Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2020 | Wine Enthusiast
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Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2020

Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2020
Photos by Tom Arena / Animation by Eric DeFreitas Photo by Tom Arena

It might seem counter intuitive to stash a bottle of wine away with the intent to enjoy it at a much later date. We get it—once you have it, why wait to pop it open? And while it’s true that many wines on the market are meant to be enjoyed within a year or two after release, some are able to stand the test of time and will bring even more delight as they age.

The good news is, you don’t have to be a wine expert to know which wines will age well, and you also don’t have to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars to stock your cellar. We’re here to make it easy for you.

The reviewers of Wine Enthusiast taste more than 1,000 wines each year that garner a Cellar Selection designation. These are wines that exhibit pedigree, structure and aging potential, and any of them would be excellent candidates for collecting. It’s from this group that we cull our annual Top 100 Cellar Selection list, which is the ultimate roster of wines that display staying power.

On the following pages, our newest rendition features many classic examples of cellar-worthy wines from Napa, Barolo, Port, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. You’ll also discover some exceptional bottles that might be surprising additions to the cellar, like Soave Classico from Italy, Riesling from Germany and Cru Beaujolais from France. Yes, red wines from around the globe are highly represented, but keep an eye out for a mix of white, sparkling and dessert wines that are able to age with grace, too.

Boasting 10 wines that earned 100 points, with an overall average score of 95 points, this list is an astounding array of age-worthy finds. And even though some of the wines carry a hefty price tag, more than half of the selections clock in at $75 or under. With such attainable prices, starting a cellar might be closer within reach than you thought.

Click here for a downloadable PDF of The Enthusiast 100 of 2020.


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.

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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