Magazine Archives

The Top 100
Dec 31, 2012

The Top 100

The diversity of the Top 100 attests to the high quality of wines globally. While classic regions performed well, emerging regions such as Argentina, Greece, New Zealand and South Africa made their marks by offering fine quality for price.

FREE Wine Charts:

Champagne: A free chart offers an alphabetical list of all Champagne wines reviewed for the tasting report in this issue.

American sparkling: A free chart offers an alphabetical list of all American sparkling wines reviewed for the tasting report in this issue.

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Cover Stories

The Top 100

The Top 100

Our Annual Roundup Of the Year’s Most Exciting Wines
Dec 31, 2012
Wine of the Year

Wine of the Year

Shafer Vineyards Relentless Napa Valley 2008 96 points, $60, 3,300 cases made
Dec 31, 2012
Top 100 at a Glance

Top 100 at a Glance

Dec 31, 2012
Profiles of Wines Nos. 2 to 100

Profiles of Wines Nos. 2 to 100

Dec 31, 2012
Top 100 by Region and Variety

Top 100 by Region and Variety

Dec 31, 2012
Wines of the Year 1988 to 2011

Wines of the Year 1988 to 2011

Dec 31, 2012
10 Years of Top 10s

10 Years of Top 10s

Dec 31, 2012
Classic-Scoring Wines of 2012

Classic-Scoring Wines of 2012

Dec 31, 2012
Tasting Notes for the Top 100 Wines

Tasting Notes for the Top 100 Wines

Dec 31, 2012

Tasting Reports

Rosé’s Rising Appeal

Rosé’s Rising Appeal

Domestic bubbly offers quality, value and lots of pink hues
Dec 31, 2012
Beyond the Bubbles

Beyond the Bubbles

A closer look at the wealth of offerings from Champagne
Dec 31, 2012
Past and Future

Past and Future

Family and tradition still anchor these four flourishing Champagne houses
Dec 31, 2012
Champagne Alphabetical Listing

Champagne Alphabetical Listing

Dec 31, 2012

Features

A Wine Lover’s Library

A Wine Lover’s Library

New books include personal memoirs and a must-have reference
Dec 31, 2012
Party Perfect

Party Perfect

Three classic yet simple appetizers and wine pairings for your holiday gathering
Dec 31, 2012
The View from Vail

The View from Vail

A new generation of hotels and restaurants arrives at this Colorado resort town
Dec 31, 2012
The 100 Outstanding Values of 2012

The 100 Outstanding Values of 2012

For high quality at low prices, these wines are the world’s best
Dec 31, 2012
The Biggest Bargains: High-Production Values

The Biggest Bargains: High-Production Values

Dec 31, 2012
2012 New World Wine Experience

2012 New World Wine Experience

Dec 31, 2012
The Top Wines of 2011

The Top Wines of 2011

Dec 31, 2012
California Rhône Reds

California Rhône Reds

Dec 31, 2012
The Art of Krug Champagne

The Art of Krug Champagne

Dec 31, 2012
Exploring Biodynamics

Exploring Biodynamics

Dec 31, 2012
Four Chefs Match Food and Wine

Four Chefs Match Food and Wine

Dec 31, 2012
Matt Kramer’s Subtle Australia

Matt Kramer’s Subtle Australia

Dec 31, 2012
An Evening of Celebration

An Evening of Celebration

Dec 31, 2012
2012 World Wine Experience Wine Stars

2012 World Wine Experience Wine Stars

Dec 31, 2012
The Best of Italy

The Best of Italy

Dec 31, 2012
Palate Test: A Blind Tasting

Palate Test: A Blind Tasting

Dec 31, 2012

Grapevine

<em>Wine Spectator</em> Auction Index Falls in Third Quarter

Wine Spectator Auction Index Falls in Third Quarter

Demand for Château Lafite declines; Cheval-Blanc hit as well
Dec 31, 2012
After Manchego

After Manchego

Dec 31, 2012
How to Taste

How to Taste

Dec 31, 2012
French Hemp Winery Is No Joke

French Hemp Winery Is No Joke

When planning a new winery for Château Maris in southern France's Languedoc region, Robert Eden …
Dec 31, 2012
Winemaking Takes the Big Plunge

Winemaking Takes the Big Plunge

Dec 31, 2012
Rudy Kurniawan Accuses FBI of Illegal Search

Rudy Kurniawan Accuses FBI of Illegal Search

Dec 31, 2012
Wine and the City

Wine and the City

Actor and nightclub owner Chris Noth picks his favorite spot in New York
Dec 31, 2012
Another Strong Year for V Foundation

Another Strong Year for V Foundation

Dec 31, 2012
Fruit-filled Reds, Savory Whites and German Rieslings

Fruit-filled Reds, Savory Whites and German Rieslings

Dec 31, 2012
Champagne Cocktails

Champagne Cocktails

Dec 31, 2012
At Home With Rajat Parr

At Home With Rajat Parr

Globe-trotting sommelier has a home base in San Francisco for entertaining
Dec 31, 2012
Cos-d’Estournel CEO to Depart

Cos-d’Estournel CEO to Depart

Dec 31, 2012
Santa Barbara Vintner Dead in Mysterious Incident

Santa Barbara Vintner Dead in Mysterious Incident

Dec 31, 2012
In Brief

In Brief

Dec 31, 2012

Departments

Soft-Cooked Egg and White Burgundy

Soft-Cooked Egg and White Burgundy

Executive chef Jesse Mallgren, Madrona Manor, Healdsburg, Calif.
Dec 31, 2012
Parting Thoughts on 2012

Parting Thoughts on 2012

Dec 31, 2012
My Wines of the Year

My Wines of the Year

Dec 31, 2012
Letters

Letters

Dec 31, 2012

The Buying Guide

The Buying Guide for this issue is available here.

TOP 100 WINES OF 2012 What makes a wine a member of this exclusive club? Find out as Wine Spectator's senior editors discuss this year's Top 10 wines in a video series. Plus, get a printable list of the full Top 100.

OUTSIDE THE BOTTLE Our newest guest blogger is Talia Baiocchi, a New York-based wine writer for Eater.com. We think you'll enjoy her savvy and provocative perspective on wine, restaurants and culture, which will appear weekly, exclusively at WineSpectator.com.

HOLIDAY PARTY IDEAS We've got you covered through the New Year! Wine Spectator editors recommend well-rated, affordable sparkling wines, plus reds and whites, for the festivities. Plus, great new recipes and gifts for the wine lovers on your list.

VINTAGE REPORT CARD Get an early look at the expected quality in key regions in the Northern Hemisphere.


650+ WINE-FRIENDLY RECIPES Discover great holiday dishes, from party snacks to hearty feasts to sophisticated entrées. Search our recipe database by food type, matching wine type or ingredient.

GIFT IDEA Share WineSpectator.com with your wine-loving friends and family members through a gift membership, for only $49 a year. Among the great benefits they will enjoy:

  • Wine Ratings: Search more than 273,000 wine reviews, also available on Wine Spectator Mobile for smartphones.
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