The Wines Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2025

Every year we spend time tasting through a lot of wine, taking notes, arguing with ourselves about scores, and trying to figure out which bottles genuinely deserve attention versus which ones are just expensive or well-marketed. This year’s list reflects not just quality but also value, availability, and that intangible quality of making me want to immediately pour a second glass.

The 2025 wine landscape is defined by a few clear trends: Bordeaux’s exceptional 2022 vintage delivering consistency across price points, Oregon continuing its ascent with both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and smaller producers worldwide proving that you don’t need a famous label to make outstanding wine. We’ve also noticed more wines succeeding at the extremes—either delivering remarkable quality under twenty dollars or justifying their premium prices with genuine complexity.

This isn’t a list of the highest-scoring wines we tasted this year. It’s a list of the wines that stayed with us, the bottles we found ourselves recommending repeatedly, and the producers whose entire lineup deserves attention even if only one wine made this list. Some are impossible to find, but most are available if you know where to look, and many are affordable enough to buy multiple bottles.

Here’s our 86+ favorites in no particular order:

Bordeaux: The 2019 and 2022 Vintage Delivers

Château Giscours Margaux 2022 – 95 points, $68 This third-growth estate has been quietly reinventing itself, and the 2022 is the culmination of that work. Structured but approachable, with the elegance you want from Margaux and enough fruit to drink now if you can’t wait.

Château Pichon Baron Pauillac 2022 – 96 points, $185 Everything you want in Pauillac: power, precision, and the ability to age for decades. Worth the investment if you’re buying wine to cellar.

Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2022 – 95 points, $150 Consistently excellent and exactly what people expect from great Bordeaux. The 2022 has remarkable depth and balance.

Château de Pez 2nd Pez 2019 St-Estèphe – 92 points, $29 A steal for aged Bordeaux. Everything you want: structure, complexity, and the patina of bottle age for the price of a decent weeknight wine.

Ulysse Cazabonne Organic Margaux 2019 – 93 points, $42 Proof that organic Bordeaux can compete with conventional winemaking. Elegant and precise without being austere.

White Wines Stealing the Spotlight

Ceritas Chardonnay Peter Martin Ray Vineyard 2023 – 97 points, $75 One of California’s finest expressions of Chardonnay, made by people who understand Burgundy intimately. Stony, profound, and built to age.

Battenfeld Spanier Liquid Earth Riesling Trocken 2020 Rheinhessen – 94 points, $45 German Riesling that proves dry expressions can be as compelling as sweet ones. Mineral-driven and precise.

Big Table Farm The Wild Bee Chardonnay Willamette Valley – 93 points, $34 Could charge double and still be worth it. Crisp, supple, and exactly what Oregon Chardonnay should taste like.

Kistler Chardonnay Les Noisetiers 2022 Sonoma Coast – 95 points, $80 One of California’s benchmark Chardonnays. Stony, focused, and built to age despite immediate appeal.

Rhys Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro 2023 Santa Cruz Mountains – 96 points, $90 From a new site, showing the Santa Cruz Mountains’ potential for world-class Chardonnay. Mineral, focused, and distinctive.

Kongsgaard Chardonnay The Judge 2022 Napa Valley – 96 points, $125 Idiosyncratic, powerful Chardonnay that doesn’t taste like anything else. Love it or don’t, but respect it.

Aubert Chardonnay UV Vineyard 2023 Sonoma Coast – 95 points, $95 Rich, concentrated Chardonnay from a master of the style. Opulent but not overdone.

Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 2023 – 96 points, $250 Premier Cru white Burgundy showing precision, minerality, and the ability to age for decades.

Bourgogne Blanc from Multiple Producers 2022 – Various prices, $25-40 The most affordable way into white Burgundy, and the 2022 vintage delivered wines with unusual richness and purity.

California: Quality Across All Price Points

Murphy-Goode Pinot Noir California 2022 – 90 points, an amazing buy at $15 proving you don’t need to spend a lot for satisfying Pinot Noir. Bright, fruity, and easy to drink.

Nickel & Nickel John C. Sullenger Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 Oakville – 96 points, $150 Single-vineyard Napa Cabernet at its finest. Built to age but approachable now.

J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 Paso Robles – 91 points, $16 Reliable, affordable Cabernet that overdelivers year after year. Stock up for weeknight drinking.

Italy: From Piedmont to Tuscany

Produttori del Barbaresco Multiple Single-Vineyard Bottlings 2021 – 93 points, $55-75 The cooperative that made Nebbiolo accessible while maintaining quality. The 2021s are classic and ageworthy.

Gian Luca Colombo Ravera Barolo Novello 2021 – 95 points, $80 Shows the kinship with classic Barolo while expressing a particular site beautifully.

Istine Chianti Classico Riserva Le Vigne 2021 – 94 points, $45 Superb Sangiovese with energy, defined tannins, and the aging potential to reward patience. Worth stashing away.

Tenuta L’Illuminata Colbertina Barbera 2018 Piedmont – 91 points, $28 Bold Barbera with dark cherry, plum, and spice. A great introduction to Piedmont reds without the Barolo price tag.

Santa Maria Valpolicella Classico Superiore – 92 points, $20 Benchmark Valpolicella showing what the region can do when producers focus on quality over quantity.

Gaja Barbaresco 2021 – 96 points, $150 Angelo Gaja’s classic Barbaresco from multiple vineyard sites. Modern Piedmont at its finest. A staple.

Tua Rita Redigaffi 2021 Toscana IGT – 96 points, $180 100% Merlot from Tuscany showing the grape’s potential when grown on exceptional sites. Powerful and age-worthy.

Ornellaia 2021 Bolgheri – 96 points, $200 Bordeaux blend in Tuscany. Lush, powerful, and more approachable than Sassicaia.

Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo Cannubi 2020 – 96 points, $120 Single-vineyard Barolo from one of the region’s most famous sites. Classic structure with modern polish.

Vietti Barolo Ravera 2020 – 95 points, $95 Elegant Nebbiolo from Novello. Shows why Barolo deserves its reputation as one of Italy’s greatest wines. Amazing.

Antinori Tignanello 2021 Toscana IGT – 95 points, $115 The Super Tuscan that started it all. Still relevant, still delicious, still worth the price.

Rhône Valley: Southern Comfort

Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 – 94 points, $55 Elegant and fresh despite coming from the hottest part of the appellation. Silky tannins and surprising length.

Jean-Luc Colombo Les Fées Brunes Crozes-Hermitage – 92 points, $32 Northern Rhône Syrah that punches above its price point. Savory, structured, and food-friendly.

Xavier Vignon Côtes du Rhône 2020 – 90 points, $12 The next fashion in French wine, from a master blender who understands value. Stock your cellar.

E. Guigal Château de Nalys White Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2020 – 93 points, $55 White Rhône at its finest. Rich, complex, and proof that the region makes more than just red wine.

Spain: Value and Tradition

CVNE Monopole Clásico Reserva 2020 Rioja – 93 points, $25 A throwback to great, ageworthy white Riojas at prices that make you want to buy a case.

Francisco Barona Old Vine Tempranillo 2023 – 94 points, $40 From centenary vineyards, spending 14 months in new French oak. Concentrated, layered, and inspiring.

Cass Mr. Blanc 2023 Paso Robles – 90 points, not Spanish, but an $18 California white blend with Spanish sensibility. Fresh, versatile, and criminally underpriced.

South America: Emerging Excellence

Clos Apalta Carmenère 2022 Colchagua Valley, Chile – 95 points, $90 Making Carmenère the star it deserves to be. Aromatically complex with concentrated fruit and silky texture.

Various Chilean Cabernet Sauvignons and Carmenères 2022 – 90-94 points, $20-60 The 2022 vintage put Chile back in the spotlight with wines of unusual concentration and freshness.

Austria: The Underrated Powerhouse

Bernhard Ott Am Berg Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich – 92 points, $19 Organic dry white from a maestro. Everything you want in Grüner Veltliner for less than twenty dollars.

Various Single Vineyard Grüner Veltliners from Wachau 2023 – 93-96 points, $40-80 Austria’s most exalted white wine region delivering Riesling and Grüner Veltliner of remarkable purity and precision.

Germany: Riesling Reigns

Von Winning Estate Riesling 2023 Pfalz – 92 points, $25 Entry-level bottling that expresses the fuller-bodied Pfalz style beautifully. Peaches, jasmine, and honeydew melon.

Rieslingfreak No. 44 Growers Riesling 2023 Eden Valley – 91 points, $18 Australian Riesling with the precision and minerality of German styles at an incredible price.

Australia and New Zealand: Southern Hemisphere Stars

d’Arenberg The High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 McLaren Vale – 93 points, $20 Old-vine, organically farmed Cabernet from a family winery. Nothing commercial except the price.

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2021 South Australia – 94 points, $60 “Baby Grange” delivering complexity and power at a fraction of the flagship’s price.

Various New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs 2023-2024 – 90-93 points, $18-35 New Zealand continues to prove it can make distinctive wines that don’t taste like anywhere else. Amazing quality.

Value Discoveries: Wines Under $20

Delicato Brazin Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi – 90 points, $16 For lovers of old vines at picnic-friendly prices. Robust and satisfying.

Lustau Fino Jarana Sherry – 91 points, $10 Perfect party wine starting at under ten dollars. Everyone should have this in their refrigerator.

Mylonas Retsina – 90 points, $13 Revitalizing summer essential from a Savatiano master. Don’t dismiss retsina until you’ve tried this.

La Guita Manzanilla Sherry NV – 92 points, $8 Widely available sherry that goes above and beyond the call of duty, especially at the price.

Various Proseccos and Cavas 2023-NV – 88-91 points, $12-20 For casual celebrations and everyday drinking, these sparklers deliver genuine pleasure without pretension.

I have many more values listed here.

Mid-Range Marvels: $25-$60

Domaine Charlopin Gevrey-Chambertin 2022 – 93 points, $55 Classic village-level Burgundy from a producer who understands what people love about the region. Red fruit, earth, and that characteristic silkiness.

Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Zinfandel 2022 – 94 points, $50 Old-vine Zinfandel from one of California’s most respected producers. Powerful but balanced, with layers of black fruit and spice. Amazing year to year.

Evening Land Seven Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 Eola-Amity Hills – 93 points, $60 From one of Oregon’s most prestigious vineyards. Elegant, perfumed, and distinctly Oregonian.

Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay 2023 Carneros – 92 points, $55 Carneros Chardonnay showing what cool-climate California can achieve. Rich but not heavy, with excellent acidity.

Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2023 – 93 points, $58 Balanced between fruit, oak, and minerality. Precisely what people want when they order California Chardonnay.

K Vintners The Beautiful Syrah 2022 Columbia Valley – 94 points, $55 Charles Smith’s premium label showing restraint and elegance. Northern Rhône-inspired but distinctly Washingtonian.

Jonata Todos Red Blend 2021 Ballard Canyon – 93 points, $52 Bordeaux blend from Santa Barbara showing what California can do outside Napa. Structured, complex, and food-friendly.

Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas 2022 Paso Robles – 92 points, $48 Rhône varieties thriving in California. The estate that proved Paso Robles could make serious, off the chart wine.

Seghesio Zinfandel 2022 Sonoma County – 93 points, $26 Over 100,000 cases of old-vine Zinfandel that overdelivers dramatically.

Roederer Estate Brut NV Anderson Valley – 93 points, $32 California sparkling wine from a Champagne house. Méthode traditionnelle at half the price of the real thing.

Roserock Pinot Noir 2022 Eola-Amity Hills – 94 points, $44 Drouhin family’s Oregon project delivering Burgundian elegance at American prices.

Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Te Muna 2023 Martinborough – 92 points, $35 Single-vineyard New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with unusual depth and intensity from Martinborough’s cool climate.

Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2021 – 93 points, $35 Benchmark Sangiovese from Tuscany’s most famous wine family. Traditional methods meeting modern precision.

Bodegas Muga Reserva 2020 Rioja – 93 points, $30 Classic Rioja with extended aging in oak. Everything you want from Tempranillo at a fair price.

Catena Zapata Malbec 2022 Mendoza – 92 points, $35 High-altitude Argentine Malbec showing what the grape can do when taken seriously. Dense, structured, and ageworthy.

Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay 2023 Chalk Hill – 92 points, $40 Sonoma Chardonnay from volcanic soils. Rich without being heavy, with excellent mineral backbone.

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2024 Marlborough – 91 points, $30 The wine that put New Zealand on the map. Still consistent, still distinctive, still worth buying.

Trimbach Riesling 2022 Alsace – 92 points, $28 Classic Alsatian Riesling that’s bone-dry and food-friendly. One of the region’s most reliable producers.

Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2022 – 93 points, $55 Cool-climate California Pinot from windswept coastal vineyards. Elegant and structured.

Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing 2022 Sta. Rita Hills – 94 points, $60 Santa Barbara Pinot with density and power while maintaining elegance. First time trying this from one of the region’s cult producers.

Premium Selections: $65-$150

Faust Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Napa Valley – 94 points, $65 Napa Cabernet at a price that doesn’t require a trust fund. Consistently excellent vintage after vintage.

Bergström Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve 2022 Willamette Valley – 94 points, $65 benchmark Oregon Pinot showing both power and finesse. Dark fruit, forest floor, and the acidity to age gracefully.

L’Ecole No. 41 Yellow Jacket Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 Walla Walla Valley – 94 points, $65 Washington State proving it can make Cabernet as compelling as Napa at more reasonable prices.

Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard 2021 Napa Valley – 94 points, $85 Proving Merlot can be serious. Plush, concentrated, and aging beautifully.

Leonetti Cellar Merlot 2022 Walla Walla Valley – 95 points, $70 Washington State Merlot that rivals anything from Bordeaux or Napa. Silky, complex, and unmistakably special.

Cayuse Vineyards Bionic Frog Syrah 2022 Walla Walla Valley – 96 points, $90 Biodynamic Syrah from rocky soils. Wild, intense, and utterly distinctive.

BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Napa Valley – 95 points, $130 Historic Napa estate that put Rutherford on the map in the 1930s and still delivers.

Saxum Vineyards James Berry Vineyard 2022 Paso Robles – 96 points, $100 Proving Paso Robles can make world-class wine, as they have for a while now. Rhône varieties on limestone soils producing magic.

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch 2022 Russian River Valley – 95 points, $90 Consistently one of California’s finest Pinots. Dark fruit, cola spice, and silky texture.

Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Allen Vineyard 2022 Russian River Valley – 96 points, $95 The estate that proved California could make elegant Pinot. Still delivering after all these years.

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 – 95 points, $85 More affordable than Rayas but similarly traditional. Organic farming and whole-cluster fermentation.

Realm Cellars The Bard 2021 Napa Valley – 95 points, $125 Cabernet-based blend showing restraint and elegance rather than sheer power. From a producer defining modern Napa.

Investment-Grade: Over $185

Sassicaia 2021 Bolgheri – 97 points, $250 Italy’s first Super Tuscan and still one of its finest. Cabernet on the Tuscan coast producing something unique.

Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 St. Helena – 96 points, $185 Organic farming and minimal intervention resulting in Cabernet that tastes like a place, not a formula, and an old favorite.

Dominus Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Napa Valley – 98 points, $250 One of the legendary Dominus vintages. In the same league as 2018, 2016, and 2015. Doesn’t get any better than this.

Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon CCS 2021 Napa Valley – 97 points, $325 Beckstoffer To Kalon fruit handled with precision and restraint. Modern Napa at its best.

Dana Estates Lotus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Napa Valley – 97 points, $350 From a single hillside site above St. Helena. Concentrated fruit with remarkable precision.

Sine Qua Non The Hussy Syrah 2022 California – 97 points, $300 Manfred Krankl’s artistic labels matched by equally artistic wines. Each vintage tells a story.

What This List Means

Compiling a top favorites list always involves compromise. We taste far more wines than make this list, and many excellent bottles don’t appear simply because they’re too similar to something already included or because they weren’t distinctive enough to displace something else.

The goal isn’t to create a definitive ranking of the world’s best wines. That’s impossible and not particularly useful. Instead, this is a guide to what excited us this year, what we found ourselves recommending to friends, and what we think deserves attention from anyone who cares about wine.

Some patterns emerge. Value matters more than ever, with excellent wines available at every price point if you know where to look. Region is less important than producer, with great winemakers succeeding in unexpected places. And vintage quality remains paramount. A great vintage from a good producer will beat a mediocre vintage from a famous estate almost every time.

Use this list as a starting point, not a prescription. If you can’t find a specific wine, look for other bottles from the same producer or region. If a wine seems too expensive, there’s probably something similar at half the cost. And if you disagree with our assessments, that’s fine. Your palate is as valid as ours, and the best wine is the one you enjoy drinking.

How to Use This List

• For everyday drinking, focus on wines under thirty dollars. Several bottles on this list cost less than twenty dollars and offer remarkable quality for the price. Stock up on these for weeknight dinners and casual gatherings.
• For special occasions, look at the thirty to seventy-five dollar range. These wines bring enough complexity and interest to make a meal memorable without requiring a second mortgage.
• For special events or if you’re building a cellar, consider the investment-grade wines. They’re expensive but genuinely special, and they’ll age beautifully if you have the patience.

Most importantly, drink what you have. The best wine in your collection is worthless if it stays in the bottle. Open things, share them with people you care about, and remember that even great wine is just fermented grapes. The goal is enjoyment, not accumulation.