A difficult 2025 for fine wines, but some are growing: Soldera Case Basse also in the “top 10”

They range from the Rhône with the Hermitage Rouge 2021 from Domaine Jean Louis Chave (+36.8%), to Bordeaux with Château Canon 2014 (+25.8%), from Sauternes with Château d'Yquem 2014 (+25.7%), to a great Burgundy classic, La Tache Grand Cru 2020 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (+24.5%). Then in the US, with an icon of Napa Valley, Screaming Eagle's Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (+24.4%), returning once again to France, in Champagne, with Pol Roger's Sir Wiston Churchill 2015 (+24.4%), in Sauternes with Château Suduiraut 2016 (+23.6%), in the Rhône with E. Guigal Cote Rotie 2028 from Château d’Ampuis (+20%), in Burgundy with the prestigious Clos de Tart Grand Cru (+18.1%) and, closing the “top 10”, Italy with Soldera Case Basse, a cult name in Montalcino wine. Here are the ten wines that recorded double-digit returns in terms of value in the first half of 2025, bucking a trend that has seen the prices of fine wines continue to fall in a difficult global economic context. This is according to the specialized website WineCap, confirming that all major regions ended the first half of the year in negative territory, from Burgundy to Champagne, from Bordeaux to California, in a difficult 2025 for fine wines, as already reported by WineNews.
Yet, “despite the Rhône 100 index falling by 2.5%, Jean Louis Chave’s Hermitage Rouge 2021 rose by 36.8%, a clear outperformance due to limited availability and growing global recognition of its status as a collector’s item”, explains WineCap. And while the presence of wines such as Château d'Yquem 2014 and Château Suduiraut 2016 among the top wines “suggests a renewed interest among collectors in underrated dessert wines, especially when associated with exceptional vintages”, Screaming Eagle 2012 “has proven resilient, with a 24.4% increase in value since the beginning of the year. Despite the California 50 index falling by 5.6%, high-end Napa Valley captures global attention in the most prestigious vintages”. The Champagne 50 index fell by 4.9%, but “Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2015 bucked the trend with a +24.4% increase, demonstrating how the best releases can outperform broader categories”.
For WineCap, “the first half of 2025 confirmed what experienced collectors already know: not all wines follow market trends. Although regional indices fell across the board, a handful of exceptional bottles bucked the trend”.
Looking ahead to the second half of the year, however, “the outlook is cautiously positive. Although macroeconomic obstacles remain, from tariffs and interest rates to uneven global demand, there are still opportunities for those willing to look beyond the indices. In a market undergoing recalibration”, concludes WineCap, “rarity, selectivity, and substance will continue to define a wine’s success”.