Wines Online Top 40 Wines of 2023

The Top 40 Wines of 2023 is finally out after 1 and a half months (we are late again). 2023 had been a busy year of consolidation with supply disruptions and cost increases making the wine universe somewhat smaller. Some smaller wineries had unfortunately priced themselves out of the market simply because they lack the clout to raise prices in tandem with cost jumps.

Nonetheless, we continue to find value in many small wineries who consistently make wines that punch above their price categories, so even as the price-quality gap has narrowed, customers are still content to open their wallets. Wineries like Borthwick Vineyards (Borthwick Pinot Gris at No. 6) is a fine example of an excellent producer that flies under the radar. The winery is located in the North Island (NZ) region of Wairarapa, which is most famous for the premium winery hub Martinborough. Being located outside prime estate zone means less marketing power to up prices. On the other hand, the winery operates on land the family has owned for nearly a hundred years, so the singular largest cost component of running a winery had been taken care of a long time ago. This means the winery can focus on making good wine, without fearing that the next vintage could be the last if they don't raise prices. 

Other wineries took the opportunity during the slowdown to recalibrate and retell their stories. Taltarni Dynamic Cabernet Sauvignon (No. 17) from famed Taltarni Vineyards in Pyrenees (Victoria, Australia) is part of the Dynamic range that the winery launched to demonstrate their winemaking expertise. Previously the winery was cranking out wines in whatever price categories the export markets demand. In the process, Taltarni kind of lost direction and produced wines that weren't exactly Taltarni standard. The slowdown allowed the winery to take a step back to reassess its direction, and the result was a wine like Dynamic Cabernet Sauvignon, which is fruit forward, approachable and crucially over delivers on the price.

There are similar stories in 2023. It's been a pleasure compiling the Top 40 Wines of 2023 list and figuring out why each entry ticks the boxes for our customers. We hope you enjoy drinking them as much as we had putting them together. We look forward to seeing what new wines could catch our attention and ignite our curiosity in 2024.

Have fun as always!

Prices and vintages shown in this table are correct as at the date of this article and may change subsequent to this date.