Castello di Volpaia’s Chianti Classico 2021 on the “Top 10 Value of 2023” by Wine Spectator

There are great wines at affordable prices in world-class wine regions as well, which express the high quality of their territories while controlling costs by using innovative methods in the vineyard and the winery. The “Top 10 Wine Value of the Year 2023” by Wine Spectator elects the best wines and best values. In other words, the ones that score 90 points or higher on a scale of 100, cost 40 US dollars or less, and are produced in quantities large enough to be widely available. Number one on the ranking is the Californian Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2021 by La Crema (91 points and 28 US dollars per bottle). Italy is represented on the ranking by one of the historic territories that in the past few years has grown rapidly in quality and value, and availability (it was the absolute winner of the “Top 100” 2023 of the US magazine, where 7 out of 24 Italian wines were on the ranking): Chianti Classico. The wine is Chianti Classico 2021 from Castello di Volpaia (92 points and 30 dollars a bottle) at position number 5 for the famous brand owned by the Mascheroni Stianti family. Since the 1960s the wine family has revived one of the oldest villages in the area, dating back to the 11th century, in Radda in Chianti (whose Chianti Classico Riserva 2015 was elected one of the best wines in the world, at position number 3 of the “Top 100” 2018).
The tasting was led by Bruce Sanderson, together with Tim Fish, MaryAnn Worobiec, Alison Napjus, Aaron Romano and Kristen Bieler, who also tasted the Chianti Classico of Castello di Volpaia, one of the best wines in the world for quality-price ratio. Second place on the ranking went to the Australian Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Filius 2021 by Vasse Felix, ( 93 points and 28 US dollars per bottle), and in position number 3, Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Reserve 2022 from New Zealand’s Rapaura Springs (93 points and 19 US dollars a bottle). Position number four went to Four Graces’ Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2021 from Oregon (92 points and 30 US dollars per bottle), while at position number 6 a great French classic, Brut Champagne Réserve Exclusive NV by Nicolas Feuillatte (91 points and 39 US dollars per bottle). In position number 7, once again from California, Diatom’s Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2022 (92 points and 23 US dollars per bottle), while ranked number 8, Alicante Tarima Hill Old Vines 2020 by the Spanish Volver (91 points and 20 US dollars per bottle). In position number 9, once again France’s Côtes du Rhône 2022 from St.-Cosme (90 points and 21 US dollars per bottle), and closing the 2023 "Top 10" at position number 10, Malbec Uco Valley Alta Collection San Pablo Vineyard 2021 from Argentina's Tapiz (90 points and 19 US dollars per bottle).