The 17 Best Wines of the Year, From Chardonnay to Burgundy Red

Representing the 12th generation of their family, winemaker Anne Parent and her sister Catherine Fages-Parent are the first women at the helm of Domaine Parent. After picking the grapes from a privileged site on the Corton hill, the duo fermented the juice with indigenous yeast and barrel aged it on the lees for 16 months. Aromas of Bartlett pear, nectarine, and toasted almond open for flavors of Granny Smith apple, lemon zest, and a touch of oyster shell. Despite the hot summer of 2022, this wine’s lively acidity is the first thing that you’ll notice—and the last impression this truly stunning wine will leave on the palate. $399 

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If you closed your eyes before sipping, you might think you were drinking an elegant white Chardonnay from Burgundy, but this amazing Provencal rosé wine is made using deep-garnet Grenache grapes grown on 100-year-old vines. Fermented in 600- liter temperature-controlled oak barrels, it undergoes twice weekly bâtonnage—in which settled lees are stirred back into the wine—for 11 months, which imparts structure and creaminess. Reminiscent of a Saint-Tropez sunset, it is pale pink in the glass and has aromas of vanilla, strawberry, and red raspberry. A backbone of minerality supports flavors of red plum, white citrus blossoms, and honeydew. $125 

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The 2018 bottling represents the 99th anniversary of Trimbach’s Clos Sainte Hune Riesling’s first release. Located in the unique terroir of Rosacker Grand Cru in Hunawihr, the monopole vineyard has been owned by one family for over 200 years and is a little larger than four acres in size. Its limestone soils are studded with broken- down seashell remnants, which impart a unique minerality to this stunning wine. It has aromas of verbena, Bartlett pear, and mango, with balanced acidity and flavors of freshly sliced apricot, yellow peach, and yellow plum. $499 

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This delicious port, made from fruit grown on old vines, is composed of a field blend of 35 different varieties of grapes, with Touriga Nacional accounting for 30 percent of the finished wine. It is deep red-purple in color with aromas of red plum, black pepper, and blackberry pie. Silky-smooth with just the right levels of sweetness and acidity, it offers flavors of raspberry jam, vanilla, and red currant on the palate. Enjoy this perfectly balanced sweet wine with strong cheeses—like Stilton—or with fruit-based desserts. $87

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From the house that produces the No. 1 Champagne in France comes a limited- edition rosé made with 100 percent Pinot Noir from two cru vineyards. According to chief winemaker Guillaume Roffiaen, Palmes d’Or Rosé Intense “is only made when the vintage is remarkable and promises a high aging potential.” The coldest year of its decade, 2008 provided freshness and vitality that are evident in its vivid aromas of peach and pomegranate. Pale apricot in the glass with a persistent column of fine bubbles, this elegant sparkler offers flavors of lemon, red plum, and lavender with a delicate structure and brilliant acidity. $230 

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The singular house to produce only vintage Champagne, Dom Pérignon has bottled its 46th declared vintage since its inaugural release in 1936. Cellar master Vincent Chaperon attributes the 2015’s “bright, focused character and the signature texture” to a season of extreme weather, including a prolonged summer drought. With aromas of peach, brioche, and espresso bean, this luscious dram washes over the mouth with flavors of apricot, vanilla, lemon zest, and rose petal. Well structured and offering gorgeous acidity, this blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay energizes the palate with a sense of precision and focus. $295 

Scarf blouse, Another Tomorrow; trousers, model’s own; Scarf ring, Pamela Zamore; diamond ring, Wempe.

“The U. V. Lucky Well Vineyard, and frankly the entire lineup of Pinot Noirs from 2021, are without a doubt the most deeply and vibrantly colored wines we have produced,” says Arista’s winemaker, Matt Courtney. That intensity carries through to the aroma and palate thanks to a season noted for ideal growing conditions and Courtney’s incorporation of whole- cluster fermentation into the winemaking regimen. Deep ruby to the eye, this wine has aromas of pomegranate, vanilla bean, and black tea. Flavors of cranberry, pomegranate, milk chocolate, and juniper berry are wrapped in a sheath of polished tannins and brilliant acidity. $104 

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Drought-like conditions in 2021 created a vintage marked by 30 percent less fruit and petite, intensely flavored grapes that were vinified to make this exceptionally concentrated wine. A blend of 89 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 11 percent Petit Verdot, it was aged for 22 months in 85 percent new French oak. Densely colored in the glass, it smells like black raspberry and brown baking spices and has a silky tannic backbone that supports flavors of elderberry, black plum, cassis, and powdered dark cocoa. Only 500 cases were produced. $350 

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Situated in the Russian River Valley’s Chalk Hill region, this 1,500-acre estate of the same name is planted with a one-of-a-kind proprietary Chardonnay clone developed in partnership with U.C. Davis’s esteemed viticulture and enology department. Courtney Foley, executive vice president and owner of Foley Family Wines & Spirits, says this was the favorite wine of her father, Bill, who founded the company. Winemaker Darrell Holbrook fermented the juice with native yeast and matured it in 92 percent new French oak for 15 months. With flavors of Gala apple, Bartlett pear, and nutmeg, it is full textured and bursting with acidity. $125 

Made with 60 percent Merlot and 40 percent Cabernet Franc, the 2022 edition of Angelus is called Le Majestueux (the Majestic) thanks to the unprecedented resistance the vines showed during the season’s severe drought. Château Angelus C.E.O. and owner Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal points to the years of work her team has done in the vineyard to “reliably produce magnificent, ripe berries,” resulting in a wine with a “a remarkable sense of freshness, energy, and tension.” Its black-fruit and violet aromas, flavors of purple plum, cassis, and candied violet, and gorgeous polished tannins make for a beautiful pour. $530 

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One of only two grand cru monopoles in Burgundy that also bear the name of their owner—and the only grand cru site for red wines in the Côte de Beaune—Domaine Faiveley is a special locale. Its seventh-generation proprietor, Erwan Faiveley, praises this vintage for its “astonishing ripeness.” A bouquet of black cherry, clove, rose petal, and river rock gives way to raspberry, dried-cranberry, and nutmeg flavors with hints of white chocolate and orange zest. Velvety tannins and well-integrated acidity mean you can drink it now or hold it for the next 20 years. $492

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Ngakirikiri is produced only in exceptional vintages—the 2019 represents just the fourth bottling since the inaugural 2013 release. The apex of Villa Maria’s offerings, this New Zealand Cab offers aromas of mocha, pencil lead, and black currant with silky-soft tannins and flavors of plum, cigar box, and black raspberry. $100 

The 2014 bottling was the first Chilean wine to receive a 100-point score from a major publication. The 2021 vintage recently garnered multiple perfect scores. Technical director Emily Faulconer attributes this to the wine’s “perfect balance between texture and tension.” We found voluptuous mouthfeel and precise acidity with aromas and flavors of black currant, red plum, and crushed violet petals. $380 

Proprietor and winemaker Pietro Ratti explains that the cliffside Rocche dell’Annunziata vineyard “represents the quintessential elegance of Barolo.” Only 3,600 bottles and 200 magnums were made of this garnet-colored wine, which has aromas of crushed violets, rose petals, and red raspberry and flavors of black and red fruits wrapped in silky tannins. $190 

Grange is often referred to as the best and most coveted Australian wine, and the 2020 vintage certainly lives up to that reputation. “The philosophy for Grange is the best of the best that the vintage can offer, regardless of region,” says chief winemaker Peter Gago. This stunner offers aromas and flavors of Luxardo cherry, macerated black raspberry, and vanilla with elegant, rounded, and velvety tannins. $850 

Made from grapes grown on 105-year-old vines, this stunning wine has increased acidity, lower tannins, and a more elegant structure than previous vintages. Aged for 18 months in large and small barrels, it has aromas of blueberry, black raspberry, and cassis and flavors of juicy ripe black fruits with a touch of spice in the finish. Only 3,733 bottles were made. $134

Grapes for this fantastic wine are grown at altitudes of 9,500 to 10,200 feet—some of the world’s highest vineyards. That’s important, because “as elevation increases, we see darker color and greater aromatic complexity with more structure and freshness in the mouth,” according to winemaker Thibaut Delmotte. Deep garnet to ruby red in the glass, this wine has aromas and flavors of plum, dark chocolate, and black cherry. $152