sopra, Tuscany	Petrolo Val d’Arno di Sopra Bòggina C	2018
Lebanon	Lebanon	Ixsir EL	2011
New Zealand	Canterbury	Greystone Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir	2017
New Zealand	Hawke’s Bay	Tony Bish Heartwood Chardonnay	2018
Portugal	Bairrada	Filipa Pato Nossa Missão	2016
Portugal	Douro	Márcio Lopes Proibido Grande Reserva	2017
Portugal	Porto	Kopke White Colheita Port	1940
South Africa	65% Franschhoek  &  35% Robertson	Colmant Absolu	NV
South Africa	Bot River	Beaumont Family Wines New Baby	2017
South Africa	Stellenbosch	Natte Valleij Stellenbosch Cinsault	2017
South Africa	Tulbagh	Pasarene Union	2016
Spain	Bierzo	Michelini i Mufatto Post-Crucifixión	2018
Spain	Bierzo	Verónica Ortega VO Cobrana	2018
Spain	Canary Islands	Victoria Torres Pecis Viñas y Vinos Malvasía Aromática Naturalmente Dulce	2017
Spain	Galicia	Fedellos do Couto Bastarda	2018
Spain	Gredos	Soto y Manrique La Mira	2018
Spain	Jerez	Bodegas San Francisco Javier Fino Viña Corrales Pago Balbaína	NV
Spain	Jumilla	Micrit Caliza Micrit	2018
Spain	Manchuela	Ponce Red	2018
Spain	Navarra	Viña Zorzal Wines Punto de Fuga Corral del Mate	2018
Spain	Rias Baixas	Eulogio Pomares Castiñeiro Espadeiro	2018
Spain	Ribera del Duero	Hacienda Solano Finca Peña Lobera	2016
Spain	Valencia	Javi Revert Viticultor Simeta	2018
Switzerland	Valais	Marie-Thérèse Chappaz Grain Arvine de Fully	2018
USA	California	Desperada Sauvignon Blanc Fragment	2018
USA	California, Central Coast	Fingers Crossed Syrah Off the Record	2018
USA	Napa Valley	Hertelendy Cabernet Franc Heavy Metal	2018
USA	Napa Valley	Modus Operandi Antithesis	2018
USA	Napa Valley	Trois Noix Noisette Cuvee	2018
USA	Napa Valley	Cervantes Blacktail Proprietary Red Blend MMXVII	2017
USA	North Fork, Long Island, New York	The Lenz Winery Cuvée RD	2005
USA	Paso Robles	Benom Origin	2017
USA	Paso Robles	Giornata Fiano	2019
USA	Red Mountain	Aquilini Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain	2017
USA	San Luis Obispo County, Edna Valley	Lady of the Sunshine Chevey	2019
USA	Santa Cruz Mountains	Sante Arcangeli Pinot Noir Split Rail Vineyard	2018
USA	Sonoma County, Russian River Valley	Bob Cabral Wines Pinot Noir Troubadour	2017
USA	Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast	Vivier Wines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast	2018
USA	Virginia	Glen Manor Dry Petit Manseng	2019
USA	Walla Walla Valley	Elephant Seven Yellowbird Vineyard Syrah	2017
USA	Walla Walla Valley	Echolands Winery Seven Hills Vineyard Red Wine	2018
USA	Willamette Valley	00 Wines Chardonnay VGW	2018
USA	Willamette Valley	Hundred Suns Pinot Noir Bednarik Vineyard	2018
USA	Yakima	Cairdeas Winery Caislén an Pápa	2017

 

About Robert Parker Wine Advocate

For more than 40 years, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, and later RobertParker.com, has been the global leader and independent consumer’s guide to fine wine. The brand was established by world-famous Robert M. Parker, Jr., the only critic in any field to receive the highest Presidential honor from three countries–France, Italy and Spain. Robert Parker Wine Advocate provides a wealth of information to its subscribers, including a searchable database of more than 400,000 professional wine ratings and reviews plus articles, videos, daily news content, online retail availability and pricing, an active, professionally moderated bulletin board, a mobile app for easy access to the comprehensive online database of reviews, and much more.

 

In 2016, Robert Parker Wine Advocate partnered with Michelin to launch MICHELIN Guides in Singapore and other Asian markets. It provides full support in the form of a digital platform, a series of exclusive dining events and editorial support to increase the footprint of MICHELIN Guides in Asia. In 2019, Robert Parker Wine Advocate became fully owned by the Michelin Group joining the four pillars of the “Michelin Experiences” centered around food & beverage, hotels, travel and mobility.

 

For more information, visit www.RobertParker.com.