One hundred wines that most of us have no chance of drinking

Here's one for wine lovers with wild ambitions and/or bulging wallets. 

The World's Leading Wine Legends, produced in association with Decanter magazine, take an in-depth look at 100 of the world's iconic bottles of wine. 

But not just the wines - the very best vintages of those wines; which range from Bordeaux to Burgundy, Madeira to South Africa. 

It is a compilation of Decanter's Wine Legends columns that ran from 2013 for almost a decade - focusing on both quality and notoriety. 

French classics are joined by wines from Tuscany and the Maipo Valley, Mendoza to the Hunter. Most were selected by then Decanter editor Amy Wislocki and written by leading wine journalist Stephen Brook. 

Strangely, of the nine Australian wines selected there is no Penfolds Grange, or Henschke Hill of Grace, unarguably our two highest-profile wines. 

Among those that make the grade: Cape Mentelle, Tyrrell's, Clonakilla and Moss Wood - so plenty of basis for debate in the contents. 

Each entry contains a full description of the selected vintage, the winemaker and the winemaking process, with tasting notes from leading experts.

So from a rare 1990 Wendouree Shiraz to an 1862 Borges Terrantez Madeira. prepare to enjoy, vicariously some wines that most of us can never hope to taste, let alone drink. 

The World's Wine Legends in association with Decanter.  Hardie Grant Books. RRP $60. Now published.