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.

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

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.