Introducing the 2025 Wines of the Year from SOMM TV
We have argued, laughed, debated, and ultimately agreed—without major injury. Winemakers, sommeliers, writers, and the SOMM TV staff narrowed an entire year of tasting into ten wines that define our shared love of flavor, story, and value. For deeper dives, listen to the podcast, but here are the wines that defined 2025 for us.
#1. 2022 Xander Wines - Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
From Xander Soren and winemaker Shalini Sekhar comes a Pinot Noir of remarkable balance—measured restraint paired with razor-sharp power. Beautiful acidity frames fresh red cherry, subtle umami, and a precision that begs for food, especially tempura or sushi. After tasting it multiple times this year, we can confidently say this is not only our favorite Pinot of 2025, but one of the best red wines we drank all year.
2. Abbott Claim Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay
The Willamette Valley is often compared to Burgundy, but nothing prepared us for this Chardonnay from Alban Debeaulieu. Reminiscent of great Meursault before climate shifts amplified richness, this wine remains singular. Perfect reduction, vibrant acidity, and a mid-palate unmatched by any Chardonnay we tasted in 2025.
3. Stolpman Vineyards “Love You Bunches” Chilled Sangiovese
The bottle you put on ice and somehow finishes itself. Carbonic, juicy, low-alcohol, and dangerously drinkable, no wine disappears faster. To truly understand its magic, gift it to someone and wait for the inevitable call asking where to buy more.
4. Wyfold Vineyards Brut Rosé
One of the best sparkling wines of 2025 comes from the UK. Once a secret, English sparkling has exploded, and no bottle haunted us more than this. Yeasty, fruit-driven, and impeccably balanced, Wyfold’s Rosé sets the benchmark for UK sparkling today.
5. Château Beauséjour Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse
If you ever forget how great Right Bank Bordeaux can be, this wine will remind you. Blackberry, dried herbs, and sanguine tertiary notes combine into a region-defining wine with perfect ripeness and restraint—utterly compelling.
6. Lytle-Barnett Brut Sparkling
Is this America’s best sparkling wine? If not, we want to taste the competition. Modeled after Champagne but unmistakably Oregon, it delivers brioche, Meyer lemon, and precision. Open a bottle and understand why the Willamette Valley leads the sparkling conversation.
7. Crissante Alessandria Barolo del Comune di La Morra 2019
Third-generation winemaker Alberto Alessandria blends tradition, organic farming, and precision. The 2019 shows the vintage’s structure softened by La Morra’s cherry and mint. At $66, it’s either a personal treasure—or a risky share at holiday dinner.
8. Folly of Man Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023
Tracy and Aaron Kendall left elite Willamette roles to build a family legacy. Paired with Moe Momtazi’s biodynamic farming, their inaugural Pinot leapt straight onto our list—an astonishing first release.
9. Domaine Albert Joly Puligny-Montrachet “Les Tremblots” 2023
Flint and gunpowder rein in the richness of the vintage, reminding us why Puligny is so revered—without the stratospheric pricing. Drink it now, before the secret gets out.
10. Albert Bichot Romanée-St-Vivant
Our most expensive wine, and worth every thought. One of Burgundy’s last “still achievable” icons. Buy on release to save, then wait—we recently tasted the 1947, possibly the most perfect old bottle we’ve ever opened.
