The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is the white wine of the vintage, hands down. Creamy and layered, the 2021 offers all the qualities that make whites off this site so compelling, Nothing is out of place. It's aromatic yet deep, fresh yet layered. Utterly mind-bending right out of the gate, this superb white hits all the right notes. Slate, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper linger. Magnifique!

98 points – Antonio Galloni, December 2023

A View from Antinori's Tignanello Vineyard, San Casciano Val di Pesa

#8: 2021 Marchesi Antinori Tignanello

$159, Tuscany, Italy

AG: “Antinori turned out a dazzling collection of 2021s under the leadership of CEO Renzo Cotarella and technical directors Dora Pacciani and Sara Pontremolesi. Tignanello, long a flagship here, takes its place as one of the top wines of the year because of its quality and production of around 350,000 bottles, a remarkable achievement for a wine made from 100% estate fruit. Readers will also want to check out the other 2021s, in particular Solaia and the three new Chianti Classico Gran Seleziones; San Sano, Buiano and Cigliano.”

The 2021 Tignanello is every bit as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel and then just after bottling. Silky and polished, with exceptional finesse, the 2021 has all the pedigree to become a modern benchmark for Tignanello and Italian wine more broadly. Bright dark red fruit, blood orange, spice, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco all soar out of the gals, framed by a discreet touch of French oak that adds raciness. In some vintages, the elements are discernible. In 2021, it is the total harmony of the wine that makes the strongest and deepest impression. The 2021 spent 17 months in wood, three months in neutral oak during the malolactic fermentation and then 14 months (50% new) for the rest of its aging. Superb.

98 points – Antonio Galloni, June 2024

The Dominio de Pingus barrel room, set up in a Burgundian style

#7: 2021 Dominio de Pingus PSI

$30, Ribera del Duero, Spain

JH: “This is an incomparable value in the world of Spanish wine from an uncompromising producer. An absolute must-have.”

The 2021 PSI is 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha sourced from old vines planted in calcareous soils and was aged for up to 16 months in mostly sizeable French oak barrels. In the glass, it’s garnet-red with a light purple sheen. The nose offers blood notes along with sour cherry and blackberry, intertwined with violets and dried flowers, resulting in a layered, complex profile. On the palate, it’s dry and velvety. Chalky tannins define a compact mouthfeel and long-lasting fruit and floral flavors. The 2021 is a distinctive Ribera del Duero with excellent nuance and agility.

96 points – Joaquín Hidalgo, September 2023

Cheval des Andes started as a joint venture between Château Cheval Blanc and Terrazas de Los Andes in 1999

#6: 2021 Cheval des Andes

$80, Mendoza, Argentina

JH: “This wine is at its best after almost 20 vintages, finally flying at the height that the team at Cheval Blanc has always dreamed of.”

A blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon from Altamira, 48% Malbec from Altamira and Las Compuertas and 3% Petit Verdot from Las Compuertas, the 2021 Cheval des Andes showcases a blend in peak form, both in terms of varieties and origins, all from Mendoza. In many ways, 2021 was a Bordeaux-like year for a region as dry and sunny as Mendoza. The wine reflects this, offering delicate cherry and blackberry fruit along with a touch of wild herbs, layered with hints of ash and orange petit fours. Dry, with fine-grained, lightly reactive tannins, the palate is juicy and enveloping. Though leaner than in previous years, it remains equally refined. Long and nuanced, this is such an elegant wine.

98 points – Joaquín Hidalgo, November 2024