The Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines are the two most popularl general interest guides to the world of wine published in the U.S. Along with Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, their ratings and recommendations carry a lot of weight in establishing a wine’s popularity and price in the marketplace. An “excellent” evaluation from any one of these rating organizations is typically followed by a surge in demand for the highly-rated wine that almost ensures that it will be swept off wine shop shelves. From the producer’s perspective, the high rating is treated as a market validation of the winemaker’s skills and, perhaps more importantly, gives the winery greater flexibility in pricing its wines. Both the Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines recently published their annual selections for the 100 best wines from around the world released in 2012.  Their lists of the top 100 wines are based on wines reviewed by their respective staffs over the course of the year and both included a significant number of Italian wines.

As in previous years, there is no overlay in the Italian wines included in the top 100 listings put forward by the two magazines. Before looking at which Italian wines were selected, it’s interesting to take a brief look at the overall distribution of wines from around the world selected by each of the magazines. Wine Spectator’s top 100 picks are selected from the more than 17,000 newly-released wines reviewed by the magazine’s staff over the course of the year. Of these, more than 5,500 were rated outstanding (90 points or more) and constituted the initial candidates for the top 100 list. Thirteen countries are included in the Wine Spectator’s list of the top 100 wines. Perhaps not surprisingly, the largest number of wines selected is from U.S. producers with 32 U.S. wines included in the top 100. All of the U.S. wines are from the west coast with the majority from California (23) and the rest from Washington (5) and Oregon (4). France came in second with 23 wines followed by Italy with 16 wines and Spain with 9 wines in the top 100.

The Wine Spectator’s top wine of the year is the 2008 vintage “Relentless”, a Syrah and Petite Sirah blend from the Shafer winery in California’ s Napa Valley. The 16 Italian wines in the Wine Spectator’s top 100 are down from the 20 Italian wines that appeared in last year’s top 100. Piedmont (5) and Tuscany (7) dominate the Italian selections with only 4 from the rest of Italy. best texas wine club2007 and 2008 were outstanding vintages in both Piedmont and Tuscany.best wine to drink india The top-rated Italian wine is a 2007 Brunello di Montalcino from the Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona estate, which ranked number nine in Wine Spectator’s top 100.wine on tap system cost Presented below are the details for the Italian wines included in the top 100 wines for 2012 as put forward by Wine Spectator Magazine.best wine knowledge websites

Members of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s rating panel evaluated more than 15,500 wines in 2012. The Wine Enthusiast’s list of the top 100 wines of the year includes 30 wines from the U.S. with the majority of these from California but with a strong contingent from Washington and Oregon making an appearance in the top 100 listing. Following the U.S., France has 19 wines while Italy has 17 wines in the top 100. wine and food tumblrWines from Spain, South Africa and Portugal are also well represented.best wine with no sugar The top-ranked wine in Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 list is a 2009 “Gran Corte”, a Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend from the Las Divas Vineyard in Argentina’s Mendoza Valley. As usual, Tuscany fared well with 7 of the 17 Italian wines in Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 from Tuscan wineries, primarily Brunello di Montalcino wines from southern Tuscany.

As mentioned previously, the 2007 vintage in Tuscany was outstanding and produced wines of structure and elegance. Three wines from the Piedmont region are included in Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 listing as are 3 wines from Sicily. The top-ranked Italian wine in Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 is a 2007 Brunello di Montalcino from the Casanova di Neri estate which garnered the number 4 position in the top 100. Presented below are the details for the Italian wines included in Wine Enthusiast Magazine's top 100 wines for 2012. Read other selections from About Italian Wines.'Wine Spectator' magazine has released its picks for the top 100 wines of 2012. A 2008 Napa Valley Syrah blend described by the maker as “midnight in a glass” has been named the best wine of 2012 by Wine Spectator magazine. In the magazine’s annual round-up of the year’s most exciting wines, the 2008 Shafer Relentless Napa Valley, a blend of Syrah and Petite Syrah, was ranked the highest at 96 points for its “muscle, density, richness and range of flavor.”

Relentless’s win marks the second time in three years that editors have chosen a Rhone-inspired red from California as Wine of the Year. “The aromatics are full and distinct, with loads of dark berry, charcoal, and then as it unfolds touches of black cherry, raspberry, red and black licorice, sailing along and then firming nicely on the finish,” gush Wine Spectator critics. Grapes are co-fermented and the wine aged for 30 months in new French oak barrels. The Wine Advocate, meanwhile, likewise gave the bottle top marks, calling it a “stunning” “thoroughbred in the making.” “Full-bodied with sensational extract and richness, its opaque purple color is followed by terrific smoky barbecue notes, full-bodied opulence and tremendous depth, power and richness.” The wine is best from 2013 to 2023 and retails for $60. Shafer wines are available internationally with distributors spanning the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Nipping close behind the heels of the US wine, meanwhile, is a 2010 Château de St.-Cosme Grenache blend – 60 percent Grenache, 20 percent Syrah, 18 percent Mourvedre, 2 percent Cinsault -- which received a score of 95 points and is best consumed between 2015 to 2030.

"This is jam-packed with dark blackberry, currant and boysenberry fruit, but cuts like a knife, thanks to riveting acidity, a blaze of singed iron and a long, charcoal-studded finish. A lovely lingering note of singed bay leaf adds a mouthwatering echo,” says Wine Spectator of the $41-dollar bottle. Rounding out the magazine’s top five list for 2012, meanwhile, is a $69 Shiraz Barossa Valley Bella’s Garden 2010 from Two Hands; Châteauneuf-du-Pape Clos des Papes for $128; and a $60 2009 Sauternes from Château Guiraud. Meanwhile, among Decanter’s choices for best wines of 2012 was a Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2009, Ogier, Expression de Terroir, Safres; a Domaine Tour St-Michel, Cuvée des Deux Soeurs 2009 -- also a Chateauneuf-du-Pape; and a Cru Bourgeois 2009 from Chateau La Haye, St.-Estèphe. Here are the top 10 wines deemed the year’s most exciting, by wine producer and wine: 1. Shafer, Relentless Napa Valley 2008, US, $60 2. Château de St. –Cosme, Gigondas 2010, France $41