Year in Review: The bottles that moved us in 2025

And once again, this special Year in Review feature arrives alongside several major end-of-year announcements for VineRoutes.

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In addition to these personal favourites, VineRoutes will soon unveil our Most Outstanding White and Red Wines of 2025 — selected through our editorial team’s blind tasting of exceptional submissions. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive first access to these results before they appear anywhere else. Already subscribed? Keep an eye on your inbox. Not yet on the list? There’s still time to join and be part of the reveal.

Also coming soon: our fifth annual list of 50 Standout Canadian Wines, chosen by our core editorial team and showcasing the depth, diversity, and evolution of Canada’s finest producers.

But first, here are the wines our editors can’t stop thinking about — the bottles that defined their year, shaped their travels, and lingered long after the final sip:

Tod Stewart (Senior Editor)

Being “memorable” doesn’t necessarily equate to being “good.” I’m sure we all (as I) have “memories” (including wine memories) that we’d rather flush from the basin of our collective brains. However, given that we’d all probably prefer just to let these continue to age (likely to vinegar) in the darkest corners of our memory cellars, I’ll focus on some of this year’s best wine memories. And there were plenty.

To me, what makes a wine memory a good one is an experience that makes me say, “wow!” (And here I’m saying “wow!” in a good, or, more specifically, “wow; I wasn’t expecting that!” way.) Though I’ve (over) said it a zillion times, good wine memories tend to be part of a memory that includes good people, good settings, and, often, good food. – Tod

The Grange of Prince Edward 2024 “Newfield Block” Sauvignon Blanc

I can honestly say I’ve never had a proverbial (and cliché) “phoenix from the ashes” moment as I did when I tasted through the most recent range of the wines from The Grange of Prince Edward. An established property in Prince Edward County, with some of the region’s oldest vineyards, it went (in my opinion) from producing some descent wines to producing a lot of not-so-descent wines. Clearly something had to be done (and you can read that whole story here).

Needless to say, I’ve been frankly blown away by the wines county winemaking veteran Jonas Newman is now making. I’ve tasted plenty of PEC wines and have been skeptical if the region could “do it.” Well, Newman has done it, crafting wines of complexity, purity, and exceptional quality. His first (in fact, The County’s first commercial) go at sauvignon blanc – from vines that were slated to be grubbed up, burned down, or otherwise turned to mulch – was a bit of a revelation. Varietally bang-on, with a beautiful tapestry of grapefruit/gooseberry/citrus and flinty mineral aromas and flavours, it might be (and by “might” I mean “probably is”) the finest expression of sauv blanc I’ve yet to taste out of Ontario (maybe Canada). Kim Crawford, watch your back.

Christmann Pfalz 2018 Spätburgunder

A visit to the Isle of Skye should be on everyone’s “bucket list.” I was lucky enough to “do Scotland” with a few friends in the spring of 2025 after probably a decade of “we gotta do it” procrastinating, and our stay on Skye is something I won’t likely forget. Sure, you go to Scotland to drink scotch, eat haggis (or not), and hallucinate you saw Nessie (see: drink scotch reference), not kick back with a pinot noir from Deutschland. But still…

We were having a fantastic meal at the scenic Edinbane Lodge (an experience I’d encourage every reader to have in spite of the absolutely knee-capping exchange rates). Flavours on the menu were all over the map, and trying to pick a wine that had any hope of standing up to all of them was going to be pretty much impossible. So, with the somm standing intimidatingly over me, I chose a German Spätburgunder (look, just call it pinot noir, okay?). Germany produces the best bang-for-buck pinots you are likely to find (there, I said it), and this one didn’t disappoint, hitting all the in-tune pinot notes, with some additional complexity due to its age. I actually think the somm was moderately impressed with the choice.

Dom Pérignon 2008 Brut “Chef de Cave Legacy Edition”

There’s a lot of history–not to mention expectation–that comes along with the words Dom Pérignon. I mean, the “Dom” in question apparently invented the Champagne region’s world-famous bubbly, and the brand itself almost carries the banner for “luxury booze” on its own.

Anyway, the friends I went on the Scotland trip with (see above note) had closed a fairly major real estate deal (and I had closed a minor one), so I figured, time to pop this puppy. The fact that it was closing in on two decades of age made me a soupçon worried as to its integrity, but there was really nothing to worry about. Effervescence was still there (though reduced to an extremely fine stream), and the wine had taken on that rich, golden hue that white wines get with time. Aromatically still very much alive, it offered up layers of fresh bread, white peach, nougat, and baked apple. Creamy and silky in the mouth, with hints of toasted nuts, melon, candied citrus, and a mild briny component that lingered on a clean, lively, and long finish. As glad as I was to open it (and as sad as I was to see the bottle empty), it probably could have aged gracefully for another 10 years.

Leah Spooner (Contributing Editor)

Overall, 2025 was the best tasting year I’ve had in my two-decade long wine career. My wonderment for wine was reignited. I found absolute magic within the nooks and crannies between bottles and corks in some of the most unexpected places. Sweeping me off my feet, I was completely romanced in my desk chair with the single-vineyard Gran Enemigo; the moment was exciting and pure joy for the love of wine. In my bedroom with my laptop with the Domaine Des Petits Quarts, a quiet, pensive moment of gratitude for having the opportunity to do what I love and taste something so extraordinary. And tasting the Latour with CEO Florent Latour and being moved to tears in what I can only describe as the pinnacle moment of my career and most memorable tasting of my life. My top wines remind me that yes, wine is about moments – the place, the people… but also that wine itself is the moment. – Leah

Gran Enemigo 2020 El Cepillo Cabernet Franc

Winemaker Alejandro Vigil has crafted this wine with his perfectly balanced ratio for his single-vineyard wines (made with 85% cabernet franc and 15% malbec). The high-altitude vineyard of El Cepillo rests at 1300m a.s.l. within the Uco Valley of Mendoza that contributes a noteworthy phenolic intensity and freshness to the grapes grown here. Blackberries, dates, and thyme flavours can be plucked out of layers of complexity. Vibrant and whimsical. Exceptional length.

Domaine Des Petits Quarts 2022 Tradition Chenin AOP Bonnezeaux

This wine is derived from the 26 hectares of chenin blanc belonging to Domaine des Petits Quarts in the Loire Valley of France. The sweet chenin style from Bonnezeaux is highlighted in this highly decorated bottle. Honey, candied mango, and mandarin are procured by a lusciously succulent palate that sings on a chord of ripe acidity. A structure so balanced, and so intact – precision is everything. Leaving nothing for longing, the finish is everlasting. An accumulative totality of near chenin blanc perfection.

Louis Latour 2022 Chateau Corton Grancey Grand-Cru

This pinot noir that is only made in the best of vintages is a culmination of five cherished sites of Domaine Latour Corton Grand Cru: Bressandes, Perrieres, Greves, Clos du Roi, and Chaumes. The wine is developed by a 10-12 month aging in French oak crafted by the in-house Latour cooperage.

An introduction of cloves and baking spice prelude enticing red plum and red apple aromas. The palate presents an elegant dance of fresh red fruit, earth and spice together with an awe-inspiring structural precision. Graceful, with the perfect amount of tension and a forever finish. The Holy Grail of pinot noir?

Kate Dingwall (Contributing Editor)

My year was big! I went from Spain to South Africa, Uruguay to Tokyo, and spent a good portion of my year in France, for both professional and personal matters (summer in Provence, with my sister). Which meant my wine year was also brilliantly expansive and exciting. I tasted no shortage of wines that were excellent, but these are the ones that lingered, the ones I’ll think about long after my glass is empty, I’ve gotten off the plane, and I’ve travelled to my next destination. These are wines I’d drop my own money on again and again, the ones that fill my cellar and I pour into the glasses of my friends and family. – Kate

La Roche aux Moines 2018 Savennières

This wine is luminescent—shimmering and shining chenin blanc that’s dense in mouthfeel and complex, but bleatingly fresh, singing with honey and quince and tangerine. It’s deeply contemplative and enthralling. I’ve had these wines four or five times over the last couple years and they sing every time! To add context: The estate, run by the enigmatic Tessa Laroche, borders Coulée de Serrant, Nicolas Joly’s iconic biodynamic estate—one of a few single estate appellations in France. A new icon!

Albert I Noya El Corral Cremat Brut

I hate using moments like this to flex old vintages that I get to taste (a professional hazard!). But the 1998 Xarel-lo from Albert I Noya, a pioneering organic winery in the D.O. Penedes, was incredible. As are all of their wines. They’re one of the first to fly the flag for organic viticulture in the region and helped prove the potential of sustainable viticulture to others. While their viticultural practices are deeply rooted in land health, their wines are clean, expressive, and precise (read, none of that natty wine nonsense that my colleague Tod is always complaining about). If you can’t get your hands on their ‘98 Xarel-lo (bah humbug), try their El Corral Cremant, a long-aged sparkling wine born from a single vineyard of high-altitude, old-vine Xarel-lo.

Nusserhof 2018 Teroldego

Nusserhof’s vineyards are an anomaly. They’re in the centre of the city of the Italian city of Bolzano and quite literally so—their neighbours are factories and strip malls. The vineyards were planted in the 1700s, when the city was just a town, and as Bolzano grew, it circled the family’s home vineyards. I stopped in on my way home from hiking in the Alps and fell hard for their Teroldego, a native Alto Adige grape. It’s lustrous and breathy, full of plush plum, cherry cola, and a streak of Alpine freshness. It’s like Burgundian pinot noir on a swish ski vacation.

Carmelo Giardina (Principal Editor)

This past year reaffirmed that the wines we remember most aren’t always about scores, structure, or even rarity. They’re about the moments wrapped around them. This year took me from long, winding drives through Piedmont’s rolling hills to an early morning tasting of Ornellaia’s newest releases in downtown Toronto, to an unforgettable Champagne dinner where organics, craftsmanship, and celebration came together in perfect harmony.

My summer trip to Italy was especially meaningful. Spending time in Alba—one of the mainstay points of interest in Italian wine—felt like a return to the roots of why I fell in love with this industry. Standing among the vines of Barolo country with family beside me, tasting wines where tradition and place intersect so vividly, was grounding in all the best ways. Then there were the surprises: organically grown Champagne that tasted so effortlessly brilliant, and a cellar-worthy super-Tuscan that reminded me just how thrilling a wine can be when nature decides to reward patience in the face of adversity.

These wines weren’t just “tasted”; they were lived! And they’re the ones that etched themselves deepest into my memory this year. – Carm

Ornellaia 2022 – Bolgheri Superiore DOC

“The 2022 season was not kind at first,” winemaker Marco Balsimelli admitted to me with a subtle grin during my sit-down with him earlier in the year (read it here). “Hot, dry. At times, relentless. The vines were under significant stress… The pressure to pick the perfect date for harvest was immense.” And yet, like many great stories in wine, adversity paved the way for distinction.

The ’22 Ornellaia—nicknamed La Determinazione—is a brooding yet remarkably composed wine. There’s a dense core of black fruit, a savoury thread of sage and bay leaf, and tannins that speak more to refinement than raw power. Yes, the heat of the vintage shows (14.5% ABV), but its elegance is what lingers. Notes of scorched earth, sundried tomato, black olive, and warm Mediterranean herbs give it a wild but polished character. “We didn’t push,” Balsimelli told me. “We trusted the terroir and worked gently. That’s the key.” It’s a wine that proves the point beautifully.

Telmont Réserve Brut NV Champagne

I’ve always believed Champagne tastes best when paired with great company, and this year, Telmont proved that theory in style. At a dinner hosted in downtown Toronto, Telmont’s business development director, Rodolphe Maury de Lapeyrouse, led us through a lineup that showcased the house’s unwavering commitment to organic farming and its rare status as a truly grower-driven estate. Rodolphe’s charm made the evening memorable, but the wines did the real talking. Telmont is part of a small, determined wave of Champagne producers championing sustainability in a region where organic viticulture remains challenging. Their vineyards, meticulously cared for, with biodiversity at the forefront, produce fruit that carries a clarity and precision you can feel immediately in the glass.

The Réserve Brut is vibrantly expressive: aromas of crisp orchard fruit, lemon peel, chalk dust, and fresh white flowers. On the palate, it balances tension with texture; creamy mousse, notes of baked apple and toasted brioche, and a mineral line that hums quietly underneath. It’s Champagne that tastes alive and thoughtfully made. And on that night, in that room, it felt like the kind of wine that makes everything seem just a little more special—exactly as Champagne should.

Piazzo Comm. Armando 2020 Barolo ‘Sottocastello di Novello’

Some wines stay with you because of where you were when you tasted them. This Barolo is one of those. During a summer trip to visit family in northern Italy, we made our way to Alba, the beating heart of Piedmont’s wine landscape. A visit to Piazzo Comm. Armando had been pre-arranged. A historic, family-run estate known for producing classically styled Barolo from some of the region’s most expressive crus. Sharing this experience with my own family added a layer of meaning I won’t soon forget. Watching them walk the cellar, listening to stories of the land, and seeing their faces as they tasted Nebbiolo at its source—that alone would’ve made the wine memorable.

But the wine itself? Outstanding.

The 2020 Barolo ‘Sottocastello di Novello’ shows the hallmark traits of its high-elevation terroir: lifted aromatics, chiselled minerality, and tannins that feel both firm and beautifully shaped. The nose opens with rose petal, red cherry, anise, and hints of mountain herbs. The palate follows with precision—bright acidity, fine-grained tannins, and flavours of sour cherry, orange rind, and subtle tar. It’s elegant, long, and still youthful, promising a long life ahead. Piazzo’s philosophy—patience, tradition, and respect for the land—comes through clearly in this bottling. But for me, the true magic was tasting it in Alba, surrounded by family, where every note seemed to echo the landscape around us.

Alana Lapierre (Regional Editor)

After tasting hundreds (understatement) of remarkable wines this year, narrowing down a list of favourites always feels slightly unreasonable, akin to the too-often quoted ‘choosing a favourite child’. I have the privilege of tasting bottles across multiple regions and styles, but every so often a wine slips past technical prowess and hits a deeper place — the wines that stop me mid-sentence, that get instinctive heart marks in the margins of my notes (and an extreme amount of exclamation points if I’m being honest), that feel like a magical moment rather than a tasting. These are those wines. Three-ish bottles that stood out instantly when I looked back on 2025 — emotional, transportive, unforgettable — and, to my editor’s likely dismay, one slot became a two-wine “share” because choosing felt impossible. Sorry Carm. – Alana

Azienda Agricola Brovia 2021 Barolo ‘Brea Vigna Ca’ Mia’ DOCG

I know — the 2019 was here last year. And yet tasting the 2021 this fall in Castiglione Falletto with Elena Brovia and Alex Sánchez only confirmed that there was no universe in which it wasn’t returning this year. This wine marks an emotional checkpoint for me. Sourced from 65-year-old Nebbiolo vines planted on the Vigna Ca’ Mia plot in the Brea cru in Serralunga d’Alba—clay-limestone soils and steep vineyards—Ca’ Mia 2021 has finesse and depth. It opens with dark florals and iron-tinged minerality before unfolding into black cherry, crushed berries and a faint autumn-leaves edge. The structure is classic Brovia: pure elegance, a mix of modern and traditional, with both power and refinement, and a finish that stretches out—long, silky and, dare I say, sexy. Absolutely stunning.

Bodegas y Viñedos Luna Beberide 2023 Paixar ‘Viña de Vaca’ (Bierzo D.O.)

I tasted the 2023 Paixar ‘Viña de Vaca’ at a truly magical, nearly surreal tasting in Bierzo this fall with winemaker Alejandro Luna, and the memory of that moment is stitched into my mind. From a tiny single-vineyard parcel of century-old vines perched high in the hills of Dragonte, Corullón — this Paixar Viña de Vaca takes Mencía to a near weightless place: fragrant, stony, lifted. It’s mountain wine with soul and elegance: slate minerality, shadowed dark fruit, wild herb brightness, peppery spice, and a kind of inner luminosity that Bierzo’s highest, steepest vineyards seem to give — it tastes like standing on the top of the world for a minute.

Last House Vineyard 2023 Hillier Blanc ‘Block 130 Reserve’ (Prince Edward County) & Sempre Mio 2023 ‘Primo Mio’ Chardonnay (Niagara)

Much to my editor’s inevitable sigh I am sure, I’m giving shared space here to two — equally memorable — Canadian wines.

The 2023 Hillier Blanc ‘Block 130 Reserve’ from Last House Vineyard, a small-batch PEC winery on the shores of Lake Ontario, where shallow clay loam meets limestone bedrock, is made from estate-grown Chardonnay aged in what winemaker André Gagné considers a standout barrel (and I’d have to agree, given its place on this list). Organic-leaning, hand-tended farming with minimal-intervention winemaking built on wild ferments and purity of fruit. A delicious and more’ish combination of orchard fruit, crushed shell minerality, and limestone-driven saline energy. It’s elegant and disciplined, with a long and sleek finish. I adore when a wine manages to be cerebral and pure pleasure at once and this one nails both: it’s crystalline, precise and effortlessly drinkable: cool-climate Chardonnay at its best.

Tasted first at an event in Jordan Station this summer — and later again at home — the Sempre Mio 2023 ‘Primo Mio’ Chardonnay, a single-barrel expression from Corey Mio’s namesake vineyard, has been living rent-free in my head ever since. A first vintage for Corey, its depth, generosity, and pinpoint balance thread a silky fine line between energy and elegance. ‘Primo Mio’ was selected from the core release for its uniqueness and completeness: the nose is polished with orchard fruit, subtle tropical notes, flinty lift and soft white pepper notes; on the palate it blends silky texture with taut mineral drive, vibrant acidity and a finish that lingers in the most graceful way. This is a wine that walks a beautiful line between something slightly irreverent and cool and a core of serious structure and precision. A producer to watch.

Gillian Marks, PhD. (Contributing Editor)

This was a banner year for me. After achieving my Bordeaux Master credential, I visited Bordeaux to steep myself in the very thing I had been learning for years. I thought I should dispel my preconceived notion of how many châteaux wines were as good as their mystique and know whether the academic approach I had undertaken was a true representation of the history of the land. My visit accomplished that and more! And, indeed, while I visited large swaths of both the Left and Right Banks of the Gironde, Garrone and Dordogne Rivers, three châteaux wines stood out as the epitome of present-day Bordeaux. That is to say, they taste and feel like the terroir the grapes are grown in, and they are vinified by people whose care and attention leads to a memorable wine. Wines that can be enjoyed as a solo glass, in the company of friends or family, and with a variety of cuisines.

To say that the Left Bank is all cabernet sauvignon dominant and the Right Bank is all merlot led, would be an oversimplification that ignores terroir and nuance, and is defied by many chateaux. Although it is hard to tease out wines that represent the best of any area, my own particular tastes gravitate to the cabernet sauvignon front forward wines of Bordeaux. The three wines described here exhibit the typicity of the region and have staying power – so if you decide to enjoy them now or keep them to enjoy at a later date, they all fit that bill. – Gillian

Haut-Bailly II

Château Haut-Bailly in Pessac-Léognan lies within the Graves appellation on the Left Bank of the Gironde River. The Château sits on a gravelly hillside and has a diverse terroir. The area gets a high amount of rainfall, and the climate tends to be warmer and more humid than the Médoc which is further north. The Château attained Grand Cru Classé in the Graves Classification with a first wine that is labelled Chateau Haut-Bailly. The wine labelled Haut-Bailly II is the Château’s second wine – which has been produced since 1967. The difference between the first and second wines is terroir expression, with Haut-Bailly II also using younger vines and parcels, and a higher percentage of merlot in the blend with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.

The 2023 vintage is a blend of 64% merlot, 34% cabernet sauvignon and 2% cabernet franc. Climate and vine pressure in 2023 were what the Château called an “Odyssey”, and they named the wine as such. This Left Bank wine is unexpectedly merlot dominant. The 2023 vintage might benefit from a longer stint in the bottle. The 2021 vintage, however, is a recent standout that sells for around $75 CAD offering very good value for money even at this price point. Drink now if you must, but it will be even better after 2029. It brings a panoply of flavours to the nose and palate, including black plum, dried cherry, cocoa nib, cinnamon, and espresso. It matches up well with almost any beef or game dish, and any rich creamy dish or strong mature cheese.

Château Léoville-Poyferré 2023

Set in Saint-Julien on the Left Bank of the Gironde River, Château Léoville-Poyferré is a Second Growth in the 1855 Classification. The Château grapes grow on terraces of gravel with a sandy-clay subsoil. The grapes are cabernet sauvignon at the head of the class – which is supported by the gravel on which they grow. The Grand Vin from Léoville-Poyferré is one of my top picks for 2025 because of the combined viticultural and vinicultural expression in every sip.

The 2023 vintage of the Grand Vin is a blend of 62% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, and much smaller proportions of cabernet franc, and petit verdot. Of this vintage, Jane Anson has said the wine is “Concentrated, but with a delicious balance.” This wine will age beautifully, but if you can’t wait beyond 2029 to open a bottle, you might consider the 2021 vintage in the meantime.

Château Lagrange

Also set in Saint-Julien, Chateau Lagrange is renowned for its powerful blends led by cabernet sauvignon and merlot with a framework of petit verdot. Chateau Lagrange is a Third Growth in the 1855 Classification. The wines are said to have ripe and powerful flavours attributable in no small way to the well-drained gravel plateaus. The daytime heat is held by the gravel and as it radiates during the cooler nights, it helps to ripen the grapes. The blue clay found deeper in the soil adds the nutrients that bring a complexity and a je ne sais crois to the wine that the palate really appreciates.

If you select the 2023 vintage of the Grand Vin, it will not disappoint but it is young enough that bottle age will add even more character. If you want a bottle of wine that can be opened today and enjoyed with the same freshness as the year it was bottled, the 2015 vintage is my top choice at $145 CAD. It’s a little pricier than its younger cousin, the 2019 vintage, at $99 CAD, but it’s also more structured and has a richer profile due in large measure to the climate in 2019. You’ll be impressed with the mélange of ripe, juicy black fruits, dried plum, hints of sage and spice.

More Special Collector’s Coverage

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