Our wine editor’s perfect case of wine includes (from left to right) 2008 Scarecrow, 2009 Jasper Hill Shiraz Heathcote Georgia’s Paddock, 2004 Penfolds Barossa Valley Kalimna Block 42, 2007 Sine Qua Non Grenache Central Coast Dangerous Birds, 2008 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Toscana Masseto

James Suckling chooses the top 12 wines from the thousands he tasted in 2011

Last year, i tasted more than 6,000 wines. they were primarily wines from Bordeaux, Italy, Australia and California. It was a cruel task. I tasted most of the wines in blind tastings all over the world, from the depths of Bordeaux to the outback of Australia. But I found some amazing wines. And I found 12 that are my Wines of the Year – or my perfect case of wine to buy.

James Suckling raises a glass

My list is simply my top scoring wines in 2011. I didn’t take into account case quantities, price, availability or anything else. There are seven wines with perfect scores of 100 points and five with 99 points.

Last November, I attended the wine trade fair Wine Future 2011 in Hong Kong. Together with fellow wine critic Robert Parker, I tasted 20 of the top Bordeaux from the 2011 vintage. One wine stood out as the wine of the tasting – the 2009 Cos d’Estournel, the famous second growth of St Estèphe. I scored it a perfect 100 points. The combination of ripe and wonderful fruit, bright fresh acidity and super refined tannins was unequalled.

It’s no surprise that I chose a 2009 Bordeaux as my best wine in 2011. It is the greatest modern vintage ever for France’s premier wine region, surpassing such years as 1982, 1989, 1990, 2000 and 2005, and it’s among the legends such as 1864, 1865, 1899, 1900, 1929, 1945 and 1961.

I’m sure I will find many more perfect 2009 Bordeaux because the vintage is so special. I loved the Cos d’Estournel ever since I tasted it from barrel in Spring 2010. It was so intense and fruity on the nose, with exotic aromas and a captivating depth. Smelling it was like walking into a spice merchant’s stall in an open market in Morocco. It was full bodied, with a dense tannin and fruit structure; yet it was balanced, fresh and persistent. It was a perfect wine then, as it is now.

My choice of Wine of the Year underlines how Bordeaux historically makes ripe, rich and structured wines that are at the same time agile and fresh. And they have the pedigree to age for centuries. Nowhere else on Earth has that history – current and past.

The head of Cos, Jean-Guillaume Prats, told me the 2009 has an alcohol content of 14.8 per cent and a pH of 3.58. That means the wine is rich in alcohol, yet incredibly strong in acidity. It’s balanced. And it’s also why the wine remains so fresh. One of the greatest Bordeaux of all time – 1947 Cheval Blanc – had similar alcohol levels and acidity. I wonder if the 2009 Cos will one day become such a legend?

The first wine on my list, alphabetically, is the 2006 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova. This is a vineyard-specific wine from the Giacomo Neri family and proves how fabulous 2006 was for Brunello, and Tuscany at large. Its raciness in structure is a tribute to the greatness of the region.

The next wine after the Cos d’Estournel in the list is a discovery for me, since I only took my first tasting trip to Australia recently. The 2009 Jasper Hill Shiraz Heathcote Georgia’s Paddock (100 points) shows that the wine continent makes wonderful reds with bold flavours, yet fresh and deep. Jasper Hill is a fully-fledged biodynamic wine estate based in Heathcote, in the southern state of Victoria.

The 2004 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Valley Kalimna Block 42 (100 points) is more rare than the Jasper Hill Shiraz, but equally compelling to taste. The Block 42 is part of Penfolds’ “Special Bin” programme and made from vines planted in the mid-1880s, which are still alive and flourishing on their own rootstock. These are what some believe to be the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the world. About 500 cases were made. It’s only been made twice – in 2004 and 1996.

The 2007 Roberto Voerzio La Serra Barolo (100 points) was a slight surprise for me when I tasted it in the spring. Usually, I prefer his Brunate vineyard, which is located below the town of La Morra, in the heart of Piedmont. But the hot and dry weather in 2007 slightly favoured the Nebbiolo growing in the less southwest-facing La Serra. Roberto, arguably Italy’s greatest vine growing expert, agrees wholeheartedly.

The next two wines on the list – 2007 Sine Qua Non Grenache Central Coast Dangerous Birds (100 points) and 2007 Sine Qua Non Syrah Central Coast Dangerous Birds (100 points) – are from winemaking genius Manfred Krankl. The Austrian-born winemaker underlines how the Central Coast of California is now the most exciting region in the state. And his wines are bold and powerful reds, yet bright and focused.

Two famous 2009 Bordeaux follow – 2009 Chateau La Fleur- Petrus Pomerol (99 points) and 2009 Chateau Leoville Las Cases St-Julien (99 points). The former is a benchmark in Pomerol, showing the brilliance of the special area of the region. It is one of the leading estates in the Holy Grail for merlot. The latter is one of the most structured and formidable wines in the Medoc.

California’s Napa Valley made great wines in 2008, even though almost everyone prefers 2007. The wines have a little more firmness and balance than the fruit forward of 2007. The mountain vineyard wine of Colgin Cellars IX Estate (99 points) shows a fabulous backbone of polished tannins, as well as a gorgeous depth of fruit. Also from Napa Valley, the 2008 Scarecrow (99 points) is broader shouldered, which comes from being produced from incredible old, head-pruned vines on the valley floor.

The 2008 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Toscana Masseto (99 points) finishes off my ultimate case of current released wines I tasted this year. The pure merlot shows layers of fabulous fruit and polished tannins. In some vintages, such as 2008, it is the greatest merlot on Earth.

Buy one bottle, or several cases, of any of the wines above, and you are sure to have a fabulous wine experience. Here’s to more of the same in the year ahead.

Visit James Suckling at: www.jamessuckling.com