Top 10 Wines of 2015 Unveiled at WineSpectator.com
New York, NY (November 13, 2015) – Wine Spectator, the world’s leading authority on wine, today announced Peter Michael Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Au Paradis 2012 as the 2015 Wine of the Year. The Top 10 Wines are now featured on www.top100.winespectator.com, with the full Top 100 list to be revealed on Monday, November 16.
The Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville’s Au Paradis vineyard is Sir Peter Michael’s newest offering, and his first from Napa Valley. The British-born, self-made tech tycoon has already established his winery as a benchmark in Sonoma County for his Bordeaux blend Les Pavots, along with stellar Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. He purchased the Au Paradis vineyard in 2009 and now takes his place in the top rank of Napa Valley producers.
Following Peter Michael Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Au Paradis 2012 (96 points, $195, 1,785 cases made), Wine Spectator’s Top 10 Wines of 2015 are:
- Quilceda Creek | Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2012 | 96 points | $140 | 4,125 cases made | Columbia Valley, Washington
- Evening Land | Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Seven Springs Vineyard La Source 2012 | 98 points | $70 | 1,176 cases made | Willamette Valley, Oregon
- Il Poggione | Brunello di Montalcino 2010 | 95 points | $85 | 18,000 cases made | Tuscany, Italy
- Mount Eden Vineyards | Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains 2012 | 95 points | $60 | 1,986 cases made | Santa Cruz Mountains, California
- Bodegas Aalto | Ribera del Duero 2012 | 94 points | $54 | 2,400 cases imported | Ribera del Duero, Spain
- Escarpment | Pinot Noir Martinborough Kupe Single Vineyard 2013 | 95 points | $69 | 500 cases imported | Martinborough, New Zealand
- Masi | Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Serègo Alighieri Vaio Armaron 2008 | 95 points | $85| 3,750 cases made | Veneto, Italy
- Clos Fourtet | St.-Emilion 2012 | 94 points | $72 | 3,500 cases made | Bordeaux, France
- Klein Constantia | Vin de Constance 2009 | 95 points | $80/500ML | 2,500 cases made | Constantia, South Africa
These bottles were selected from a pool of more than 18,000 wines by Wine Spectator editors in the magazine’s independent blind tastings. Selections are based on four criteria: quality (represented by score), value (reflected by release price), availability (based on the number of cases made or imported into the U.S.) and what Wine Spectator calls the “X-factor”—or, in other words, the excitement generated by the wine.
“Each and every one of the wineries featured in the Top 10—and in the entire Top 100—found a way to stand out among thousands of diverse, high-quality selections, and that, in itself, is an extraordinary accomplishment,” said Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator. “We congratulate Sir Peter Michael on this achievement. His contributions to California’s wine industry have already earned him Wine Spectator’s Distinguished Service Award, in 2014. This is another feather in his cap.”
For additional details on the Top 100 Wines, please visit www.top100.winespectator.com. Exclusive videos are also available on the site—providing visitors with a peek inside the blind tastings and what goes on behind closed doors as the editors make their selections.
The full list can also be found in Wine Spectator’s special Top 100 issue, on newsstands on Dec. 1.
About Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator is the world’s leading authority on wine. Anchored by Wine Spectator magazine, a print publication that reaches more than 3 million readers worldwide, the brand also encompasses the Web’s most comprehensive wine site (WineSpectator.com), mobile platforms, and a series of signature events. Wine Spectator examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine’s role in contemporary culture and delivering expert reviews of more than 18,000 wines each year. Parent company M. Shanken Communications also publishes Cigar Aficionado, Whisky Advocate, Market Watch, Shanken News Daily and Shanken’s Impact Newsletter.
