Each year, the Wine.com 100 distills the vast world of wine into a focused view of the bottles that truly defined the year. The wines in this list earned their place by excelling as buyer favorites, top customer-rated selections, or best-selling wines. Together, they form a clear portrait of the bottles that shaped how our customers and our experts drank in 2025.
#1 Wine of 2025: Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon
Chappellet’s Signature Cabernet has long stood among Napa Valley’s most important hillside wines. The Chappellet family established their estate on Pritchard Hill in the late 1960s, years before the region became synonymous with luxury Cabernet. The elevation, volcanic soils, and thin, rocky profiles of the hill produce fruit marked by natural structure, graphite-tinged minerality, and aromatic clarity. Those conditions, paired with a half-century of continuous family stewardship, have made the Signature Cabernet a reference point for mountain-grown Napa. Its placement at #1 reflects not only critical strength but also consistent consumer enthusiasm for wines that unite depth with precision.
“Chappellet has long been a Napa benchmark for structure and mountain-grown character.”
– Chimo Boehm, California Wine Buyer
The wines selected by our expert buyers for the Wine.com Top 100 are chosen for consistency, balance, and a clear sense of place. Each buyer selected wines for the list as well as a personal Wine of the Year.
In Champagne, Tim Marson selected NV Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle No. 26, a blend of 2012, 2008, and 2007 that reflects the house’s long-held goal of recreating an “ideal vintage” through precision blending rather than single-year expression. From Bordeaux, 2022 Château Malartic-Lagravière was chosen by Meagan Johnson for its textural finesse—a result of deep gravel soils, careful extraction, and the estate’s ongoing agroecological approach.
In Rioja, Wendy Stanford highlighted 2019 La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva, a classic blend aged extensively in American oak, exemplifying one of Rioja’s most historic traditional producers. From Tuscany, Maggie Craig selected 2018 Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino, sourced from organically farmed vineyards on Montalcino’s southwestern slopes, where Sangiovese achieves structure and purity.
Completing the global outlook, Sophia O’Rourke chose 2024 Clos Henri Otira Sauvignon Blanc, produced by the Bourgeois family of Sancerre on Marlborough’s glacial stone soils, combining Loire styling with New Zealand intensity.
Beyond these individual picks, the broader buyer-selected set includes estates known for regional clarity and long-standing quality. Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo draws from Barbaresco’s historic crus; Tolaini Valdisanti reflects Tuscany’s blend of Sangiovese and Bordeaux varieties; Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Sainte Claire offers a pure expression of Kimmeridgian limestone; and Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune du Château Premier Cru Rouge represents one of Burgundy’s most iconic domaines. From the New World, Opus One Overture from Oakville and Staglin Cabernet Sauvignon Salus deliver Napa’s hallmark Cabernet structure, while Terrazas de los Andes Grand Malbec highlights Mendoza’s high-altitude precision.
Reflecting the highest star ratings from our Wine.com community, this section highlights the bottles customers consistently recognized for their quality. These wines earned their reputations through sustained positive feedback and dependable performance.
In the United States, California and Oregon again delivered many of the most praised wines. Napa Valley Cabernets such as Buena Vista’s Chateau Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon and Faust Cabernet Sauvignon combined concentration with approachability, while Willamette Valley Pinot Noir remained a reliable favorite for its complexity and cool-climate balance. Sonoma whites, including Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, continued to attract strong reviews for their clarity and refinement.
Burgundy and Bordeaux maintained steady customer support. Simonnet-Febvre Chablis was frequently praised for its mineral-driven freshness, while Bordeaux selections such as Château Léoville Poyferré drew attention for Left Bank depth and polish. In the Loire, Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Blanc reinforced enthusiasm for Sauvignon Blanc with tension and precision.
Italy remained a cornerstone of top ratings. Wines such as Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva and Antinori's Chianti Classico Riserva appealed to those seeking expressive Sangiovese rooted in regional identity, while popular Amarone and Barolo producers continued to draw strong feedback for structure and typicity. From the Iberian Peninsula, Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port stood out for its layered complexity and craftsmanship, a wine customers continue to reward with high ratings.
Finally, Champagne continued to earn exceptional customer feedback, with Pol Roger Brut Réserve consistently recognized for its balance, fine mousse, and classic house style, a benchmark non-vintage Champagne that remains one of the most reliable bottles in its category.
Representing the year’s best-selling bottles, these wines reflect the regions and styles customers returned to most often, forming a clear picture of what resonated across a broad range of palates.
In Italy, demand remained strong across Tuscany, where Sangiovese-based wines such as Tenuta di Capraia Chianti Classico Riserva and Altesino Brunello di Montalcino continued to anchor customer purchases. Further north, Prosecco maintained its momentum, with Nino Franco Rustico Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore standing out for its clarity and consistency.
In France, Bordeaux and Champagne remained dependable anchors. Reds such as Château Lynch-Bages and Château Troplong Mondot attracted customers for their structure and pedigree, while Champagne houses including Piper-Heidsieck and Billescart-Salmon maintained broad appeal for their traditional-method precision. Provence rosé also remained a steady choice, led by Château d'Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé.
In the United States, California dominated overall sales. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon drove much of the momentum through wines like Far Niente Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, each representing a distinct regional style. Top-selling Chardonnay continued to center on producers such as Rombauer Chardonnay and Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, both appreciated for their balance of freshness and richness.
From the Southern Hemisphere, several wines earned repeated purchases throughout the year. Argentina’s Catena Alta Malbec remained a standout for its depth and mountain-grown character, while New Zealand whites like Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc continued to attract customers seeking aromatic intensity and clarity. Chile contributed top performers as well, including Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon, known for its concentration and structure.
