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.

5
100Royal Tokaji 2013 Szt. Tamás Single
Vineyard 6 Puttonyos Aszú First Growth
(Tokaj). Brilliant gold-flecked-amber in the
glass, this Hungarian stunner hails from the
Szt. Tamás Vineyard located on one of Tokaj’s
most iconic hills. It has aromas of wildflower
honey, ripe peach, honeysuckle blossom, freshly
sliced apricot and acacia flowers. It is an ethereal
blend of Furmint, Harslevelü and Muscat. Silky
smooth on entry, it offers enticing flavors of white
peach, apricot preserves, honeycomb and acacia
honey. It has beautiful heft on the palate, with
balanced acidity and crisp minerality. The elegant
sweetness is perfectly foiled by bracing acidity
and crispness in the finish. This is how Hungarian
Tokaj Aszü wine should be made. Drink through
2045. Wilson Daniels Ltd. —J.J.
abv: 10% Price: $135/500 ml

100Biondi-Santi 2012 Riserva (Brunello di
Montalcino). This is the final Riserva
to benefit from the late Franco Biondi Santi’s
masterful hand. It boasts enticing scents of rose,
underbrush, red berry, new leather and crushed
mint. The chiseled palate features succulent
Morello cherry, pomegranate, orange zest, star
anise and a hint of tobacco, all framed in taut,
polished tannins. Firm acidity lends youthful
tension and keeps it impeccably balanced. Drink
2024–2062. Wilson Daniels Ltd. —K.O.
abv: 13.5% Price: $655

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