This week, Wine Spectator gradually revealed its top ten wines of the year, cumulating in the announcement of the top wine today. This is part of its annual Top 100 list.
Wine Spectator commented that “while this year’s list marks a return to blue-chip wines from classic regions around the globe, it is also augmented by an exciting group of up-and-coming stars”. It added that “more than half of the wines are appearing in the Top 100 for the first time”.
Sassicaia 2015 – Wine of the year
Wine Spectator said that “the Sassicaia story might never have been written at all if it weren’t for the personalities involved”. It added that as a result, “Sassicaia has taken its rightful place in the pantheon of the world’s great wines and, spotlighted by the success of the 2015 vintage, it earns the honour of being named Wine Spectator Wine of the Year”.
Bruce Sanderson, who covers Tuscany for Wine Spectator, described the wine as “dense yet lively, structured yet impeccably balanced” and awarded a score of 97 points.
Since the announcement, Sassicaia 2015 has seen a flurry of trade on Liv-ex, as the chart below shows. It last traded for £1,700 per 12×75, a 25% increase on its Market Price this morning (£1,350 per 12×75).
Canon Gaffeliere 2015, which ranked in second place, saw similar activity. Following the announcement, its price moved from £650 to £870 overnight.
Wine Spectator’s top 10 wines of 2018 can be found in the table above. You can find more information on each wine at WineSpectator.com. The full list will be published later this week.
Methodology
Wine Spectator said that the wines selected “stood out for their combination of four criteria: quality (based on score), value (price), availability (number of cases either made or imported into the U.S.) and, most important, a compelling story behind the wine, what we call the ‘X-factor’”.
It added, “though the wines’ scores and prices vary, the overall average is 93 points and $50”.
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