Another year in the rearview mirror. If you’re like me, you probably found many aspects of 2025 confusing and disheartening. You may have also experienced some small joys along the way, and maybe even a few personal victories. Such is the human experience.
Amid this modern, strange year, I experienced a lot of great wines.
There’s nothing quite like reaching for that wine opener, cutting that foil, or penetrating that layer of wax, to pull out that cork, hear that pop. Queue up some good music. Get some good glasses out of the cabinet or down from the shelf. Then, the food…whatever it might be. Maybe a casual meal thrown together after a long day of work. Or the commencement of a meal you’ve been shopping for, thinking about, and are finally piecing together.
It’s the small things in life that carry us along.
And, in 2025, a year that was often fraught with stress and sadness, my wife and I again found many moments lifted into a safer, more promising state of mind by this glorious beverage called wine.
Herewith, once again, are my top fifty wines. These wines were the most memorable, the most delicious, the most beautiful for me personally this year.
- 2024 Monserate Fiore, San Luis Rey Estate, San Diego
Echoes of Falanghina and Fiano. White market umbrellas. Refreshing. $ 45.00
- 2023 Buckel Pinot Noir, “You Are Beautiful” Pinot Noir, Colorado
Unaffected. Fetching. Grilling out back with friends. $ 38.00
- 2024 Paix Sur Terre Vermentino, Adelaida District, Paso Robles
Toothsome. Grilled sardines and sea salt. Blossomy. $ 45.00
- 2023 Aquila Cellars Chamisa Riesling, Delta County, Colorado
Personality for days. After a long day of hiking. Field of Gaillardia. $ 41.00
- 2022 Pierre Mang Les Terres Noires Chardonnay, Mâcon, Bourgogne
Adventurous. Thoughtful. Handmade curtains in a country house. $ 70.00
- 2022 Tatomer Gruner Veltliner, Paragon Vineyard, SLO County AVA
Quartz dreams. Guava fruit at the beach. Hummingbird at rest. $ 30.00
- 2023 Rootdown Trousseau, Cole Ranch, Mendocino County
Unexpected. Arresting. Dusty walk gathering red summer fruits. $ 37.00
- 2023 Terah Wine Co. Vermentino, Clements Hills, Lodi
Humble surprise. Defies expectation. So good with tinned fish. $ 37.00
- 2023 Madson Chardonnay, Misty Gulch, Santa Cruz Mountains
Japanese persimmon tree by the sea. Cold sunshine. More please. $ 60.00
- 2023 Ulloa Cellars Semillon, Paso Robles
Scintillant. Underlying power. Lemon zest. $ 38.00
- 2022 Julien Fayard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Martinez Vineyard, Napa Valley
Volcanic cadence. Black olive pronouncements. Confident. $ 250.00
- Maitre de Chai Stampede Zinfandel, Clements Hills, Lodi
Gloriously traditional. Well-made. Picking blackberries into a coffee can. $ 24.00
- 2022 Starfield Vineyards Aglianico, Starfield Estate, El Dorado
Unrelenting savoriness. Mountain tang. Around a bonfire Sunday afternoon. $ 46.00
- 2023 Allegretto Malbec, Allegretto Vineyard, Paso Robles
Muscular yet unpredictably pretty. Darkness falls. Age-worthy. $ 80.00
- 2018 Wyfold Vineyard Brut Rose, Oxfordshire, Great Britian
Stately creaminess. Subtle minerality. Elegant. $ 65.00
- 2022 Sandlands Vineyards Carignane, Spenker Ranch, Lodi
Modest in its rich appeal. Tastes like history. Delicious. $ 42.00
- 2023 El Lugar Pinot Noir, SLO Coast AVA
Coastal restraint. Shimmery. Geraniums in the sand. $ 70.00
- 2023 Outward Cabernet Sauvignon, Massa Vineyard, Carmel Valley
Wild sage in an oak grove. Californian. Harmonious. $ 48.00
- 32. 2020 Quinta de 67 Garnacha, Volver, Almansa, Spain
Fennel pollen seduction. Heart of the crocus. Starry nights. $ 17.00
- 2024 IIWII Among the Wildflowers, Paso Robles
White blend of beauty. Succulents in the sun. Acoustic guitar. $ 65.00
- 2022 V. Sattui Cabernet Sauvignon, Morisoli Vineyard, Napa Valley
Considered. Mindfully raised. Dust and dark blue fruits. $ 120.00
- 2024 Joseph-Jibril Carbonic Red Wine, California
Golden state wholesomeness. Purplish whole cluster allure. Casual. $ 29.00
- 2023 Thacher Valdiguie Nouveau, Shell Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles
Playfully flavorful. Winking. Scrumptious. $ 38.00
- 2024 Florez Wines, Viognier, “Kind of Orange”, Cienega Valley
Surprising acid note. Pleasantly unusual. One of a kind. $ 34.00
- 2022 Pierre Mang Le Parc Rouge Pinot Noir, Mâcon, Bourgogne
Tangerine dreams. Wild strawberries. Wool jacket on a brisk day. $ 33.00
- 2024 V. Sattui Albarino – Skin Contact, Los Carneros Estate, Napa Valley
Ardent. Shade of the fig tree. Felicitous. $ 38.00
- 2023 Lava Cap Barbera, Sierra Foothills
High elevation energy. Power and length. Cassoulet dinner completion. $ 30.00
- 2019 St. Supery RU3 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley
Regal. Worth decanting. Drive through tree lined country roads. $ 250.00
- 2024 LOLA Artisanal Fiano, Rutherford, Napa Valley
Green sharpness. Hidden flowers. Bottarga, baguette and butter. $ 48.00
- 2023 Occidental Pinot Noir, Freestone-Occidental, West Sonoma County
Thought-provoking delineation. Dewey moss. Conifer lavender musings. $ 100.00
- 2024 Alta Colina Estate Pet Nat Grenache, Paso Robles
Celebratory. Joyful effervescence. With truffle potato chips. $ 38.00
- 2024 Domaine Geschickt Riesling, Ammerschwihr, Alsace
Birdsong in an orange grove. Irrepressible. Far off wood fire. $ 42.00
- 2023 Cobb Riesling, Abigail’s Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Cliff walls above the Pacific. Highway after the rain. Distant Petrol. $ 35.00
- 2022 Paco Chardonnay, One and Done, Paso Robles
Old world sensibilities. Vibrant appeal. Full of promise. $ 72.00
- 2023 Sadie Family Mev. Kirsten, Stellenbosch, South Africa
A love letter to Chenin Blanc. Mango exuberance. With sea urchin. $ 350.00
- 2022 Ad Vivum Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville, Napa Valley
Driving past field of wild fennel. Fresh, ripe cherries. Measured structure. $ 200.00
- 2023 Kongsgaard Syrah, Carneros, Napa Valley
Syrah from another planet. Free spirited. Unforgettable. $ 250.00
- 2023 Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Ranch, Napa Valley
Flowerpot violets in a cedar ceilinged cabin. Mystical. Engaging. $ 185.00
- 2022 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro, Clare, South Australia
Proudly untamable. Star gazing in the desert. Bramble, fur and pines. $ 155.00
- 2023 Storm Pinot Noir, Donnachadh Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Rose garden at The Huntington. Sublime finish. Courtly. $ 58.00
- 2023 Sentium Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino County
Delicate intentionality. Genteel character. Coastal redwoods. $ 65.00
- 2023 Hilt Estate Riesling, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
Fresh cut ginger root. Heart of apricot. Glistening oyster shells. $ 45.00
- 2023 Newfound Grenache, Placida Vineyard (barrel sample), Sonoma Coast
Sartorial elegance. Urbane character. Transcendent texture. $ 60.00
- 2023 Royal Nonesuch Farm White (Clairette Blanche), York Mountain
Strolling the pier on a bright, cold day. Hypnotic aromas. Balanced. $ 55.00
- 2022 Hawks Hill Ranch Winery Chardonnay, Moth to a Flame, SLO Coast
Piercing minerality. Aria of the Pacific. Delicious precision. $ 65.00
- 2022 Melsheimer Riesling, Handwerk, Mosel, Germany
Modestly fabulous. Unassuming pleasure. Rain at dusk in a hay field. $ 20.00
- 2023 Amevive Marsanne, Ibarra-Young Vineyard, Santa Barbara County
Sunflowers in a summer garden. Lemongrass dreaminess. Honest. $ 34.00
- 2022 Jasud Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District, Napa Valley
Candid and true. An original of valor. Mountain fruit of consequence. $ 195.00
- 2023 Terranean Grenache, Coakley Vineyard, Paso Robles
Dazzling aromatics. Arc of nuance. Orange peel spray bursting forth. $ 75.00
- 2023 Realm Houyi Vineyard, Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley
Halo of meaning. Biography of place. Radiating beauty. $ 295.00