Your Guide To High-End Wines

What Are “High-End” Wines?

Using the age-old expression, “you get what you pay for…” applies to an expansive array of goods and services, even wines. High-end wines represent the superior product for a region. Once you reach the $50 per bottle and up level, producers separate themselves from the rest of the crowd.

One of the biggest differences between high-end wines and the less expensive and larger production wines is approach. Approach is a rather comprehensive view of their wine or what they want the wine to be. Are they approaching the wine for a larger appeal or something geared for a smaller market?

More expensive wines focus on smaller production, which allows them to either showcase the vineyard itself or stage the purest expression of a varietal.

Winemaker skill is another difference; the best winemakers and consultants, will yield the best wines.

The last thing is critical acclaim.

Cult Wines

You may hear another term for unique or high-end wines. Cult wines are an unofficial category and are wines that have high demand and low availability. Most cult wines require a mailing list and then you‘re chosen by the winery to purchase wine. For some wineries, the waiting period could be many years. The wines may be available through retailers or the private market, but expect to spend several hundred to several thousand dollars per bottle.

France

Bordeaux – easily one of the most prestigious wine regions in the entire world and represents approximately 10% of the total dollar value of wines. Whether it’s left or right bank, high-end Bordeaux reds are extremely age-worthy, with top wines being capable of cellaring for 30+ years.

Left Bank Bordeaux

“Left Bank” estates date back to the 16th century and are predominately Cabernet with various amount of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The best reds will be dark, rich and hugely tannic and not over the top in fruit. The focus of these wines will be the earthiness, minerals, smoke and tobacco while the fruit takes lesser notes. Top wines are extremely acclaimed, where 100pt scores are fairly common. Because of the prestige of the wineries themselves, coupled with the critical acclaim and high demand, these wines can fetch high prices.

Examples
Chateau Mouton
Chateau Lafite
Chateau Haut Brion
Chateau Margaux
Chateau Latour
Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou
Chateau Montrose
Chateau Leoville Las Cases
Chateau Palmer
Chateau Lynch Bages
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion

Right Bank Bordeaux

“Right Bank” are predominately Merlot with various amount of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvi-gnon. Because of the Merlot, these wines are softer and more fruit forward than the wines from the Left Bank. Even though they are softer, many of the best producers still make wines with firm tannins meaning they can age for extended periods. Though softer they still may feature flavors and aromas of minerals, earth, tobacco and cedar.

Examples
Petrus
Le Pin
Chateau Cheval Blanc
Chateau Pavie
Chateau Ausone
Chateau La Mondotte
Chateau La Violette
Chateau Lafleur

Red Burgundy

Red wines from Burgundy are regarded as the greatest expression of Pinot Noir. They will be muscular with higher tannins and darker red fruits. Typical of old world reds, fruitiness is not the focus as depth and complexity are what they are about. Earth, mushrooms, tobacco, smoke, cedar and minerals are common flavors and aromas. What makes high-end Burgundy, red or white, different is the attention to how their classification works.

Most of the top Burgundies fall into Premier Cru and Grand Cru, which are single vineyard wines. Vineyards are split into smaller blocks with producers owning their own block or blocks for production. As a result, Premier Cru and Grand Cru Burgundies have a smaller production and fairly high demand.

White Burgundy

As red Burgundy is to Pinot Noir, white Burgundy is to the finest expression of Chardonnay. While top flight white Burgundies have a richness and opulence to them, they have more depth and precision than their new world counterparts. The standard flavors and aromas of apple, pear and citrus but minerality and earthiness take center stage.

These Chardonnays are barrel aged so they will have the characteristic oaky, buttery flavors that Chardonnay is known for. Their characteristic high acidity gives these wines longer aging potential than the typical white wine; generally five to twenty years with proper cellaring. Monopole is a unique designation and identifies an appellation that is owned by a single producer

Examples
Producers –
Domaine de la Romanee-Conti
Maison Pascal Bouchard
Jadot
Louis Latour
Domaine Prieur
Domaine de la Vougeraie

Vineyards – 
Montrachet
Puligny and Chassagne Montrachet
Romanee-Conti (Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Monople0
Corton-Charlemagne
La Tache (Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Monopole)
Vougeot Les Clos Blanc (Domaine de la Vougeraie Monople)
Richebourg

Chateauneuf du Pape

Regarded as one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world, the appellation produces some of the greatest blends in the world. They specialize in reds that feature the common blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. The wines are tannic in their youth and will need a few years to develop in the bottle at a minimum.

Higher alcohol content is not uncommon, but the wines can still remain balanced. With Grenache being the dominant varietal, cherry and kirsch liqueur are common flavors and aromas. Blue and black fruit, florals, herbs, smoke and earthiness also come through because of the Syrah and Mouvedre. High quali-ty producers have helped to drive the prestige of the region which has helped to increase price and de-mand of the wines.

Examples
Michel Chapoutier
Pierre Henri Morel
Domaine de la Mordoree
Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe
Clos St Jean
Clos St Michel

Italy

Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello is considered one of Italy’s greatest red wines. While there are entry level Brunello, the wines exist as a high-end style of wine on smaller estates focusing on small production lots. While not a dark style of wine, they are muscular, tannic reds capable of extended aging. In most cases, Brunello’s need 8-10 years of cellaring to reach maturity.

During production, these wines have an extended barrel and bottle aging before release. Base Brunellos are aged for four years and bottled four months prior to release while riservas must be aged for five years. This extended oak aging adds to the wines’ depth and complexity. Flavors and aromas consist of berries with some vanilla and spice notes. The wines will also have a brambly earthiness. These wines are always 100% Sangiovese

Examples
Casanova di Neri
Canalicchio di Sopra
Renieri
Il Poggione
Valdicava
Podere Paganico
Bondi Santi

Barolo

Considered another of the greatest red wines in Italy. Like Burgundy, producers focus on single vine-yard wines and many makers will own one or more blocks in a vintage. Much like Brunello, these reds typically exist as a high-end wine category due to their quality, demand and limited availability. Barolos are elegant but powerful reds with firm tanninc structure and higher acidity that lends itself to long-term age ability.

They are complex wines with tar and roses being common descriptors with flavors and aromas leaning to red fruits such as strawberry, cherry and raspberry. Secondary flavor characteristics are anise, earthiness, florals, truffles and chocolate. These wines require 38 months aging with at least 18 months in barrel while riservas require 62 months of aging. These wines are 100% Nebbiolo.

Examples
Mauro Veglio
Marchesi di Barolo
Giacomo Conterno
Gaja
Vietti
Paolo Scavino

IGT (Super Tuscan)

This is a broad category of wine and there really isn’t a single style. Super Tuscan is an unofficial term for an Italian wine that doesn’t follow DOC or DOCG regulation but still produces excellent quality wine. Bolgheri is the only exception to this as it is a Super Tuscan region with a DOC classification.

Many of these wines are age-worthy but the style will vary from producers and wine to wine. Some producers emphasize on a modern style of wine that will be darker, plusher and more fruit forward with velvety, integrated tannins. Others concentrate on firm, muscular wines with a bigger focus on brambles, earth and acidity.

Examples
Sassicaia
Ornellaia
Tua Rita
Masseto
Renieri
Flaccionello

California

Napa Cabernet

Over the years, Napa Cabernet has shifted its style from a French/old world style in the early years to a modern, fruit forward, lush style in the present. Napa Cabernets from the valley floor are higher alcohol with riper, more extracted fruit while hillside and mountain fruit have more minerals but still richer and more fruit forward. The opulent, jamminess is niche California, especially Napa, have carved out for themselves. However, there are producers that advocate lower alcohol and more reserved, old world style wine.

For Napa, the entry-level, high-end wines start around $50 with flagship wines increasing in price quickly. The flavors and aromas will center on blackberry, cassis, plum with more ample vanilla and mocha notes. Secondary characteristics are usually licorice, minerality and smokiness with mountain fruit having some earthiness. Many California Cabernets receive consistent acclaim as ratings are a big driver of price in Napa Valley, as well as demand and vineyard location.

Examples
Chappellet
Caymus
Opus One
Bevan Cellars
Blankiet
Kapscandy
Screaming Eagle
Bryant Family
Colgin
Martin Ray
Joseph Phelps
Baldacci
Shafer
Barnett

Pinot Noir

California Pinot Noir has fully embraced the modern new world style of wine. The best examples of California Pinot Noir will be well-balanced with some depth and complexity and more focused on the fruit. Expect flavors and aromas ranging from bright red fruits such as strawberry, raspberry, cherry, pomegranate to darker fruits like black cherry and blackberry. Cooler regions, like Russian River Valley and Carneros, will give Pinot Noirs higher acidity. Secondary characteristics are minerality, smoke, florals and earthiness.

The best Pinot Noirs will focus on specific regions and vineyards. Russian River Valley and Carneros are two of the best regions with many of the top producers sourcing fruit from several vineyard sites. Coastal regions such as the larger Sonoma Coast AVA and the smaller Fort Ross-Seaview AVA pro-duce excellent expressions of Pinot Noir.

Examples
Bevan Cellars
Rob Lloyd
Barnett
Martin Ray
Wayfarer
Williams-Selyem
Merry Edwards

Chardonnay

Modern California Chardonnay is known for the oak and butter derived from malolactic fermentation. While there are producers that concentrate on the older style of leaner, structured and more complex Chardonnay, the buttery richness is still king. The same regions that Pinot Noir thrive in are also top regions for the best California Chardonnay.

Expect flavors and aromas of apples, pears, tropical fruit such as pineapple and melon, vanilla, oak, butter and spice. The older approach to Chardonnay will also show smoke, minerals and earthiness. It’s easy to produce a Chardonnay that’s thick, syrupy and over the top but what sets the best producers apart is their ability to balance the oak and butter flavors.

Examples
Bevan Cellars
Rob Lloyd
Rombauer
Titus
Chappellet
Mayacamas
Kistler
Kongsgaard
Far Niente

Oregon

Pinot Noir

Oregon Pinot Noir exists in an interesting corner of the modern wine world. They are new world wines with a noticeable old world feel. Because Oregon is on the same latitude as Burgundy, there‘s a Burgundian influence in their wines. They are lean, low alcohol wines that are higher in tannin with less of the Californian plushness.

The best examples of Oregon Pinot are rich, structured and complex. They will have a very perfumed nose of red fruits, earth, smoke and minerals and the flavors will be strawberry, cherry and raspberry. The most striking aspect of Oregon Pinot Noirs are their bright, light garnet hue. These wines will not be dark, jammy and overpowering but are all about subtlety and elegance

Examples
Winderlea
Coelho
Soter
Ken Wright
Domaine Drouhin (Oregon Estate)
Domaine Serene
Beaux Freres

Critic Scores

High-end wines are wines that receive top scores from the various wine critics; usually scoring 90 points or better consistently. These scores are a great guideline for shopping wine but it’s important to understand they aren’t the only factor regarding wine quality.

In the end, a critic score is just someone’s opinion, so find a critic that suits your palate and follow their scores to find wines you like. Some producers create a wine for a particular critic for the sole purpose of garnering high scores while others put no credence in critic scores and just make wines they like and do not submit for scoring.

We hope these reviews are helpful in your search for high-end wines. Follow our links below to our Amazon affiliates for wine accessories, we appreciate your support!