Bloomberg columnist sampled over 2,000 different wines across 21 countries last year. At the end of 2022, she’s managed to narrow down her top ten wines from $35 to $35,000.
Elin McCoy’s picks are a mix of old and new, from both well-known locations and hidden jewels. In an Instagram post, Bloomberg shares: “Her 10 highlights range from the old to the new, the familiar to the esoteric, the classic to the experimental. They include a bargain Armenian bubbly made from a local red grape, a historic Bordeaux made while World War II raged, a surprising white from an under-the-radar wine country, and the world’s ultimate red Burgundy.”
Here are the reds, whites, rosés, and bubblies that made the cut.
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2017 Keush Ultra Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature ($35)
On the lower end of the price spectrum, this bubbly is made from Armenian grapes.
McCoy says “I was impressed from the first sip,” adding that “Good bubbly now comes from even the planet’s most surprising spots.”
2016 Tasca d’Almerita Regaleali Rosso del Conte ($70)
A historic Sicilian red, McCoy describes this bottle as having “Flavors of crushed tart cherries and hints of mint and spice.”
2005 Tyrrell’s Winemaker’s Selection Vat 1 Semillon ($98, for 2006)
“Bursting with smoke and honey aromas and deep, rich, spreading flavors,” McCoy says of the no longer available 2005 bottle.
As an alternative, the 2006 edition of the Australian wine is sold for just under $100.
2018 Donatsch Completer 2018 ($115)
McCoy describes this Swiss white wine as “Lush and full-bodied, with pure rich citrusy fruit, it had many of the same qualities as a white Burgundy.”
2018 Il Caggio Ipsus Chianti Classico Gran Selezione ($350)
Tasting this wine over dinner with her son and daughter-in-law, McCoy says that it is an “Ambitious, pomegranate-scented, smooth and silky Chianti, one of the most exciting new wines to come out of Italy in the past decade.”
1967 Bertani Amarone ($375)
This over 50 year old Italian wine is described as deep and powerful, with “intense flavors of orange peel, dried figs and gingerbread hints.”
1996 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Cabernet ($485)
This wine is McCoy’s top pick for California cabernets. Her current favorite drink has a “perfect balance, scents of cedar, cigars, truffles and spice, and gorgeous deep-berry core of flavor.”
2004 Dom Perignon P2 Plenitude Brut ($500)
This Dom Perignon aged bubbly has a “Wonderful complexity and a rich combo of mandarin orange fruit notes and smoky minerals.”
1944 Chateau le Puy Emilien ($14,244)
Following a large leap in price point, the Le Puy vintage is described as “Deep flavored and lush, with the flavors of pure sweet fruit and the sensual texture of a Burgundy.”
The historic wine was notably made by the winemaker’s wife, who kept the business going while her husband was away at war.
2019 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanée-Conti ($35,000)
Finally, the most luxurious bottle in this list is “Everything a red Burgundy should be—and more: Vivid and fresh, it brims with aromas of faded roses, seductive complex flavors and unusual power and density.”
It may just be the best glass of red wine you could ever have.
Banner photo by Pixabay.
