These are the world’s 30 best wines
Think of it as a tip from all your wine-drinking friends: these 30 wines scored highest based on 40 million reviews and 120 million ratings on Vivino’s website and app. Which of these wines are easy to find in the Netherlands?
You’ll have to dig deep into your pockets, though, as some wines in this top 30 cost more than a thousand euros. The list is based on users’ scores, but the wines must also meet a number of general standards for the wine’s flavor profile and overall quality to make the list.
It only really becomes interesting for us Dutch people from the wine in fourth place onward. Unfortunately, the top three are very difficult to find, but luckily there is still plenty left to taste.
‘Porn in a glass’
In fourth place is the Château d’Yquem Sauternes 2001. This is a dessert wine from France and costs €258. This wine received an average score of 4.8 (out of 5) from 851 ratings. One person says about this wine: “This really is porn in a glass!”
In fifth place is Taylor’s Very Old Single Harvest Port 1968. This is a red tawny port from Portugal and costs €275. This bottle also received a 4.8, but from 80 ratings. One comment reads: “It doesn’t get any better than this.”
Expensive
In eighth place is Masseto Toscana 2005. And if you already thought the previous two bottles were expensive, this one goes quite a bit further: the bottle costs €695. It also received a 4.8 from 529 ratings. It is a red Merlot wine from Italy. “Wow, what a wine! Speechless.”
At number ten is Petrus Pomerol 2005, which costs a truly hefty sum: no less than €4895. This expensive wine is also a Merlot and comes from France. “No words for it, so beautiful.”
‘More affordable’
Realm The Bard 2013 is ranked number fourteen. It has a 4.7 from 140 ratings and costs €169. The wine is a blend of different grapes, including Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The wine comes from the United States.
In seventeenth place is Vega Sicilia Unico 1995, a red Ribera del Duero from Spain. The wine has a rating of 4.8 from 692 reviews. The bottle costs €290. “What a flavor explosion.”
Bordeaux
At number eighteen is Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1989: a red Bordeaux Pessac-Léognan. The price is €419, and it scores 4.7 from 403 ratings. “I’ve never given five stars before, but this is incredible.”
And number 20: Château Latour 1982, a red Bordeaux Pauillac. The wine received a 4.8 from 977 ratings. A bottle costs €575. “An incredible number of layers to discover.”
In 24th place is Château Margaux 2010, a Bordeaux Margaux with a blend of grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The bottle costs €691. This wine scores 4.7 from 324 ratings.
Number 25 is Château Lafite Rothschild 2003, a Bordeaux Pauillac. The grape varieties in this bottle are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. It is an expensive bottle: €1915, to be exact. The wine has a 4.8 from 629 ratings.
Last but not least
The Joseph Phelps Insignia 2002 from the United States is ranked number 27. The wine scores 4.7 from 647 ratings. It is a Napa Valley Bordeaux blend combining five grape varieties. The wine costs €235.
The only sparkling wine on the list is Krug French Champagne Vintage 1988. A champagne combining the grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It receives a 4.7 from 413 ratings. The bottle costs €250. “From the color to the nose, the bubbles and the finish, everything is spot-on.”
At number 29 is Quintarelli Giuseppe 2003, a red wine in the Italian Amarone style. The grape blend consists of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. The bottle costs €314 and receives a 4.8 from 670 ratings. “One of the most beautiful Amarones.”
Last but not least: the list begins and ends with a French wine. At number 30 is Château Cheval Blanc 1990. It is a red Bordeaux Saint-Émilion with a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The wine receives a 4.8 from 537 ratings and costs €599. “Definitely recommended, a deliciously smooth wine.”
Fake
Fun based on reviews, but aren’t there a lot of fake reactions among them? In Forbes, Heini Zachariassen (Vivino’s founder) says that they have taken several measures against manipulation, to identify and correct it. In 2019, every wine had to have received at least 50 ratings. The full list of the 30 wine bottles can be viewed here.
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