Wine Spectator is one of the world's most respected and influential wine publications. Every year, they release their list of the top wines for that year, and this highly anticipated list can significantly affect the market
As soon as Wine Spectator releases its list of the top wines for a year, the market tends to respond quickly. Wine lovers and collectors around the world rush to purchase bottles of these wines before they become too scarce or expensive, driving up prices almost immediately.
Some wines may even go into short-term “hibernation” as their prices skyrocket overnight, making them practically impossible for anyone but wealthy connoisseurs to afford.
So what reaction has the wine market had to the release of Wine Spectator’s top wines of 2022?
Wine of the Year reaction
Wine Spectator named Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Double Diamond 2019 their Wine of the Year. The Shrader brand has traded on the secondary market since 2018, but only accounts for 0.3% of total Californian trade.
When the Double Diamond 2019 was announced as the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year, it wasn’t even trading on the Liv-ex, a situation which was soon rectified.
Hitting the market soon after the announcement, the Double Diamond 2019 entered trading at £1,200 per 12×75.
New trading records for Château Talbot and Château de Beaucastel 2019
Château Talbot 2019 reached the fourth sport on the Wine Spectator 2022 list, which saw its price on the secondary market ramp up in spectacular fashion with a record-breaking 46.8% rise on its initial selling price, up to £580 per 12×75.
Described by Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth as “well-built and rather refined for the vintage, with a deep well of red and black currant paste and plum reduction flavours supported by a deeply inlaid iron note, all of which run the length of the wine,” the Château Talbot 2019 is an impressive example of the vintage.
By adding that the wine was also “built to cellar,” Molesworth also attracted those looking for a fine investment as well as a great tipple.
Château de Beaucastel 2019 also saw a remarkable performance in the secondary market, with a 92.4% rise on its initial selling price, up to £1,058 per 12×75 per 12×75.
This wine was praised by Wine Spectator’s Molesworth as “pretty gorgeous, with a remarkably pure display of cassis, cherry puree and plum reduction flavours laced ever so gently with threads of leather, alder and dried garrigue”.
This kind of glowing review, combined with its vintage characteristics, has made the Château de Beaucastel 2019 an especially sought-after and popular example of the vintage. It’s no wonder that it’s seen such tremendous appreciation in value over a short period of time.
Increased demand for the top 10 wines
Other spots in the Wine Spectator’s top ten went to Tignanello 2019, Fattoria Le Pupille 2019 and Louis Roederer Cristal 2014.
Tignanello 2019 traded at £1,324 per 12×75, a 32.4% increase on its release price. Already popular, the Tignanello 2019 has seen its price boosted further by the fact that Wine Spectator referred to its as “a wine that defined an era and a region, continues to be innovative and remain relevant and exciting.”
Fattoria Le Pupille 2019, a Saffredi, sold for £650 per 12×75, a 28% increase on its release price. This is yet another confirmation that the 2019 vintage from Maremma’s leading estates was a great success.
Louis Roederer Cristal 2014 has spent almost all of 2022 being one of the most popular wines in the market, and its popularity has been reflected in its prices. An impressive 12.9% increase since it was launched means that the 12×75 format of Cristal 2014 is trading at £2,710.
