The best wines from France

France is traditionally seen as the country producing the best wines in the world. Although more and more wines are produced outside of France that can easily measure up to the French top wines, France is still regarded as the absolute authority when it comes to wine. The French wines and wine-making traditions are regarded as the benchmark, as can be seen from American wines being classified as Bordeaux, Bourgogne, or Rhone-style wine.

To provide a little more insight into the best wines from France, we should divide them into their separate regions.
The Most important regions for top wines from France are:

In this region, some of the best wines in the world are being produced. The Bordeaux knows many different terroirs, which is why this region is further divided into different appellations. Click here for an overview of all Bordeaux wines.

•   Bordeaux, Pauillac. This appellation is responsible for the most top wines from Bordeaux. You can find 1er Cru wines like Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Latour. Click here for a complete list of the best Pauillac wines.

•   Bordeaux St. Estèphe. One of the top appellations from the left bank with wineries such as Chateau Montrose and Chateau Cos d'Estournel. Click here for a complete list of the best St. Estèphe wines.

•   Bordeaux, Margaux. Known for its typical terroir, this appellation can boast Chateaus like Chateau Palmer and the 1er Cru Chateau Margaux. Click here for a complete list of the best Margaux wines.

•   Bordeaux Graves. The most southern appellation where you can find top red wines from Bordeaux. Here you can find the 1er Cru Chateau Haut Brion. Click here for a complete list of the best Graves wines.

•   Bordeaux, St. Émilion. One of the best appellations from the right bank. Here wines are produced like Chateau Cheval Blanc, Chateau Angelus and Chateau Pavie. Click here for a complete list of the best St. Émilion wines.

•   Bordeaux, Pomerol. This might be the most famous appellation from Bordeaux, especially since here you find the legendary winery Petrus. Also Chateau Le Pin and Chateau Lafleur are situated in Pomerol. Click here for a complete list of the best Pomerol wines.

•   Bordeaux, Sauternes. Aside from red wine, the Bordeaux is also known for its dessert wines from Sauternes. These wines are counted among some of the best in the world. In Sauternes you can find Chateau Rieussec, as well as the absolute number one, Chateau d'Yquem 1er Grand Cru Supérieure. Click here for a complete list of the best Sauternes wines.

Next to Bordeaux this is the second French Region from which many of the best wines in the world originate. Bourgogne is roughly divided into five different larger appellations, but the best wines are made in the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Chablis. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Bourgogne.

•   Bourgogne, Côte de Nuits. Here you can find the absolute best red wines from Bourgogne. In Côte de Nuits you can find smaller appellations like Le Musigny, Chambertin, Richebourg and Échezeaux, but also the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Côte de Nuits.

•   Bourgogne, Côte de Beaune. This is the southern part of the Côte d'Or where the wineries mainly focus on producing white wines. Here you can find the Meursault, Corton-Charlemagne and Le Montrachet, some of the best white wines in the world. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Cote de Beaune.

•   Bourgogne Chablis. The calcareous soil of Chablis offers the perfect terroir for white wines. Some of the best domaines in Chablis are Domaine Raveneau, Vincent Dauvissat and Domaine Laroche. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Chablis.

A unique region in France, and the standard when it comes to making sparkling wine. The Champagne, and its Méthode Traditionelle (formerly known as Méthode Champenoise) have become the benchmark for all high-quality sparkling wines from all over the world. Some of the best champagnes are Krug, Dom Perignon, Armand de Brignac and Jacques Selosse. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Champagne.

In the Rhône region, you'll also find wines that belong to the top of the world. Rhône is commonly reviewed as the best expression of Syrah wines, but is also known for the production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Some of the best producers in Rhône are E. Guigal, M. Chapoutier, Chateau de Beaucastel and Paul Jaboulet-Aîné. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Rhône.

Naturally the list as shown above is not comprehensive, as there are numerous other French regions where famous and extremely high-quality wines are made. For example the Loire, Provence and Alsace.

The best wines from Italy

The viticulture in Italy is even older than that in France. Italian wineries can therefore rely on thousands of years of experience and tradition. Many of the best wines in the world come from Italy, as well as some world famous producers. Which wine aficionado for example hasn't heard of the wines from Gaja, Ornellaia, Sassicaia, Biondi Santi, or Solaia, just to name a few.

In Italy they use different grape varieties than in, for example, France. Nebbiolo and Sangiovese are two of the most commonly known (and used) red grape varieties from Italy, but also lesser known native grapes are used, for example for the production of Amarone. Mainly because of the use of these native grape varieties, Italian wines have their own typical character and style.
One very important exception to the use of these native varieties and traditions can be found in Tuscany. This is the region where the "Super Tuscans" are found. In Tuscany, the use of typical Bordeaux varieties has proven to be very successful and even more different grapes are planted with amazing wines as a result. You can think about 100% Merlot wines, such as Masseto, or Le Macchiole Messorio, but also typical Bordeaux blends, as with Sassicaia.

Click here for a complete list of the best Italian wines.

The top wines from the two leading regions can be found below.

•   Toscane. This region is known for the production of Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, and of course the illustrious "Super Tuscans". Click here for a complete list of the best Tuscan wines.

•   Piemonte. This region in the north of Italy is mainly known for the production of Barolo and Barbaresco. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Piemonte.

The top wines from Italy certainly aren't restricted to solely these two regions. In other regions, like Veneto, you can also find some of the finest Italian wines. Take for example Quintarelli from the DOC Valpolicella, or Valentini from Abruzzo.

The best wines from Spain

Though Spain is slightly lesser known for its wine production than France or Italy, this country can certainly be counted in with the top wine producing countries in the world. The most famous region you can find here is probably Rioja; here, some of the most famous high-quality wines are produced. Aside from this very popular region, the wines from Ribera del Duero too are commonly regarded as excellent.
For the production of the best wines, Spanish wineries usually use the Tempranillo grape, often combined with small quantities of Grenacha or Cabernet Sauvignon.

For a complete list of the best Spanish wines, you can click here.

The two main regions where you can find top wines in Spain are:

•   Rioja. The most famous region for excellent wines you find in Spain. Here you encounter wineries such as Artadi, La Rioja Alta and Marques de Riscal. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Rioja.

•   Ribera del Duero. The extreme climate in this region results in some of the absolute top wines in Spain. With absolute top wines, you can think of the pride of Spanish wines: Vega Sicilia and Pingus. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Ribera del Duero.

In other regions you can also find some of the finest Spanish wines. For example Castilla y Léon and Priorat are known for their production of excellent wines as well.

The best wines from Germany and Austria

In the German speaking countries of Europe, wine is a big part of the culture too, and these wines certainly can't be ignored when talking about top wines. Though the majority of the wine production in the "old world" is focused on the production of red wines, some of the most beautiful white wines are produced in these countries. Between a full-bodied Gewürztraminer and a laser-point fresh Grüner Veltliner, these countries can offer some of the most beautiful white wines in the world.

Although the main focus is with the production of white wine, we are seeing a shift towards red wines more often over the past few years, especially in Germany. Partially because of higher annual temperatures, the quality of these "Spätburgunders" has increased significantly, making these German Pinot Noir wines on par with several Bourgogne wines.

Click here for a complete list of all wines from Germany and Austria.

•   Germany. German wines are mainly made of Riesling, with a small part also focused on the production of Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Top wines come from wineries such as Egon Muller, August Kesseler and Weingut Franz Keller. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Germany.

•   Austria. Here you will mainly find wines made of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling grapes. The top wineries are Hirtzberger, Nikolai Garagenwinzer and Knoll. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Austria.

Germany and Austria are not the only German-speaking countries that produce excellent wines. Also in Switzerland they know how to produce some excellent wines. One of the best known wines is the Gantenbein Pinot Noir.

The best wines from the United States

Wines from the United States are from the category New World Wines. This term refers to wines that are made outside of Europe (Old World) or the Middle-East (Ancient World). These countries are less – or in some cases not at all – restricted by traditions and regulations, and have more possibilities to try different methods to create the perfect wine. You can say that the wines are "technical" in their making, rather than being completely dependent of the climate and soil – which is the case with most wines from Europe. Still we see that the top of the wines made in the United States do take these factors in account to ensure the grapes reach perfection.

Because American winemakers don't have the strict traditions, or regional regulations to take into account, they can employ many means to optimize their wines. Not only does this result in surprising blends, but it also leads to a great variety of wine styles. In Napa, one of the best known areas, and responsible for some of the absolute best wines from the USA, the wines are mainly produced in a Bordeaux style. In Sonoma, directly west to Napa, the Bourgogne style is the common wine, and throughout the whole region several wineries are working with Shiraz and Grenache, making a more Rhône-style wine.

Click here for a complete list of the best wines from the United States.

By far the majority of top wines from the United States are produced in California. The very best regions are:

•   Napa. A diverse region, responsible for some of the best wines in the world. You can find wineries like Screaming Eagle, Sine Qua Non and Dominus. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Napa.

•   Sonoma. This region, west to Napa, has some of the best Bourgogne style wines you find in America. You can think of wines like Kistler, Aubert, but also Verité can be found in Sonoma. Click here for a complete list of the best wines from Sonoma.

Although the most of America's top wines are produced in California, there certainly are several amazing wineries in for example Washington or Oregon.

The best wines from Australia

Australia also makes typical New World wines. The Australian wines are predominantly made from Shiraz, a derivative from the French Syrah grape, but also the popular Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are frequently used in the Australian wines.

Since the late 1800s, the Australian wines have gained a position in the spotlights. When entered into several blind tastings, the European wine world reacted with disbelief and astonishment to the sheer quality of these wines. This quality was thought to only be accomplished by French wines, and one wine was even disqualified on suspicion of provenance fraud. The most famous, and probably also best wine from Australia is the Penfolds. This wine can compete with the absolute top from France, and is highly regarded by wine lovers from over the world.

Penfolds is certainly not the only producer who makes excellent wines in Australia. Also wineries like Cloudburst and Kaesler are known for producing wines of exceptional quality.
Click here for a complete list of the best Australian wines.

Top wines from other emerging countries

In other countries the prominence of top wines is on the rise as well. Where Chile and Argentina mainly produced easily drinkable Merlot and Chardonnay wines, there is an increase of high quality wines from carefully selected vineyards. It has also become common practice for some of the established wineries from the Old World, to start collaborations with these New World wineries, resulting in marvellous wines in a nearly French style, such as Baron Philippe de Rothschild from Lafite, creating the Chilean Le Dix de Los Vascos.

Aside from Chile and Argentina, we also see a growth in top wines from other countries like South Africa, Lebanon and Israel.

•   Chile. With top wines from Viña Sena, Viñedo Chadwick and Almaviva. Click here for a complete list with the best Chilean wines.

•   Argentina. With top wines from Catena, Cheval des Andes and Zuccardi. Click here for a complete list with the best Argentinean wines.

•   Lebanon & Israel. With top wines from Chateau Musar and Yarden. Click here for a complete list with the best Lebanese and Israelean wines.

•   South Africa. With top wines from Kanonkop, Klein Constantia and Mullineux. Click here for a complete list with the best South African wines.

Tasting notes and scoring of the wines

The question what the best wines in the world actually are, is of course subject to personal opinion. While one thinks that the absolute top wines are from Bordeaux, the other thinks that an Argentinean Malbec is the best there is.

To create some form of objectivity, you can look at international wine critics, such as Robert Parker, James Suckling, Jancis Robinson, Rene Gabriel, Antonio Galliani and many others. These critics write reviews about the leading wines of that moment from all over the world and offer a verdict as impartial as possible, based on their own point system. On our website, we display all these reviews – if available – along with the information of the corresponding wine. It is an easy way to form a clear picture of the wine, and what to expect.

You can easily look for wines with the highest score in our system. The complete list with wines we have available can be found here.

Are the most expensive wines also the best wines?

Prices within the world of fine wine, can vary considerably. The main question will remain whether expensive wines automatically are the best. In most cases the answer to this question is a straightforward 'yes', but this is not always the case.

There are certain factors that determine the price of a wine, the first – and perhaps even the most important – is quality. When a wine is judged as an absolute top quality wine, the price naturally increases. Also if the vintage (the year the grapes were harvested) is better, and the wine receives higher points from international wine critics, the price is usually higher than that of lesser vintages.

TERROIR
Naturally, the best wines are those made under ideal conditions. This includes a perfect yield with enough space between the vines, for the grapes to have room to grow to their full potential, but also the right soil – or terroir. The terroir is extremely important in gaining the best possible grapes, and this means that ideal qualities of the soil are restricted to specific areas. Because a specific terroir is limited to one area, and the vines need space to grow, this automatically leads to a limited quantity, making the wines scarce.

Once the wine from a specific vineyard is so good that the whole world would like to try it, the demand exceeds the supply. The wine will become highly sought after, and rare. A great example can be given by comparing two top wines from Bordeaux: Chateau Petrus and Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Both wines are counted among the best in the world, and every wine lover would like to have tried both these wines at least once in his life. Mouton Rothschild produces approximately 200,000 bottles annually, while Petrus on the other hand has a much smaller parcel and only produces 25,000 bottles. Partly because of this, a bottle of Petrus is understandably many times more expensive than Chateau Mouton Rothschild.

You can imagine what happens to the price of a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti, with an average annual production of approximately only 6,000 bottles. Along with Petrus, this wine is commonly referred to as the best wine in the world. This wine does come with a price tag however, at an average of about €15,000 per bottle.

QUALITY
Aside from these scarce wines it is recommended to keep in mind that a wine is always better when it meets certain conditions.

•   Terroir. The soil decides the biggest part of the character of the wine. Wines coming from a specific vineyard generally are more complex and refined than when a wine is a blend from multiple appellations.

•   Vine density. A vineyard cannot be planted limitlessly. Every vine needs enough space to let the roots settle in the soil, and make sure the grapes can ripen to an optimal level.

•   Harvest. This needs to be done at exactly the correct moment, when the grapes have reached their perfect ripeness. Also a selection of only the best and ripest grapes contributes to the quality of the wine.

•   Ageing. Only a wine from the best selected fruit, that has undergone the necessary maturation will be nominated for the list of Top Wines. This maturation can happen in casks or bottles, but some wines need at least five years of maturing before they are considered good enough for release.

These conditions are not met without any costs. When reaching for optimal vine density, you will have a lower yield; when selecting only the best grapes you will have less fruit to produce the wine from; and if the wine needs to be aged for five years, you'll need to invest in cellaring as well. This automatically leads to the conclusion that the best wines indeed come with a higher price.

Price - performance

A final view on the best wines, is in what way the price of the wine relates to the quality. There are several different wines at several different prices, but what would be an easy way to gain insight into how these two factors relate to each other?

Luckily, our wine overview offers a terrific tool to make this relation more visible. For each wine you can see the price as well as the several different scores it received from wine critics.

Click here for a complete list view of all our wines.