James Suckling

Taking the No. 5 spot on our Top 100 World Wines 2026, the Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Margaret River Art Series 2023 reinforces Margaret River’s reputation as one of the world’s great fine wine regions. The 2023 vintage was exceptional in Margaret River – marked by a warm, dry growing season – resulting in wines of incredible depth, freshness and concentration.

Staff Writer & Critic Ryan Montgomery was particularly struck by this release during recent tastings across the region. Finely layered with a flinty, reductive edge, it reveals aromas of salted lemons, grapefruit, oyster shells, wet stones, oatmeal and white flowers. On the palate, it is powerful yet tense and focused, with electric acidity cutting through dense fruit, fine phenolic structure and a long, mouthwatering mineral finish.

Read more in our full Top 100 World Wines 2026 report here: jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-r…

Claiming the No. 4 spot on our Top 100 World Wines 2026, the Figgins Walla Walla Valley Estate Red 2023 highlights the incredible dedication to farming by Washington wine pioneer Gary Figgins – who planted some of the area's first vines in the mid-1970s – and his son Chris Figgins, who crafts the wines today.

Staff Writer & Critic Courtney Humiston praised this cabernet sauvignon-dominant blend as “wonderfully aromatic,” leading into a mouthwatering and persistent finish. From an exceptional 2023 growing season, it unfolds with layers of plum, boysenberry, lilacs and cocoa, framed by fine, silky tannins and a plush mouthfeel. What makes it especially remarkable is its balance of freshness and concentration; unlike many rich, powerful Washington reds that demand years of cellaring, this is wonderfully drinkable now while still possessing the structure to age effortlessly.

Read our full Top 100 World Wines 2026 report here: jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-r…

he Robert Weil Riesling Rheingau Kiedrich Gräfenberg Spätlese 2025 is our No. 3 on our Top 100 World Wines 2026 list. Germany’s Robert Weil winery is a true classic of its country, and the precision and attention to detail found here in Kiedrich – across the vineyards, the cellar and ultimately in the bottle – remain second to none. In fact, Wilhelm Weil told James this summer at his pristine winery that this year's bottlings might just be the finest Spätlese and Auslese of his career.

A sophisticated Spätlese defined by subtlety and complexity, the 2025 opens with aromas of flint, smoke, stones, pears and white peaches. It flows to a lightly sweet, medium-bodied palate that is extraordinarily long and continuous, echoing with bitter lemons, botanicals, flowers and fresh herbs like lemongrass and thyme. Crafted from organically grown grapes, it is an astonishing achievement from a legendary Rheingau estate.

Read our full Top 100 World Wines 2026 for free here: jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-r…

The Eredi Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino 2021 is our No. 2 World Wine for 2026. James has been personally following this historic family estate—directed by Roberto Guerrini Fuligni on the northern slopes of Montalcino—since the mid-1980s. The 2021 vintage stands as one of the finest in the region over the past two decades, yielding wines with impressive structure, freshness, and balance, making it arguably the best Tuscan vintage since 2010.

So perfumed and seductive on the nose, the 2021 opens with aromas of black cherries, minerals, and rose petals, leading into a medium-bodied palate defined by ultra-fine tannins, vivid length, and beautiful balance. Combining exceptional quality with strong availability—roughly 40,000 bottles produced at under $100 per bottle—it is a compelling reminder of why Brunello is truly great.

Read our full Top 100 World Wines 2026 report for free here: jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-r…

The Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024 is our Wine of the Year for 2026. James first started going to Beaucastel in 1985 - paying just eight French francs a bottle for the 1983 when he moved to Paris - and has been buying and drinking the wines ever since. Rooted in Demeter-certified, biodynamically farmed vineyards dating back to 1549, it remains a classic, highly sought-after wine. When James and Marie visited the winery in July, the cooler, wetter growing season brought back a strong sense of déjà vu, recalling the complex, highly drinkable Châteauneufs of the 1970s and 1980s.

It is rare today to discover a young Châteauneuf-du-Pape that displays such aromatics and finesse while wowing you with balance and beauty. The perfume in the 2024 Beaucastel is spectacular delivered on a medium body with fruit gracefully caressing the palate. Plus, it comes in at a refreshing 14 percent alcohol, standing out from the 15 or 15.5 percent levels that have become common across the region and Europe.

Find out more in the full Top 100 World Wines 2026 report available to read for free here: jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-r…