Best of the Best - Wine

Lounging in a Maldivian resort, wine-tasting in Bordeaux, putting a sports car through its paces at Sonoma Raceway, curating the best watches from Geneva, perusing the top menswear accoutrements in Milan, testing cutting-edge yachts in Monaco. The life of a Robb Report editor may sound glamorous, but-actually, we can't argue there. Even so, separating the wheat from the chaff is no small task in the luxury realm, since even the chaff can be mighty impressive. In our 36th annual Best of the Best issue, we again offer our assessment of the past year's most exemplary products, places and experiences. And yes, edition number 37 is already underway.

- Jeff Jenssen and Mike DeSimone

Domaine des Lambrays

2020 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru (Burgundy, France)

Made in the first year that the vineyards were converted to biodynamic farming, this pinot noir is the second vintage produced from the estate’s walled clos by legendary winemaker Jacques Devauges. Despite a summer heat wave and a harvest that was the earliest in 30 years, Devauges tells Robb Report that 2020 is noted for its freshness and credits the complexity of the vineyard soils for this wine’s “three-dimensional” aromas of fruits, spices, dry herbs, tobacco and flowers. Twenty months of barrel ageing have added polished tannins and notes of butterscotch and cocoa powder to Mission-fig and black-cherry flavours.

Champagne Krug

Rosé 27ème Édition

This 27th release of Krug's multi-vintage rose champagne is made with 38 wines from nine harvest years from 2005 through 2015. Cellar master Julie Cavil calls this the most difficult champagne to make at Krug, explaining: "It must reconcile the finesse, freshness and lightness of a champagne with the aromas and structure of a red wine." The majority of the cuvee is from 2015, including 10 per cent traditionally macerated pinot noir, which adds spiciness, colour and texture. Flavours of tangerine, apricot and raspberry mingle with notes of lemon zest and toasted almond that dissolve into a baking-spice-scented finish.

Veuve Clicquot La

Grande Dame 2015