On November 18, 2021, James Suckling (JS) and his team released the 2021 Top 100 Wines list. The 100 wines selected on this year's JS Top 100 list are selected from 25,000 wines that JS and its team have tasted over the past 12 months, surpassing previous vintages. In 2021, JS and its team have two main criteria for selecting the top 100 wines: one is the quality of the wine, so no wine this year has a score of less than 98 points, and the full score of the list is as many as 25 wines; the second is the production of wines, and the output of each selected wine must reach at least 4,000 bottles.
The top spot on the 2021 JS 100 list was won by a Chardonnay white wine from New Zealand, which is also the first time that white wine has become JS's "Wine of the Year". Next, let's take a look at which wines have been selected for this year's JS 100 list.
Image source: www.jamessuckling.com
First, let's take a look at the top 10 wines in JS's 2021 Wine List:
10th place: Chateau Trotanoy, Pomerol, France 2018
Rating: 100 points
Wine Review: The 2018 Château d'Oron Red wines are made from 100% Merlot and are imbued with intense aromas of dried blueberries, black plums, walnuts, myrrh (a chinese medicine) and sandalwood, with hints of lavender, violet and chocolate. Although this wine is fruity and has a woody aroma, it is full of freshness. Its full body, super tight and delicate tannins, rich dark spices and ripe fruit flavors intertwine to give the wine a complex and fragrant character. The long, powerful, incredible depth and intensity of the wine reminds me of the illustrious 2009 vintage, but the structure is stronger and the overall performance is better. This is a surprising wine that enters its drinking season from 2027.
Château Zhuolong Red Wines (Image: www.moueix.com)
Ninth place: Dominus, Napa Valley, USA 2018
Wine Review: The 2018 Dominas Winery Red wines present an incredible aroma, with notes of hot stone, blackcurrants, iodine and wet earth. The wine is full-bodied, with a firm mid-palate, followed by a smooth tannin that permeates the entire mouth in a harmonious tone. This wine is incredible, a magical wine and one of the iconic wines of the vintage. This wine can be drunk now, and it is worth leaving a bottle to continue to age and wait for it to bloom more charm.
Dominus Château Red Wines (Image: www.dominusestate.com)
8th prize: Dal Forno Romano Monte Lodoletta Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, Veneto, Italy, 2015
Wine Review: This deep color, like asphalt in a glass bottle, is extremely rich, with rich aromas of plum, date palm and gooseberry, with a faint tarmac, but more interestingly, it shows more complex flavors such as bitter orange liqueur, Italian aged black vinegar, fresh roasted vanilla, cinnamon, roasted chestnut, black tea and licorice. The longer the wine is decanted in advance, the more subtle the flavor of the wine becomes. The wine is full of wine, the flavor is highly condensed, and the abundant and chewy tannins make the fruity taste in the wine appear more restrained. The wine needs enough time to age in the bottle. That's great! This is one of the most exquisite Davono styles ever made.
7th prize: Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, France, 2008
Wine Review: This is a perfect white champagne with a full body, lively acidity and dried fruit flavors such as apple, pear and peach. The flavours are rich and condensed, the palate is strong, the structure is balanced and harmonious, and the aftertaste is accompanied by a wonderful hint of acidity. This wine continues the winery's consistent tonality, with outstanding quality, deep style and complete structure. This is the most exquisite Piaget Champagne ever made, perfect for cellaring. This wine is a perfect upgrade since the quality of the winery changed two years ago. It can be drunk now, but it is also suitable for continuing to treasure.
Earl Tae Ting Zhe white champagne in white (Image source: www.taittinger.com)
6th Place: Continuum Estate Sage Mountain Vineyard, Napa Valley, USA, 2018
Wine Review: The 2018 Continuation Winery's Holy Mountain Vineyard Red Wines are blended from organically grown grapes with a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot. The flavours of this wine are subtle and delicate, and the palate is strong and incredible. The wine is infused, the body is full, the abundant and soft tannins spread in the mouth, and a large number of blackberry, blackcurrant and pencil refill flavors sweep the taste buds, interspersed with the scent of silky conifers and pine needles, and finally the flavor of sage is revealed. The wine is rich in flavor and pure in style, and with continuous contact with the air, the wine will gradually bloom with different levels of aroma and flavor, which is extremely complex, and its long-lasting aftertaste can give people a wonderful feeling for several minutes. This wine is ready to drink now, but will taste better after aging.
5th Place: Aubert Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, Napa Valley, USA 2019
Wine Review: With aromas of fresh hay, Chinese lemon, roasted green apple and dried herbs, this wine is full-bodied, showing an incredibly delicate feeling, smooth and delicate, and it may be a bit of an understatement to describe this wine subtly, because it shows multiple flavors, and the scents of fennel seeds, dried lilies, honeysuckle, roasted almonds and sage bloom quietly in the mouth. The wine can be drunk now or continue to age.
Aubert Winery Candy House Garden Chardonnay White Wine (Image: www.aubertwines.com)
4th Place: Mount Mary Vineyard Quintet, Yarra Valley, Australia 2019
Wine Review: This is an excellent quintet wine and, in fact, one of the best quintet wines. Combining elegance, strength and roundness, this wine showcases the standards of top Bordeaux wines from top vintages. The fruity aromas of blueberry, blackcurrant and mulberry are intertwined with the botanical characteristics of cedar, cabennet varieties, violet and forest trees, and are accented with spices from silky oak. The entrance is delicate, with extremely fine tannins intertwined with the flavors of pure blueberries, red currants and blackcurrants. The palate is concentrated and has excellent balance, and the wonderful acidity makes the aftertaste fresher and more vibrant. Elegant and without losing its solid personality, this wine is one of the finest wines in the Yarra Valley. It's delicious to drink now, but it's better to drink it between 2027 and 2037.
Mount Mary Winery Quintet Red Wine (Image: www.mountmary.com)
3rd place: Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe, Germany, 2020
Wine Review: This outstanding dry Riesling wine has excelled from the start, as it not only boasts excellent maturity, but also combines all the elements to be immediately fascinating. The liquor exudes an intoxicating peach flavor that reveals a great sense of balance, and the aftertaste is accompanied by a hint of saltiness that is fascinating. Wine grapes come from organically grown vineyards that have earned Fair'n Green certification. The wine can be drunk now or continue to age.
Duhov Winery NiederhauserMannso Pontines (Image: www.doennhoff.com)
2nd place: Barone Ricasoli Ceniprimo Gran Selezione Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany, Italy, 2018
Wine Review: This is probably one of the best Chianti Classico red wines I've tasted, and it's a pleasant surprise. Its aroma is very complex, with the smell of broken cherries, sour cherries, peaches and bark, as well as a hint of meat, and the aftertaste is very rich and wonderful, which is incredible. It is now drinkable, but it is more suitable for aging for a period of time, and it is better to drink it after 2024.
Rikasso Winery Seney Primo Classic Chianti Grand Select Red Wines (Image: www.ricasoli.com)
1st Prize: Kumeu River Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay, Kumeu, New Zealand, 2020
Chardonnay White Wines at The Court of Coume (Image: kumeuriver.co.nz)
Reviews: This wine has an impressive amount of power and sophistication, showing a great sense of balance. The aromas of lemon and peach are intertwined with the hints of spices from brioche pastries and oak, and the mouth is also filled with lemon and peach flavors, which are firm and long-lasting, and the aftertaste is full of nutty notes. This is the perfect Chardonnay wine that will be enjoyed for the next decade or more.
Next, let's take a look at the complete list of JS's top 100 wines in 2021:
The above is the entire list of JS Top 100 Wines in 2021, how about, is there a wine you like on the list?