Reviewers spotlight noteworthy wine discoveries based on criteria such as sustainability, innovation, investment value and age-worthiness.

SINGAPORE- MediaOutReach - 19 November2020 - Following on the success of unveiling ten top winediscoveries last year at their New York Matter of Taste event, the review teamat Robert Parker Wine Advocate take this initiative a step further, announcingtheir best newly discovered, under-the-radar wines of the year: Top 100 WineDiscoveries 2020. True to Robert Parker Wine Advocate's vision toindependently evaluate and highlight wines from all around the world, thisinnovative move means to encourage wine lovers to explore new territories andlearn about the passionate work of often previously unheralded wine makers.

Domaine Franco-Chinois is the new product toemerge from the old Sino-French experimental vineyard and winery located inHebei, China. This is a joint venture between the Chinese government (CITIC)and the French government

From over 30,000 wines reviewed by the ten-strong team of wine criticsover the last year, this Top 100 Wine Discoveries list complements the100-point rating system developed by Robert Parker Wine Advocate back in 1978,spotlighting not the well-known, highest scoring wines, but those singular winegems revealing unexpected greatness or fresh, exciting new takes on familiarlabels.

The selection discovers a numberof wines producedfrom lesser-known grape varieties and/or in non-traditional growing regions, and also rediscovers dozens of renownedmarques that are making significant innovations, such as in sustainability andterroir-driven decisions, that are informing the taste of the new generation. Wineries in the OldWorld regions such as France and Italy show plenty of innovation, while theUnited States has emerged as one of wine's most innovative frontiers.

"Theresults of our assessment highlighted to us that there are wines that are notnecessarily our top-scoring wines, but have compelling stories behind thebottle. So much change andinnovation is currently happening in regions around the world, whether new likeCalifornia or those with a long history like Bordeaux. Even if the labels arenot at all new, what's happening behind those famous names and all thatregional tradition is occasionally quite innovative. These stories and innovations are whatconsumers are increasingly motivated by when they seek out new discoveries--hencethe creation of what we offer our readers as our Top 100 Wine Discoveries," said LisaPerrotti-Brown MW, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, Editor-in-Chief.  

As noted by Robert ParkerWine Advocate China reviewer Edward Ragg, "China is expanding into producing awider range of wine styles, as interest within and outside of the countrygrows. The two whites showcased in this list make this point. While Domaine FrancoChinois, a joint venture between the Chinese and French governments, isassociated with red blends in a Bordelais mould, its best wine is arguably its sweetPetit Manseng. This 2014 example has all of the vibrant quince fruit and buoyantacidity of the varietal and is one of China's highest quality andmore age-able sweet whites. And at Chateau Nine Peaks in Shandong, a regionbetter known for beer, its Chardonnay has the abundant fruit of Meursault, withsofter acids and no lack of texture." 

Deciding the Top 100 Wine Discoveries

Asthe world's most recognised authority on fine wines, the Robert Parker WineAdvocate team of wine critics coverthe entire globe in their quest to inform readers of the most noteworthy wines,including the major wine-producing regions of Argentina, Australia, Austria,Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, NewZealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United States andmore.

Thisyear's Wine Discoveries were handpicked by all 10 reviewers from over 30,000 winesreviewed between October 2019 and October 2020. The selection criteria for theTop 100 Wine Discoveries are founded on wines that come from outside the mainstream or are new, and haveone or more of the following attributes: value,age-worthiness, sustainability, and wines that representinnovative approaches, whether in the vineyards, winery or otherwise. Not every wine region will be equallyrepresented, and not every vintage is created equal.

"The regional composition of this list will varyconsiderably from year to year, depending on local weather conditions and thenumber of wines reviewed from the different parts of the wine-growing world,"said Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, Managing Editor.

The next big thing: Spotlight on wineries in the list

For the inaugural list, the reviewers have discovered orrediscovered an exciting range of wines in a new light. Each one hasits story of why it stood out, whether it's a rising star, an experiment, or avalue investment that would match similar styles in a reader's cellar. Get toknow a few here:

• Pasarene Union 2016, Tulbagh, South Africa

"Even though theirlabels are beautiful and catch the eye, it's what's inside the bottle that istruly captivating,' said Robert Parker Wine Advocate South Africa andWashington State reviewer Anthony Muller of this rising star from Tulbagh,South Africa. "The 2016 Union is a Rhône style blend made from Syrah, Carignanand Mourvèdre, which boasts dusty, dark-berried aromas with a floral elegance,that is both food-friendly and age-worthy."

• Aquilini Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain 2017, RedMountain, USA

Anthony Muller has also spotted this relatively new kid on the block inWashington State, USA. "Focusing on Bordeaux varietals, Aquilini wines are owned by theCanadian billionaire family of the same name, who spare no expense to craftfine, high-quality wines from Red Mountain," he noted. It's not too late tostart investing in discoveries from this region, which has produced 100-pointwines in recent years.   

• Chateau Montfin Corbières Vincent Sans SulfitesAjoutés 2018, Languedoc, France

There are rising stars in the southern French region of Languedoc, andthis is one that stood out for JoeCzerwinski. "Made without added sulfites, and selling for a song (under $20), thisnew cuvée does a fine job representing the 'new Languedoc'. Organically farmed,it's a delicious blend of traditional grape varieties (Grenache, Carignan andSyrah) from an underrated appellation," he explained.

• Castello dei Rampolla Liù 2018, Toscana, Italy

Robert Parker Wine Advocate Italy Reviewer Monica Larner's search ledher to the heart of Tuscany and the Conca d'Oro vineyard in Panzano in Chianti where biodynamicvintner Maurizia Di Napoli offers the iconic wines d'Alceo and Sammarco. "Apure expression of Merlot, Liù is an exciting new addition to the Castello deiRampolla portfolio," she shared, of this winery that isn't afraid of innovating,first with international blends in the 1970s, to biodynamics for the past 20years.

• Chateau Séraphine 2017, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France

"Expect great things in the future from this producer, this is a Chateauto watch!" observed Lisa Perrotti-Brown. A newcomer to Pomerol, Séraphine waspurchased by British businessman Martin Krajewski in late 2016, and this 2017is the first vintage and a very promising beginning. Krajewski is also theowner of Grand Cru Saint-Émilion estate Clos Cantenac and Aristea Wines inSouth Africa.

In summary, "While ourcritics spend much of their time reviewing traditional wines from classic wineregions, part of the ethos at Robert Parker Wine Advocate has always been aboutdiscovering great wines, regardless of where they're from and how they're made.With the team's global reach and decades of experience, Robert Parker WineAdvocate is uniquely qualified to highlight new or innovative wines thattoday's modern wine consumers should seek out," said Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW.

To mark the occasion of this inaugural list, Robert ParkerWine Advocate is giving a one-month complimentary trial for all newsubscribers, where they can access the fulldetails of the selection. Afterthat, the essential one-year subscription to RobertParker.com can be continued atthe usual membership fee with access to an unparalleled database of morethan 450,000 wine tasting notes, ratings and in-depth reports from expertreviewers around-the-world, aswell as priority booking for Matter of Taste (a premier fine-wine tasting event)and more.

For more information visit: https://www.robertparker.com/wine-discoveries/2020

ANNEX: Robert Parker Wine Advocate Top 100 WineDiscoveries List

About Robert Parker Wine Advocate

For more than 40 years, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, andlater RobertParker.com, has been the global leader and independent consumer'sguide to fine wine. The brand was established by world-famous Robert M. Parker,Jr., the only critic in any field to receive the highest Presidential honorfrom three countries--France, Italy and Spain. Robert Parker Wine Advocateprovides a wealth of information to its subscribers, including a searchabledatabase of more than 400,000 professional wine ratings and reviews plusarticles, videos, daily news content, online retail availability and pricing,an active, professionally moderated bulletin board, a mobile app for easyaccess to the comprehensive online database of reviews, and much more.

In 2016, Robert Parker Wine Advocate partnered withMichelin to launch MICHELIN Guides in Singapore and other Asian markets. Itprovides full support in the form of a digital platform, a series of exclusivedining events and editorial support to increase the footprint of MICHELINGuides in Asia. In 2019, Robert Parker Wine Advocate became fully owned by theMichelin Group joining the four pillars of the "Michelin Experiences" centeredaround food & beverage, hotels, travel and mobility.