Wine Spectator’s Top 10 of 2025 — What They Got RIGHT (and WRONG!)

Video Description

Check out Cellar Class to take your wine knowledge to the next level: https://www.cellarclass.com/ Learn from a Master of Wine at your pace, wherever you are with Cellar Class! Follow me on ...: https://www.instagram.com/konstantinbaum_mw/ https://www.threads.net/@konstantinbaum_mw https://www.tiktok.com/@konstantinbaum_mw Check out my website: https://www.cellarclass.com/ https://www.konstantinbaum.com/ https://baumselection.com/ I have used the following glass in this video: SPIEGELAU Hi-Lite Universal Glass – Get it here: https://www.spiegelau.com/en/shop/hi-lite/universal-glass-1750161?mtm_campaign=2025_cont_ec_baum20&mtm_source=ig&mtm_medium=afp&mtm_content=workshop&mtm_group=bgw&mtm_placement=link I have tasted the following wines in this Video: 2022 Saint Prefert Famille Isabel Ferrando Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/st+prefert+fmly+isabel+ferrando+chateauneuf+du+pape+rhone+france/2022?referring_site=KSB 2021 Castello di Ama 'San Lorenzo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Italy https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/castellodiama+st+lorenzo+grand+select+docg+chianti+cls+tuscany+italy/2021?referring_site=KSB 2021 Produttori del Barbaresco 'Barbaresco DOCG', Piedmont, Italy https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/produttori+docg+barbaresco+piemonte+italy/2021?referring_site=KSB 2021 Clos Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/clos+apalta+colchagua+valley+chile/2021?referring_site=KSB 2022 Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/beau+sejour+becot+st+emilion+grand+cru+bordeaux+france/2022?referring_site=KSB 2023 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley, USA https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/ridge+lytton+spring+dry+creek+valley+sonoma+county+north+coast+california+usa/2023?referring_site=KSB 2022 Chateau Giscours, Margaux, France https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/giscours+margaux+medoc+bordeaux+france/2022?referring_site=KSB I use this wine key: Forge de Laguiole Ebony The 100 Point Scoring System (from www.robertparker.com): 96-100: An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase and consume. 90 - 95: An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines. 80 - 89: A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws. 70 - 79: An average wine with little distinction except that it is soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine. 60 - 69: A below-average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor or possibly dirty aromas or flavors. 50 - 59: A wine deemed to be unacceptable. The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping, and Christmas is around the corner… which can only mean one thing: Wine Spectator has released its Top 10 Wines of the Year. And of course, I’m making a video about it. We bought as many wines from the list as we could get our hands on, and I’ll review them today — telling you what Wine Spectator got right, and what they got completely wrong this year. Wine Spectator remains the world's largest wine magazine, and it continues to have a profound impact on the industry. But wine media is changing quickly, and I’m not entirely sure how big the impact of making the Top 10 really is for a winery these days. When we started buying bottles for this video, I assumed the Top 10 wines were becoming increasingly expensive. But after looking at the numbers from the last six editions, I realized something surprising: this year’s Top 10 is actually one of the cheapest. Still, these are all super-premium wines. Personally, I’d love to see one or two bottles under $30 in the mix — we want to keep wine approachable, right? Another criticism: the Top 10 includes only one white wine. That’s… silly. There are so many outstanding white wines being made right now. Though to be fair, the Aubert Chardonnay is the highest-rated white wine they’ve had in years — so that’s something. Looking at countries of origin, I’d also love to see more diversity and experimentation. Out of the Top 10 this year: 4 are from the US (as usual), 3 from France, 2 from Italy, 1 from Chile No Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Germany, Austria… If you’ve watched my previous Wine Spectator videos, I probably sound like a broken record at this point. When it comes to diversity of producers, it gets even stranger: two of the wineries in the Top 10 were also in the Top 10 recently. This year’s #2 Aubert was #2 with their Pinot in 2020, and Williams Selyem’s Eastside Road Neighbors Pinot was in the Top 10 last year. And now it’s back again with the latest vintage.