Gooseberry, grapefruit, lime and green apple drive this New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, joined by grass, lemongrass, melon and a little tropical fruit. The citrus is present without turning harsh, and a clean, slightly tart finish makes it easy with fried chicken, tofu bowls or happy-hour snacks.
For Garuma, winemaker Viviana Navarrete uses three blocks with different exposures in the El Maitén Vineyard, planted in the Leyda zone near the coast of central Chile in 2008. Fermented primarily in stainless steel, but with 15% barrel ferment to add texture, this is a creamy sauvignon, although it also has firm, almost lemon-juice acidity. Refreshing and crisp, to accompany grilled scallops. Score - 93. (Patricio Tapia, guiadescorchados.cl, 2024)
Sourced from vines aged 30 years, this wine is made from Merlot with a splash of Cabernet Franc. Ripe, generous and plummy, it will show its best now through 2033. Pair with braised brisket or black-bean burgers.[Concours International de Lyon did not include a tasting note.] Score - Gold. (Concours International de Lyon, 2024)
Once again, this unique wine - which uses green-tea tannin extract in place of SO2 as an antimicrobial and preservative - is entirely it's own thing. A bright golden color, it's like running through a later summertime orchard, the fruit hanging heavy on the trees, the smell of hay and oats and sunshine. It's round and slippery on the palate, a generous texture with just enough acidity to keep things flowing and not feel shrill. This reviewer finds it delightfully different. Score - 92. (Christina Pickard, Wine Enthusiast, Dec. 31, 2024)
This year's Brut Rosé sources fruit from 5 neighbouring vineyards, and blends 70% pinot noir with 30% pinot meunier. Most was whole cluster pressed, with a small part spending under 1 hour on skins, giving the delicate salmon hue. All parts were fermented in stainless, with full MLF, before heading to bottle and 11 months resting on lees. This was disgorged March 2023 with 6 g/L. Wild raspberries, light strawberry is threaded with mandarine peel and kissed with wild mint as it streams down the stony palate, finishing with a bitter orange twist. Great freshness and purity of fruit throughout, this is certainly built for food. Score - 91. (Treve Ring, gismondionwine.com, May 19, 2025)
85% Mencia, 8% Garnacha, 7% Sousón. Anyone who has ever seen photographs of the steep slopes of Ribeira Sacra will wonder how it is possible to produce a wine like this in our Value category - but here it is, dark, fresh and thrillingly aromatic from first sniff to last swallow. This limpid, unoaked wine is made from the Mencia grape variety (known as Jaen in Portugal) plus a little Garnacha and Souson, and the emphasis is on its sloe, bramble and damson fruits in all their primary glory, almost as if it had been run from the vats just a week or two earlier. The palate is soft-textured, mouth-filling, exuberant and comely, structured more prominently by acidity than tannin, though that acidity is sweet and juicy in its own right. There is nothing at all sharp or hard about this tender, almost lip-smacking red... yet the variety itself, and the legacy of its austere, granite-soiled origins, somehow contrive to stop the wine tasting simple. Platinum. Best in Show. Score - 97. (Decanter World Wine Awards, 2021)
The 2013 Reserva Viña Tondonia is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo, grown in the calcareous soils of the Tondonia meander in Rioja Alta. Aged extensively in American oak, it offers restrained black fruit, wild herbs, balsamic hints and sweet spices with gentle cedar and vanilla notes. Medium-bodied with chalky grip and a layered, tertiary finish, this is a benchmark classic - refined, enduring and unmistakably Tondonia. Drinking window: 2025-2055. Score - 97. (Joaquín Hidalgo, vinous.com, May 22, 2025)
This shows plums, cherries and milk chocolate on the nose, plus some orange peel. On the palate it's youthful, juicy and full-bodied, with fine, lightly crunchy tannins. Drink now or hold [into early 2030s]. Score - 92. (Claire Nesbitt, jamessuckling.com, March 18, 2025)
Made from 100% Chardonnay, this bubbly spent five years ageing on the lees in barrel, imparting beautiful richness and depth. It evokes late-autumn apple, ripe pear, toasted macadamia nut, and a touch of citrus. It finishes with great length and toasty decadence.[National Wine Awards of Canada did not include a tasting note.] Score - 90. (National Wine Awards of Canada, 2023)
This is a very impressive riesling with intense aromas of petrol, crushed pineapple, lemonade and a touch of evergreen. It carries the same intensity on the palate with searing acidity, offset by some sweetness. Very lemony on the finish. The length is excellent. Relentless flavour and quench to enjoy cold on a summer patio. Gin and tonic fans listen up. Tasted April 2024. Score - 92. (David Lawrason, winealign.com)
This ripe and balanced 2023 cabernet franc delivers punchy plum, black cherry, strawberry, mocha, blackcurrant and black pepper flavours supported by plush tannins, bright acidity and a long finish. [This wine received a score of 94 points from the judging panel at the National Wine Awards of Canada 2025.] Score - 93. (Darren Oleksyn, winealign.com)
The excellent 2020 vintage in Niagara has been very kind to cabernet franc, a category that has done well at the National Wine Awards of Canada. This finds very good varietal purity and balance. The nose is fairly generous with raspberry and redcurrant fruit, fresh herbs and oak resin and spice. It is mid-weight, balanced and warming with firm but not austere tannin. With some age better cohesion and elegance is setting in. There is a sense of fine proportion and completeness. The length is excellent. Last tasted Sept. 2024. Score - 91. (David Lawrason, winealign.com)
Bing cherry and vanilla aromas are joined by earthy notes of post-rain petrichor. The wine's gossamer texture is mesmerizing, almost allowing flavors like red raspberries, coriander and orange zest to escape unnoticed. The Grand Clos is an exercise in balance and restraint, with crisp acidity and fine, grainy tannins. Editors' Choice. Score - 94. (Michael Alberty, Wine Enthusiast, March 1, 2025)
Cool climate style of Chardonnay driven by ripe pear and white peach freshness and terroir minerality. Has subtle toast and hazelnut character. Shiny, bright and mouth watering. Nice texture and a long smooth finish. Winner of the Niagara Peninsula Chardonnay Trophy, Canadian White Trophy. Score - 95. (International Wine Challenge, 2025)
Fresh red apples and apricot nectar, honeysuckle on the nose. Juicy palate with crunchy freshness, lingering floral finish.
This shows bright aromas of licorice root, pear juice and salt-and-pepper minerality. Soft attack with tingling freshness, weight and silkiness, balanced by a medium body and a savory aftertaste. Simple yet precise. Drink now [through 2026]. Score - 92. (jamessuckling.com, Oct. 21, 2024)
Made from the saperavi variety and sourced from the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia, this is described as a 'medium sweet red wine.' There's certainly a little sweetness here, but it mainly comes across as fruity, with a flavour profile that highlights red and dark fruit and berries. The acidity is up to the task, the tannins are easy-going, and you can drink this on its own or with rich dishes such as many meats prepared with barbecue sauce. Tasted February 2025. Score - 90. (Rod Phillips)
Ruby color. Aromas and flavors of chocolate cookie, dark berry pie crust, honeycomb, and cracked mixed peppercorn with a supple, crisp, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a warming, interesting, medium-long finish evoking elements of cherry-cranberry relish, toffee, spiced nuts, and cedar with heavy oak flavor. A crisp, crunchy Cabernet tailor made for a juicy, well marbled steak. Exceptional. [Drink by 2030.] Score - 93. (tastings.com, Sept. 9, 2025)
A bright red with firm, integrated tannins that provide length and focus. It's medium-bodied with citrus and berry character and excellent length. I like it now, but give it two or three years to show its full potential. Same quality as 2019? Best after 2027. Score - 95. (jamessuckling.com, Sept. 24, 2024)