The Daily Decant
The Daily Decant delivers practical wine knowledge in five minutes a day to help you choose, order, and talk about wine with more confidence in everyday social settings. Each episode offers concise insights on regions, varietals, and standout bottles you can use the next time you're at dinner, hosting friends, or picking out a bottle.
The Daily Decant
The Complete Top 30 — Your Buying Guide
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Before Sunday's big wrap, Saturday's episode is your reference guide: the complete top 30 wines from the Wine Spectator Grand Tour Denver 2026 in one place, with quick-hit tasting notes, vintage context, and practical buying advice organized by region. Bookmark this one.
WINES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE
▸ 98 pts Valdicava · Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano Riserva 2016
▸ 97 pts Castellare di Castellina · Toscana I Sodi di San Niccolò 2021
▸ 97 pts Col D'Orcia · Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Vento Riserva 2016
▸ 96 pts Fontodi · Colli della Toscana Centrale Flaccianello 2022
▸ 96 pts Castello di Volpaia · Toscana Balifico 2021
▸ 96 pts Tenuta Meraviglia · Bolgheri Vigna Pianali 2020
▸ 96 pts Zena Crown · Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Slope 2018
▸ 95 pts Argentiera · Bolgheri Superiore 2020
▸ 95 pts Argiano · Toscana Solengo 2021
▸ 95 pts Barone Ricasoli · Chianti Classico Gaiole Gran Selezione 2022
▸ 95 pts Caiarossa · Toscana 2021
▸ 95 pts Camigliano · Brunello di Montalcino 2020
▸ 95 pts Calcareous · Tres Violet Paso Robles 2023
▸ 95 pts Château de Beaucastel · Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023
▸ 95 pts Clos Apalta · Apalta 2022
▸ 95 pts Damilano · Barolo Cannubi 2021
▸ 95 pts Dehlinger · Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Altamont 2023
▸ 95 pts HALL Napa Valley · Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District 2021
▸ 95 pts Louis M. Martini · Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder 2021
▸ 95 pts Matervini · Malbec Cafayate Valley Alteza 2021
▸ 95 pts Paul Hobbs · Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard 2021
▸ 95 pts Poderi Aldo Conterno · Barolo Cicala 2020
▸ 95 pts Schramsberg · J. Schram Blancs North Coast 2016
▸ 95 pts Seghesio Family · Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Cortina 2023
▸ 95 pts Sullivan Rutherford Estate · Cabernet Sauvignon J.O. Sullivan Founder's Reserve 2021
▸ 95 pts Tenuta Sette Ponti · Toscana Oreno 2023
▸ 95 pts Torbreck · The Factor Barossa Valley 2022
▸ 95 pts VIK · Millahue 2022
▸ 95 pts Viña Don Melchor · Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchor Vineyard 2022
Welcome to the Daily Decant, your five-minute briefing on the world of wine. Each episode delivers practical insights to help you choose, order, and talk about wine with more confidence in everyday social settings. Let's get into today's Decant. Saturday. One day away from the Sunday wrap. This week we've covered five regions: Tuscany, Barolo, Bulgaria, Southern Rhone, California Sparkling, all of California, and then the Global New World Tour. Today I want to give you the full top 30 of a single episode organized by Score, broken down by region, with one key thing to know about each wine. Think of this as your cheat sheet before we zoom out tomorrow. Okay, so let's start at the very top. 98 points. One wine earned that score, and it was the wine of the afternoon, Valdecava, Brunella de Montalcino, Madonna del Piano Reserva 2016. If you see it on a shelf or wine list, you buy it without hesitation. 97 points. Went to two wines, both Italian and both well worth tracking down. First is Castellare di Castellina, Sodi di San Nicolo, 2021, one of the most elegant super testkins being produced today in a wine that shows exactly what the 2021 vintage is capable of. The second is Col di Orca, Brunello de Monticino, Poggio Alvento Reserva, also 2016, more widely available than Val di Caba. And genuinely excellent in value relative to its quality. So at 96 points, three wines and also very different expressions of what Italy does best. Fantoti, pancinello 2022. This is a benchmark, super Tuscan. It's been beautifully made for decades, and it still is. Next, Castella de Bopaya Balafico 2021. Elegant, precise, and a great entry point if you're exploring Sangiovese based blends. Then the surprise of the evening, Tenuda Meraviglia, Bulgari. A producer worth following closely, remember that name. 23 wines, eight countries, I'll take them region by region. From Italy, starting with Bulgaria and the Super Tuscans. Argentira Bulgari Superior 2020, reliable, polished, a classic cab blend from that coast. Argiano Solengo 2021, dense and powerful, a super Tuscan built for the cellar. So staying in Italy, Chianti and Brunello, Barone Ricasoli, Chianti Classico, Gran Selezione 2022, one of the great Chiantis from an estate with a thousand-year history. That's not marketing, that's just a fact. And Camigliano, Brunello de Montalcino 2020, notably approachable and already drinking beautifully if you don't want to wait. From Piedmont, two Barolos, Da Milano Barolo, Canubi 2021, elegant, perfumed, from one of Barolo's most storied single vineyards, and Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo, Chicala 2020, powerful and structured. This one needs time, put it down and come back to it. So there's one wine from France. It was a magnificent representative of its appellation, Chateau des Beaucastel, Chateauneuf de Pope 2023. Quietly available, exceptional value for the quality, and the kind of wine that reminds you why that region matters. Now into California, and there's a lot to cover here. Calcareous Treviolet, Pasar Robles 2023, The Coolest Wildcard of the Entire Evening, Dellinger, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Altamont, 2023, Under the Radar and Massively Over Delivering. Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, 2021, Volcanic Soils, Structured Tannins, Built for Age. Louis M. Martini, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veter, 2021, Earthy and Genuinely Complex, Paul Hobbs, Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstop for Dr. Crane Vineyard, 2021. And that one is the best AFA Cab of the Evening, period. Schramsburg, J. Schram, Blancs, North Coast, 2016, the best California Sparkling I've had in years, and I mean that. Segcio Families Infidel, Dry Creek Valley, Cortina, 2023. Old Vin Zen at its most convincing. And Sullivan, Rutherford Estate, J.O. Sullivan Founders Reserve, 2021. Opulent, Valley Floor, Napa Cab, everything that Styles promises. Alright, Oregon, one wine, Xena Crown, Pinot Noir, Iola, Amity Hills, Slope, 2018, World Class. Absolutely. Next, headed down to South America. We've got three countries from Argentina, Matervini, Malbec, Capillate Valley, Alteza, 2021. High altitude, structured, and serious. Next term Chile, three wines that together make a statement about what that country can do at the very top level. Close Alpata, Alpata 2022, Vina Dam Malcor, Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, and Vic Miahui 2022. Three expressions, three estates, one consistent message, Chile is here. And from Australia, Torbrec the Factor, Barossa Valley 2022, powerful old vine charaz, built for the seller, give it time. Although it still is really good today. Again, this was one of my favorites. Okay. Two big practical takeaways before I let you go. First, the 2021 vintage is the one to hunt across Tuscany, Piedmont, and Napa Valley. Seek it out aggressively. Second, South America, Chile especially, is producing wine at a world-class level that is still falling under most people's radar on price. That window will close. All 30 wines are on your show notes, and come back tomorrow for the Sunday recap. So, thanks for listening. That's today's Daily Decant. If you found this helpful, be sure to subscribe and share with your friends so you can continue building your wine knowledge in just a few minutes a day. See you tomorrow for your next decant.
