W&S Top 100 Wineries 2019!

The story of Catena is more or less the story of Argentine wine. In 1902, Catena Family planted their first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza, after sailing from Italy to Argentina. When the third generation Nicolás Catena Zapata, who was honoured as Decanter’s Man of the Year 2009, began running the family winery in the 1960s, he drastically modernized the winemaking techniques, and pioneered the experiment on extremely high-altitude vineyards on the Andes Mountains.

Zuccardi was founded in 1963 by Alberto Zuccardi, who wanted to demonstrate the efficiency of his groundbreaking irrigation system in extremely arid growing environment. Since then, the family had realised their passion in viticulture, evolving to a quality wine producer with the help of Alberto’s son José Alberto Zuccardi.

Today, Zuccardi is one of Argentina’s most well-known wineries. Working in harmony with the environment, José Alberto produces premium Argentine wines with the third generation Sebastián Zuccardi. In 2007, Decanter magazine acknowledged the father and son as being among the five most influential personalities of Argentine Wine. And recently in 2016, José Alberto himself received Lifetime Achievement Award by International Wine Challenge (IWC).

Planted in 1967, Vasse Felix was the first vineyard to be established in Margaret River wine region.
Vasse Felix has a clear focus on the regional strengths Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, along with Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends. The flagship wine of the estate, Heytesbury Cabernet is sourced from the original 1967 plantings and made from a meticulous selection of the most outstanding barrels of a vintage. It is balanced, elegant and complex, with very limited quantity produced. Virginia has worked over twenty vintages in Margaret River and internationally. She is recognized amongst the most awarded female winemakers in Australia, having been named Gourmet Traveller WINE’s Winemaker of the Year in 2012.

Founded in 1991, Domaine Sigalas is considered to be the most famous producer of Santorini in the Aegean Sea. The domaine works diligently on native grape varieties of Greece, especially Assyrtiko, which is planted on its own rootstocks on the island’s unique volcanic soil, producing unusually concentrated white wines in various styles. “Sigalas is simply a master with this grape.” commented Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

During his seventy-seven years as a winemaker (1850-1927), G.B. Burlotto’s accomplishments were rivaled only by those of Biondi-Santi and Vega Sicilia, as G.B. achieved superstardom in a world dominated by French wines. Today, Burlotto has re-emerged as one of Piemonte’s great small producers, thanks to the brilliant and highly traditional winemaking of G.B.’s great-great-grandson, Fabio Alessandria.

Situated in the heart of Central Otago, Felton Road is often claimed as one of the best producers in New Zealand. The vineyards are located on the north-facing slopes of Bannockburn, where all the grapes are meticulously farmed according to natural biodynamic principles by Nigel Greening, undoubtedly the number-one fan of Felton Road who turned to be the proud owner of the estate since 2000.

Pinot Noir is the superstar from Felton Road, which is one of the only five wineries in New Zealand to be classified “Five Stars” – the top of the list – in The Great New Zealand Pinot Noir Classification by Matthew Jukes & Tyson Stelzer. It is cultivated in a very Burgundian style with elegance and finesse that truly reflect the distinctive characteristics of its terroir. Together with the high-quality Chardonnay and Riesling, Felton Road is considered to be a region hero who blazed a trail for others to follow.

Old, great Rioja could be the best kept secret in fine wine today. Founded in 1877, Tondonia is one of the oldest and greatest estates in Rioja. Deeply rooted in tradition, the centenarian winemaking philosophy has been passed from generation to generation, creating Reserva and Gran Reserva wines with majesty, richness, complexity and incredible longevity, which seem to never fade out but only get better with time.
The family owns a couple of vineyards including the most famous Viña Tondonia, with over 100 hectares of vine planted with tradition varieties of Rioja. Viña Bosconia produces Burgundy-style, elegant but full-bodied wines, with great complexity. Viña Gravonia, named after the region Graves in Bordeaux, crafts pure Viura wine that are sophisticated and developed, with profound minerality.

Col Solare is the partnership between two influential wine producers who are recognized leaders in their respective regions: Tuscany’s Marchesi Antinori and Washington State’s Chateau Ste. Michelle. From its inaugural 1995 vintage, Col Solare’s mission has been to unite these two unique viticultural and winemaking cultures to produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon from the very best Washington fruit. With opening of a new winery and planting of the estate vineyard on Red Mountain in 2007, that vision has evolved to focus on showcasing the Cabernet Sauvignon of this unique AVA and the specific fruit of the Col Solare estate vineyard. The distinctive flavor of Col Solare reflects an ingenious partnership that combines our expertise in the Northwest’s climate and precision viticulture with Antinori’s 26 generations of winemaking experience in Italy.

Rose & Arrow is an exclusive project started by famous winemaker Louis Michel Liger-Belair in Oregon, the United States. An iconic logo is printed on their wine labels: a golden rose with an arrow end. It speaks to their foundational belief in the pleasure of paradoxes, between opposing forces of love and war. They think the “rose” and “arrow”, innately connected yet conflicting, each defined by the existence of the other, which resembles wines in the way that a balance/harmony is necessary for a wine to be great. For example, the balance between acid & sweet and simple & complex.

Established in 1893, Stags’ Leap Winery is one of the oldest wine estates in Napa Valley. Joining the winery in 2009, French winemaker Christophe Paubert, who had worked in Chateau d’Yquem and Gruaud-Larose as well as Chile, Spain and Washington State, carries on the proud winemaking heritage in the prestigious appellation Stags Leap District, which bears the winery name.
A unique terroir and ideal microclimate support a classical standard of viticulture, land use, and winemaking that is as relevant today as it was over a century ago. It is best known for its Petite Sirah made from some very old vines, as well as the refined and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon showing finesse and intensity.