WINE SPECTATOR’S TOP 100 LIST FOR 2008: 15 ITALIANS MAKE IT ONTO THE COVETED ANNUAL CLASSIFICATION OF THE AMERICAN WINE MAGAZINE. TUSCANY REGION RECEIVES THE MOST RECOGNITION WITH 7 LABELS ON THE LIST, FOLLOWED BY PIEDMONT WITH 3 LABELS

Fifteen Italian wines have made it onto this year’s top 100 list by Wine Spectator), the coveted classification of the world’s top wines according to the prestigious American wine magazine. This year, the number one position was given to Chilean Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005. The 2008 edition (which is also the twentieth anniversary of the classification) has ranked wines according to their quality (represented by a point system of at least 93), value (price), availability (production), and the “X factor”, which Wine Spectator journalists define as “excitement”. It is dominated by French wines, while Italy claims only one wine within the most prestigious top 10 (Barolo 2004 by Pio Cesare) and only 6 within the top 50. Tuscany was the most popular Italian region with 7 labels that made it onto the classification, out of the total 15 Italian wines. There was no recognition, however, for the top Tuscan wine, Brunello di Montalcino.
The Piedmont region followed with 3 different Barolos.
Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines for 2008...
Position - Score - Price -
Label 1 - 96 - $75 - Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005
2 - 97 - $100 - Château Rauzan-Ségla Margaux 2005
3 - 95 - $40 - Quinta do Crasto Douro Reserva Old Vines 2005
4 - 97 - $57 - Château Guiraud Sauternes 2005
5 - 95 - $55 - Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 2005
6 - 94 - $62 - Pio Cesare Barolo 2004
7 - 96 - $100 - Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac 2005
8 - 96 - $95 - Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005
9 - 95 - $90 - Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2007
10 - 93 - $24 - Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County 2007
11 - 95 - $57 - Château Clerc Milon Pauillac 2005
12 - 96 - $69 - Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchor 2005
13 - 94 - $42 - Mount Eden Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains 2004
14 - 95 - $65 - Aldo & Riccardo Seghesio Barolo Vigneto La Villa 2004
15 - 96 - $110 - Sette Ponti Toscana Oreno 2006
16 - 95 - $53 - Elderton Ode To Lorraine Barossa 2005
17 - 95 - $50 - Argyle Extended Tirage Willamette Valley 1998
18 - 97 - $100 - Château Malescot-St.-Exupéry Margaux 2005
19 - 96 - $83 - Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan White 2005
20 - 97 - $95 - Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 2005
21 - 100 - $260 - Château L’Evangile Pomerol 2005
22 - 95 - $63 - Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Grandi Annate Riserva 2004
23 - 96 - $100 - Jean-Paul & Jean-Luc Jamet Côte-Rôtie 2005
24 - 96 - $125 - Chappellet Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Napa Valley 2005
25 - 94 - $58 - Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills 2005
26 - 95 - $155 - Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays 2005
27 - 97 - $175 - Peter Michael Les Pavots Knights Valley 2005
28 - 98 - $206 - Château Cos-d’Estournel St.-Estèphe 2005
29 - 96 - $100 - A. Clape Cornas 2005
30 - 93 - $25 - Byron Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley 2005
31 - 93 - $28 - La Massa Toscana 2006
32 - 92 - $18 - Château Puygueraud Côtes de Francs 2005
33 - 93 - $18 - Winzer Krems Grüner Veltliner Qualitätswein Trocken Kremstal Edition Chremisa 2006
34 - 93 - $34 - Condado de Haza Ribera del Duero Crianza 2005
35 - 96 - $125 - Pride Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma-Napa Counties Reserve 2005
36 - 94 - $62 - Bodegas y Viñedos Maurodos Toro San Román 2004
37 - 93 - $27 - Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2006
38 - 92 - $25 - Bodega Colomé Malbec Calchaquí Valley 2006
39 - 93 - $27 - Perrin & Fils Gigondas La Gille 2005
40 - 91 - $19 - Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2008
41 - 93 - $35 - Domaine La Roquète Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005
42 - 92 - $25 - Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2005
43 - 92 - $30 - Château Pipeau St.-Emilion 2005
44 - 91 - $12 - Leasingham Riesling Clare Valley Magnus 2007
45 - 94 - $80 - Jermann Venezia-Giulia Vintage Tunina 2006
46 - 93 - $28 - Warwick Estate Reserve Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2005
47 - 92 - $35 - Beringer Chardonnay Napa Valley Private Reserve 2006
48 - 93 - $37 - DeLille Doyenne Aix Red Columbia Valley 2005
49 - 92 - $42 - Dierberg Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley 2005
50 - 91 - $28 - Firriato Nero d’Avola-Syrah Sicilia Santagostino Baglio Soria 2006
51 - 90 - $17 - Fattoria di Felsina Chianti Classico Berardenga 2006
52 - 90 - $17 - Bodegas LAN Rioja Reserva 2004
53 - 90 - $18 - François Pelissié Cahors Croix du Mayne 2005
54 - 91 - $22 - Robert Eymael (Mönchhof) Riesling Kabinett Mosel Ürzig Würzgarten 2007
55 - 91 - $19 - Yalumba Viognier Eden Valley 2007
56 - 90 - $15 - St.-Urbans-Hof Riesling QbA Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2007
57 - 90 - $16 - Sogrape Dão Callabriga 2005
58 - 90 - $20 - Louis Latour Marsannay 2005
59 - 90 - $18 - Terredora Falanghina Irpinia 2007
60 - 91 - $16 - La Sauvageonne Coteaux du Languedoc Les Ruffes 2006
61 - 93 - $30 - Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2005
62 - 93 - $30 - Neyers Syrah Sonoma Coast Old Lakeville Road 2006
63 - 93 - $30 - Montirius Vacqueyras Le Clos 2005
64 - 96 - $112 - Achával-Ferrer Malbec Mendoza Finca Altamira 2006
65 - 91 - $30 - Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva 2004
66 - 92 - $30 - Altocedro Malbec La Consulta Reserva 2006
67 - 93 - $45 - Outpost Zinfandel Howell Mountain 2005
68 - 93 - $58 - Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Evenstad Reserve 2005
69 - 94 - $85 - Hewitt Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2005
70 - 90 - $19 - Attems Pinot Grigio Collio 2007
71 - 90 - $20 - Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Crianza 2004
72 - 91 - $24 - Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Alsace 2006
73 - 91 - $23 - Cardwell Hill Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2006
74 - 92 - $24 - Gemtree Shiraz McLaren Vale Uncut 2006
75 - 90 - $19 - Suavia Soave Classico 2007
76 - 90 - $25 - Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Castello di Nipozzano Riserva 2005
77 - 91 - $38 - Duval-Leroy Brut Champagne NV
78 - 90 - $17 - Domaine de Nizas Coteaux du Languedoc 2004
79 - 90 - $24 - Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Riesling Kabinett Mosel Piesporter Goldtröpfchen 2007
80 - 92 - $33 - Les Verrières de Montagnac Coteaux du Languedoc Clos des Soutyères 2006
81 - 91 - $32 - Querciabella Chianti Classico 2006
82 - 93 - $35 - Luca Malbec Uco Valley 2007
83 - 92 - $35 - Two Hands Shiraz McLaren Vale Angels Share 2007
84 - 91 - $39 - Stefano Farina Barolo 2004
85 - 93 - $55 - Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2005
86 - 90 - $16 - Adegas Morgadío Albariño Rias Baixas Legado del Conde 2007
87 - 92 - $42 - William Fèvre Chablis Montmains 2005
88 - 92 - $40 - Château de St.-Cosme Gigondas 2006
89 - 90 - $18 - Stadt Krems Grüner Veltliner Qualitätswein Trocken Kremstal Sandgrube 2006
90 - 90 - $24 - Churchill Douro Churchill Estates 2006
91 - 90 - $27 - Golan Heights Cabernet Sauvignon Galilee Yarden 2004
92 - 90 - $30 - Domaine Gilles Noblet Pouilly-Fuissé 2006
93 - 92 - $21 - Meinhard Forstreiter Grüner Veltliner Qualitätswein Trocken Kremstal Schiefer 2006
94 - 93 - $65 - Château Giscours Margaux 2005
95 - 96 - $135 - Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2005
96 - 93 - $60 - Cabreo Toscana Il Borgo 2006
97 - 91 - $50 - Vincent Girardin Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2005
98 - 92 - $32 - Niepoort Douro Vertente 2005
99 - 93 - $62 - Domaine Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie 2005
100 - 94 - $55 - Konzelmann Vidal Niagara Peninsula Ice Wine 2006 (375 ml)