Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2018 | Wine Enthusiast
Wine bottle illustration Displaying 0 results for
Suggested Searches
Shop
Articles & Content
Ratings

Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2018

Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2018
Photos by Meg Baggott / Animation by Matthew Dimas Photo by Meg Baggott

By and large, we American wine drinkers are all about the here and now. When scouring our local bottle shop, we generally focus on the next meal or occasion we will be pairing with our delicious finds. While that’s fine for a good number of bottles on the market—those accessible, easygoing offerings that are meant for short-term consumption—there are many wines that deserve a little respite on your wine rack before being enjoyed.

But how do you know which wines are worthy of the cellar? Well, we’ve done the dirty work for you.

Each year, of the roughly 23,000 wines reviewed, only a portion (close to 4%) are designated Cellar Selections—wines that, while currently delicious, would benefit from being forgotten for some time in a cool, dark place in your home. This elite grouping is further whittled down to the Top 100 Cellar Selections list, a veritable cheat sheet for the most cellar-worthy wines on the market.

This list hits some of the most collectable wines in the world from classic regions in France, Italy, Spain and Germany. However, understanding that ageable bottles come from all over the globe, and run the full gamut from white to red, sparkling and sweet, there are many stellar examples from South Africa, Australia, Argentina, California and beyond.

This year’s ranking is marked by a record breaking eleven 100-point wines, thanks in large part to banner vintages in Bordeaux and Brunello. While some of these high fliers can carry a hefty price tag, 79 of them are $100 or under, making this collection not only incredibly quality driven (the average score is 95 points), but also immensely value-minded.

So seek these beauties out, stash them in your cellar and reap the benefits of a delicious pour in the years to come.

Click here for a downloadable PDF of our Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2018.


What Is Blind Tasting?

All tastings reported in the Buying Guide are performed blind. Typically, products are tasted in peer-group flights of from 5-8 samples. Reviewers may know general information about a flight to provide context—vintage, variety or appellation—but never the producer or retail price of any given selection. When possible, products considered flawed or uncustomary are retasted.

View Video


About The Scores

*Products deemed unacceptable (receving a rating below 80 points) are not reviewed.

98-100

Classic
The Pinnacle of quality

94-97

Superb
A great achievement

90-93

Excellent
Highly recommended

87-89

Very Good
Often good value; well recommended

83-86

Good
Suitable for everyday consumption, often good value

80-82

Acceptable
Can be employed