The oenological culture and selectivity we have acquired over the years determines our preference for one wine or another. But when a wine is acclaimed both by the press and the experts and receives international praise and awards, we can surely claim it was produced with complex, different and unique nuances. If this is the case, it must be a true masterpiece.

We present five of the best-rated wines of 2013.

Penfolds Grange 2008
Australia’s favorite
To receive 100 points, the highest rating from the two most influential wine publications in the world, including The Wine Advocate’s Robert Parker and Wine Spectator is no easy feat. Penfolds Grange 2008 Shiraz has made history by becoming the best wine in Australia and one of the greatest in the world. It was first developed in 1951, and today its reputation has reached such height that it has been officially named a Heritage Icon of South Australia. The fragrance of this subtle varietal is distinguished by hints of honey, nutmeg, herbs and forest plants. On the palate, it is opulent and complex, with rich, and full aromatic extracts of red fruits like plums and wild strawberries, accompanied by notes of rhubarb, fennel, anise and a hint of chocolate liquor. The oak is well integrated and barely noticeable. Penfolds Grange 2008 is an oenological jewel whose balance and structure predict a long life ahead.

La Tâche 2007
Burgundy at heart
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is one of the most renowned French wineries and a latent proof that Burgundy is a unique and irreplaceable place, where the wines are produced with remarkable understanding and savoir-faire. With a production of only around 17,000 bottles, Tâche 2007 is made with the best pinot noir in the world, extracted from the Grand Cru La Tâche, in a land where the ancient Romans planted their vines, and where the handpicked grapes reach their peak thanks to a generous red clay and limestone soil. The color is pale red with hues of orange and lightly toasted aromas, milk, coffee, and a pleasant fragrance that surprises with elegance and finesse. It is tasty and mild in the attack, with balsamic sensations, light touches of excellent wood, long and persistent taste, and very refined and delicate aftertaste. A prodigious wine that is as captivating as a beautiful painting.

Barón de Lajoyosa Gran Reserva 2005
The best of Spain
Bodegas Ignacio Marín is a family business founded in 1903 in one of the most famous wine regions of Spain: Carignan, in Aragon, which for centuries has been producing wines for illustrious Spaniards such as the painter Francisco de Goya and the filmmaker Luis Buñuel. In these lands of loose and moderately stony soils, with a Mediterranean climate but with significant temperature variation between night and day, healthy ventilation and abundant sunshine hours, the highly awarded Baron de Lajoyosa Gran Reserva 2005 is produced. Selected by the World Association of Wine Writers and Journalists as the best Spanish wine of 2013, Baron de Lajoyosa Gran Reserva 2005 is crafted from Grenache and Tempranillo grapes, as well as the Carignan, also typical of the area. The result is a wine with a strong cherry color and ripe red berries aroma, which takes us to a sensory paradise of passionate delight. The palate is ripe and round, warm and fleshy, long and proud as could not be otherwise in a Gran Reserva of this quality and prestige.

Zemlia Destinado Malbec 2010
The pride of Uco Valley
At the foot of the Andes lies the Uco Valley, in Mendoza, the area with the greatest winemaking potential in South America thanks to a soil of medium to low fertility: stony, highly permeable and well drained. In this optimal location, Bodega Zemlia has planted exceptional vineyards whose vines produce grapes of high quality, which are used to produce the Zemlia Destinado Malbec 2010, considered the best wine of Latin America in 2013. This vintage is made with 100% exceptional Malbec grapes and aged in American and French oak barrels for 6 to 10 months. The superb wine has a concentrated, bright violet-red color. Its aroma is complemented by its smoky, chocolate and vanilla flavor, which precedes hints of fruits, including ripe plum and blackberry jam and dried roses and figs in the background. On the palate, it clearly echoes the flavors of its concentrated aromas. Its attack is dry, and its flow is balanced and full. The taste is well structured with sweet and round tannins and a juicy finish with a very long jam aftertaste: a thrilling wine.

Dominus 2007
A Californian marvel
Napa Valley’s State Dominus winery produces a farm wine considered a true masterpiece. The 2007 vintage has been praised by oenologists around the world and has captivated wine guru, Robert Parker, to the point that he has given it the coveted 100 points, the top rating. The 2007 vintage is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot. The color is dark red, almost opaque crimson. The nose is dense and compact, full of berries, blond tobacco, black cherries and cocoa. The entry is both powerful and flexible, with a well rounded quality. Perfectly ripe, its tannins are sound, emphatic and elegant. Black fruit and licorice persist throughout the in-mouth evolution, in a balanced and harmonious way, an excellent crop in a superlative year. This is a noble and balanced wine, a California prodigy available to those who wish to know how it feels to reach heaven with the tips of their fingers. ■