Moving up to the podium in Wine Spectator’s “Top 10”: positions 4 to 2 are all California

Climbing onto the podium, in the “Top 10” of Wine Spectator, while waiting tomorrow for the announcement of the “Wine of the Year” 2025 according to the most influential ranking in the wine market, in the U.S., and not only. In the meantime, coming close to the top, at No. 2, there is Californian Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Uv-Sl Vineyard 2023 by Aubert, ahead of two other made in U.S. Wines, i.e. Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley 2023 by Ridge, at No. 3, and Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Eastside Road Neighbors 2023 by Williams Selyem, both also from California. These wines join those already revealed in last days, namely French St.-Émilion 2022 by Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, among the elite of Bordeaux great wines, at position No. 5, and Chilean Apalta 2021 by Clos Apalta winery, owned by the Marnier-Lapostolle family, which has brought Carmenère back to global prominence, at No. 6. Which preceed Barbaresco 2021 by Produttori del Barbaresco at No. 7, Californian Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Wayfarer Vineyard The Estate 2023 by Wayfarer at No. 8, Chianti Classico San Lorenzo Gran Selezione 2021 by Castello di Ama at No. 9, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape St.-Préfert 2022 by Famille Isabel Ferrando at No. 10.
Awaiting tomorrow to discover who will take the No. 1 position, a “fate” that has gone to an Italian wine five times so far with Brunello di Montalcino 2018 by Argiano in 2023, Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2001 by Casanova di Neri in 2006, Solaia 1997 by Marchesi Antinori in 2000, Sassicaia 2015 by Tenuta San Guido in 2018, and Ornellaia 1998 by Tenuta dell’Ornellaia in 2001 (now owned by Frescobaldi, at the time by Lodovico Antinori, ed).