Au Bon Climat, Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County 2016
Price range: £266.00 through £315.0012x750mlAu Bon Climat Chardonnay is a testament to one of the premier vineyards in California. It delivers an expressive energy and aromatic bouquet. Currently, the wine is the second highest-priced chardonnay from the Santa Ynez Valley.
Au Bon Climat, La Bauge Au-Dessus Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley 2014
Price range: £539.00 through £630.0012x750mlLa Bauge Au Dessus, which translates to “a wild party upstairs,” features 100 pinot noir and 24 months of barrel-aging. The classic styling has earned Au Bon Climat an international reputation among wine investors and aficionados.
Au Bon Climat, Wild Boy Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County 2017
Price range: £266.00 through £315.0012x750mlWild Boy is the invention of Jim Clendenen, one of California’s highest regarded winemakers. The versatile white wine offers oak notes, butteriness, and refreshing acidity, as it pays homage to its European roots.
Bond, Pluribus, Napa Valley 2019
Price range: £2,145.00 through £2,484.003x750mlWine critics love Bond Pluribus. Robert Parker called it “the finest wine I’ve tasted from this vineyard,” Meanwhile, James Suckling said, “What a mouthfeel. (I) can’t wait to see how it evolves in the coming years.” Bond Pluribus lives up to this hype and then some. The Bordeaux-style red blend, which has earned multiple 100-point ratings, has nearly doubled in price from 2017 to 2021.
Dalla Valle, Collina, Napa Valley 2013
Price range: £602.00 through £700.006x750mlDalla Valle is one of the top wine producers in Napa Valley, and Collina is its pride and joy. Collina is one of four stand-out pinot noir wines from legendary winemaker Paul Hobbs, who hand-selects the finest fruits to ensure pristine quality. Made in limited quantities, Collina a strong choice for wine collectors and investors.
DAOU, Reserve Chardonnay, Paso Robles 2018
Price range: £384.00 through £451.0012x750mlDAOU Reserve Chardonnay comes from the estate’s bucolic winery in Paso Robles. The grapes are organically grown and aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. The aging process contributes to a well-balanced profile that marries beauty and power.
Dominus, Napa Valley 2003
Price range: £1,100.00 through £1,276.006x750mlDominus is American wine at its best. The genre-defining Bordeaux-style red blend has earned nine 100-point ratings from critics, with Jeb Dunnuck praising it as “a flawless, perfect wine” and James Suckling calling it “a wine to age for a lifetime.” Opportunities to invest in Dominus are rare, with the estate only releasing 3,000 cases or so per year. Investors who were lucky enough to snag a bottle saw a 35.6 return on investment from 2017 to 2021.
Dominus, Napanook, Napa Valley 2010
Price range: £715.00 through £834.0012x750mlDominus Napanook is a showy Bordeaux-style red blend from the mind of legendary wine producer Christian Moueix. It’s fresh, rich, and shimmering with notes of red berries, cocoa, cardamom, and dark fruits. The result is one of the best second wines you’ll find anywhere in the world.
Dominus, Napanook, Napa Valley 2011
Price range: £612.00 through £715.0012x750mlDominus Napanook is a showy Bordeaux-style red blend from the mind of legendary wine producer Christian Moueix. It’s fresh, rich, and shimmering with notes of red berries, cocoa, cardamom, and dark fruits. The result is one of the best second wines you’ll find anywhere in the world.
Eisele Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2016
Price range: £2,830.00 through £3,278.006x750mlEisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon helped elevate the estate to cult status. The red wine, which retails around $500 per bottle, stands out for its harmonious and multi-layered complexion. Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has also earned 100-point ratings from wine critics in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Eisele Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2012
Price range: £555.00 through £645.006x750mlEisele Vineyard strives for perfection with every bottle. This sauvignon blanc is no exception. The wine, which features a large proportion of sauvignon blanc musqué, delivers freshness and energy that is only possible at its hill-guarded vineyards. In 2017, wine critic James Suckling begged the question, “(Is this the) best white of Napa at the moment?”
Harlan Estate, The Maiden, Napa Valley 2006
Price range: £825.00 through £957.003x750mlOne of the most popular wines from Napa Valley, The Maiden provides its investor with a rare opportunity to hold an impeccable, hand-crafted expression of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. Aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, it has a unique essence with a lingering black fruit taste. This red wine is worth pursuing whether you’re a collector or a serious connoisseur.
Harlan Estate, The Maiden, Napa Valley 2009
Price range: £1,820.00 through £2,109.006x750mlOne of the most popular wines from Napa Valley, The Maiden provides its investor with a rare opportunity to hold an impeccable, hand-crafted expression of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. Aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, it has a unique essence with a lingering black fruit taste. This red wine is worth pursuing whether you’re a collector or a serious connoisseur.
Kutch, Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2015
Price range: £602.00 through £703.0012x750mlThe adage goes that “wine is made in the vineyard.” Kutch Wines lives this philosophy with its cool climate, rich soils, and well-positioned vineyards. After trying the 2018 vintage, wine critic Loren Sonkin called it “another quality wine from Jamie Kutch.”
Lillian, Syrah, California 2012
Price range: £407.00 through £474.006x750mlWinemaker Lillian Harrison has helped put the Central Coast on the map with her eponymous syrah. What makes it unique is that it isn’t very syrah-like at all. The red wine has refined earthy qualities that emphasize the delicate structure. Wine.com praised it as “the embodiment of true femininity.”
Morlet, Chardonnay Ma Douce, California 2014
Price range: £473.00 through £550.006x750mlMa Douce is an ode to Luc Mortlet’s wife. The chardonnay is fresh and focused, with bright acidity and a silky texture. It’s another brilliant entry in the Morlet Family Vineyards portfolio and consistently earns ratings in the mid to high-90s from critics.
Morlet, Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles, Sonoma Coast 2012
Price range: £474.00 through £552.006x750mlMorlet Family Vineyards has the magic touch when it comes to pinot noir. Each vintage is fragrant, smooth, and juicy, paying homage to its roots in Burgundy. The red wine comes with 15+ years of cellar potential and a more than reasonable price tag.
Opus One, Napa Valley 2015
Price range: £1,615.00 through £1,872.003x1500mlThere are more than 50 wineries in Napa Valley, and they all wish they could produce something as magical as Opus One. Created in 1984 in a collaborative effort between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Opus One is an indicative blend of five red-wine grapes. The grapes bring character to the wine in a way that cannot be replicated anywhere else. The price of this legendary Bordeaux-style red blend has risen 30.8 from 2017 to 2021.
Rhys, Bearwallow Chardonnay, Anderson Valley 2016
Price range: £836.00 through £974.0012x750mlLocation is everything when it comes to great wine. The Anderson Valley delivers on all fronts, with the Bearwallow Vineyard rising majestically out of the redwood forests of Northern California. Rhys Vineyards offers a 100 chardonnay from this idyllic location. It ages in oak barrels that bring out the ripe, rich character of the wine with hints of floral blossom.
Rhys, Bearwallow Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley 2016
Price range: £996.00 through £1,159.0012x750mlRhys Bearwallow Vineyard is one of the finest renditions of pinot noir from the Anderson Valley. It delivers a quintessential bouquet of pungent red fruits, mouth-watering savoriness, and unshakeable balance. Best of all, this red wine comes with a more than reasonable price tag.
Ridge, Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley 2008
Price range: £832.00 through £969.0012x750mlWith a limited amount of wine produced from this elite vineyard, Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs is a blend that stands out from the competition. It’s layered with fruit and spice and comes together beautifully with an enduring finish. The zinfandel-forward blend is one of the most expensive wines from the Dry Creek Valley region.
Robert Mondavi Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville 1997
Price range: £394.00 through £459.006x750mlGood luck trying to overstate Robert Mondavi’s importance to the wine industry. He’s widely credited as the man responsible for making Californian wine industry a global presence. When it comes to his eponymous winery’s cabernet sauvignon, the red wine reflects Mondavi’s ever-present commitment to quality over quantity.
Sandhi, Bentrock Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills 2012
Price range: £399.00 through £465.006x750mlBentrock is the most cherished vineyard in the Sandhi portfolio. The vineyard sits on the southwestern tip of the Santa Rita Hills, soaking in ample sunshine and cool ocean breezes. The serene location yields high-quality chardonnay that’s the epitome of class and sophistication.
Screaming Eagle, The Flight, Oakville 2007
Price range: £5,671.00 through £6,566.006x750mlScreaming Eagle The Flight may be the estate’s second wine, but what a second wine it is. The Bordeaux-style red blend features expressive dark fruit mixed with violets, spice cakes, and a touch of menthol flavor. Wine critic James Suckling gave it back-to-back 99-point ratings in 2016 and 2017, saying, “best Flight I have ever had with so much merlot character coming through… extremely refined and fresh.” As for investors, they routinely pay hundreds of dollars for a single bottle of this red wine.
Sine Qua Non, Eleven Confessions Collectors Case, Sta. Rita Hills 2014
Price range: £2,075.00 through £2,404.006x750mlEleven Confessions comes entirely from a single vineyard in Santa Rita Hills. The blend contains 82 grenache, along with syrah, petite sirah, and viognier to round out the profile. Aged in French oak barrels for more than three years, this juicy red wine is worth the wait.
Spottswoode, Sauvignon Blanc, North Coast 2018
Price range: £385.00 through £452.0012x750mlWhen wine critic Karen MacNeil coined the term “Super Sauvignons,” Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc is what she had in mind. The wine is in the upper echelon of Napa Valley wines with an enviable blend of timelessness and sophistication.
