The 2025 Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour

I participated in this year’s Wine Spectator Grand Tour in Washington, DC. Although I did not ultimately get to try all the wines I wanted to, I did end up tasting 46 wines (out of a total of 234 wines on offer). There were quite a few that were high on my list of wines to try that I just did not get to — very sad! Nonetheless, of the wines I did try, almost all were quite good quality, with very few that I felt were a let down or otherwise sub-par. Here is my final ranking of all the wines I tried during this event, along with my notes — some of which are, admittedly, more abbreviated than usual given the circumstances. Wine Spectator’s scores are in parenthesis, followed by my score and notes.

96 Points

1. Bindi Sergardi Chianti Classico Mocenni 89 Gran Selezione 2019 (95) - 96 Points. Pale translucent ruby, slightly brick in color. Nose is intensely aromatic with red cherry, raspberry, red rose, orange blossom. Medium+ acidity, super well balanced, anise or even ouzo liquor, ripe red fruit, some cherry/raspberry fruit leather, red currant, maybe pomegranate, very rich and concentrated but elegant mouthfeel. Extraordinarily long finish. 96 points.

2. Marchesi Antinori Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso 2021 (97) - 96 Points. Ruby in color with very slight brick hues. Very spicy and savory on the nose, with tomato leaf, tobacco, pomegranate, cherry, cranberry, cedar and savory herbs. Palate confirms the nose, with fairly high complexity and layers. Nice structure and balanced acidity. Long finish. 96 points.

   95+ Points

3. Fontodi Colli della Toscana Centrale Flaccianello 2021 (97) - 95+ Points. Moderately deep ruby plum purple in color. Nose is medium plus to high intensity, with ripe red plum, camphor, black plum and black cherry, crushed and candied violets, kirsch, some earthy spice, dry stone, medium+ acidity, medium+ tannin and pretty grippy. Would benefit from a few hours decanting, and probably will develop a bit more with bottle age -- probably 15+ years -- but drinking pretty nicely now straight out of bottle. A lot of potential, but already quite strong. 95+ points, and could even go a little higher with some air and/or additional bottle aging.

4. Penfolds Shiraz Barossa Valley RWT Bin 798 2019 (96) - 95+ Points. Deep ruby plum in color. Nose is quite floral at first -- primarily crushed violets -- giving way to mesquite, black earth, red Twizzlers, clove, jammy red plum. Palate is plush and very rich, nice grip but smooth tannins, a little cumin spice kicking in at the back end. Very long finish. 95+ points.

   95 Points

5. Tenuta San Guido Toscana Guidalberto 2022 (94) - 95 Points. Medium ruby in color. Nose is oaky, with black cherry, black currant, plum, walnut. Palate is plush, structured yet soft, confirming the nose with additional touches of vanilla and minerality. Well balanced, structured yet elegant, fairly generous now but likely to improve with age - perhaps 10+ years. 95 points.

6. VIK Millahue 2021 (95) - 95 Points. Deep ruby plum color. Juicy, rich nose with black plum, black cherry, fig jam, cassis, fruit cocktail, tobacco and spice. Grippy but fine tannins, elegant and velvety, with hits of mocha coming through on the lengthy finish. 95 points.

   94+ Points

7. Clos du Val Yettalil Stags Leap District 2021 (93) - 94+ Points. Deep ruby plum purple in color. Nose is very herbal, red and black plum, ripe black cherry, licorice, Play-doh. Palate is super smooth and plush, black currant, plum jam, spice, some tobacco and cedar, big grip but tannins are very velvety yet bold. Quite juicy, concentrated, and complex but would benefit from some bottle age -- perhaps 15-20+ years. Big, juicy and ripe fruit puts this squarely in California but the style brings a lot of old world Bordeaux elegance. Finish is very long. 94+ points.

   94 Points

8. Bergström Wines Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge La Spirale Vineyard 2022 (95) - 94 Points. Bright light and pale translucent ruby in color. Nose is bright and juicy red cherry, strawberry, red plum, a little peppery spice, fresh orange peel, violets. Palate is medium acidity, very juicy, medium tannin but velvety, palate mostly confirms the nose with bright juicy red fruit, some fresh ripe orange or tangerine, slight fresh floral notes, and a bit of white pepper. Medium+ finish. 94 points.

9. Trimbach Riesling Alsace Frédéric Émile 2017 (94) - 94 Points. Medium golden in color. Nose is rubber hose, bright lime, white flowers, peach jam, gravel. Palate is medium+ acidity, ripe peach, key lime, dry stone, anise, and a long finish. A delicious wine now which could even improve with a few more years of age - maybe 5-10 years. 94 points.

10. Catena Zapata Malbec Mendoza Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae 2021 (95) - 94 Points. Medium ruby in color but fairly translucent. Nose is extremely licorice, bright red fruits, red plum, anise, a little pepperoni. Palate is medium+ acidity, very fresh and vibrant, very fine tannin and plush, red plum and plum skin, black cherry, again very strong black licorice/anise flavor shines through. Medium+ to long finish. 94 points.

11. Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Champagne Palmes d'Or 2008 (93) - 94 Points. Medium yellow in color with an active mousse and very fine bubbles. Nose is expressive, with brioche, candied citrus, hints of golden raisin, chalk, butterscotch. Palate is chalky as well, brioche/French toast, toasted hazelnuts, baked yellow apple, quite concentrated and rich. Fairly long finish. 94 points.

12. Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Jayson 2021 (93) - 94 Points. Very deep purple ruby in color. Intensely aromatic - jumping out of the glass, with black currant, plum, blackberry jam, anise, root beer, fig jam. Palate is very concentrated and rich, structured with big tannins but plush. This is a gorgeous wine that I think will be really splendid with another 10-15+ years of age, although already wonderfully generous and open now, perhaps even moreso with a slight decant of maybe 1-2 hours. 94 points.

    93+ Points

13. Argiano Toscana Solengo 2020 (93) - 93+ Points. Deep ruby purple in color. Nose is tobacco, spice, tomat leaf, cedar, red and black plum, black cherry. Palate confirms the fruit and wood on the nose, plus licorice root, medium to medium+ acidity, grippy but tannings are fairly refined, vanilla and nutmeg spice coming through a bit. Medium+ to fairly long finish. 93+ points now, but could even improve a bit more with 10+ years of age.

14. Fontanafredda Barolo Paiagallo Vigna La Villa 2020 (95) - 93+ Points. Very light translucent brick red/orange in color. Nose is spearmint, clay pot, red cherry, orange peel, pomegranate and fresh cranberry. Super high-toned and bright. Super grippy and high acidity. Very intense and bright, could be outstanding with 20+ years of age. Right now, drinking at 93+ points although I am admittedly not a huge Barolo/Nebbiolo fan.

15. Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato 2020 (95) - 93+ Points. Bright translucent brick red orange in color. Nose is canned fruit cocktail, maraschino cherry, orange peel, raspberry, dusty clay, a little iron rust. High acidity and tannin, complexity is coming through but this wine needs time -- 20 years before it might be ready. 93+ points but others who prefer Nebbiolo wines may rate this more highly.

    93 Points

16. Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2020 (93) - 93 Points. Medium translucent ruby in color. Intensely aromatic, with red fruit, spice, red cherry, strawberry, red plum, a bit woodsy. Palate is very juicy, bergamot, fresh and ripe red fruit, a little earthiness, Earl Gray tea. A medium+ finish. 93 points.

17. Champagne Philipponnat Extra Brut Champagne Grand Blanc 2016 (94) - 93 Points. Pale straw yellow in color with a modest mousse and fine bubbles. Nose is moderately expressive, with creme brulee, brioche, toasted cereal, some baked pear and dried apricot. Palate is medium acidity, ripe citrus, chalky minerality, toast and toasted almond. I think it could benefit from a bit of air, but drinking nicely. 93 points.

18. Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso 2017 (91) - 93 Points. Pale and translucent ruby in color, with some bricking. Nose is fairly intense, with juicy ripe red cherry, strawberry, red plum, vanilla, spice. Palate is concentrated and juicy, plush, with red fruit and a little spice, some burnt orange peel, milk chocolate. A really lovely and rich wine, with great acidity and mouthfeel. Medium to medium+ finish. Drinking very well now. 93 points.

19. Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino 2019 (92) - 93 Points. Deep ruby in color. Nose is bright red fruit -- cherry, strawberry, maybe a little fresh cranberry and pomegranate juice, a little herbal note. Palate is medium+ acidity, quite grippy, nice concentration, with a medium+ finish. 93 points.

20. Maison Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne 2022 (93) - 93 Points. Medium pale yellow in color. Nose is fairly intensely oaky, vanilla, buttered toast, spice, baked yellow apple. Palate is medium acidity, quite minerally, baked yellow apple and pear coming through a bit on the palate, but fairly dominated by toasty oak flavors -- but nicely integrated. Very long finish. 93 points.

21. Marchesi Frescobaldi Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo 2019 (93) - 93 Points. Pale ruby in color with slight brick hues. Nose is earthy, red fruits, spicy, orange peel, red plum, leather. Palate is concentrated, rich and supple, with a moderate amount of grip. Medium+ to long finish. 93 points.

22. Montes Purple Angel Colchagua Valley 2021 (94) - 93 Points. Deep ruby purple in color. Nose is very vegetal -- V8 juice, spicy tomato sauce, a little red berries, black plum skin, green bell pepper, a little vanilla, black licorice, white pepper. Palate is medium to medium plus acidity, nice fine tannins, elegant and plush. Long finish. Not my favorite flavor profile given its green/vegetal character, but undeniably complex and well-made. 93 points for me.

    92+ Points

23. Chateau de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021 (94) - 92+ Points. Pale ruby in color. Nose is strawberry, red cherry, spice, hints of black olive, garrigue, ripe red plum. Fairly juicy and rich, medium tannin but fairly light and broad in the mouth. Would benefit from maybe a 2-3 hour decant to open more, and missing a touch of acidity for me. At time of tasting, 92+ points.

24. Chateau Lascombes Margaux 2022 (91) - 92+ Points. Very dark purple ruby in color. Black and red plum, black cherry, cassis, tomato leaf, tobacco, anise, black tea, espresso. Palate is grippy and big tannin, lush red and black fruit coming through. Would benefit from a fairly long decant, perhaps 4-6 hours, and also some development with bottle age. Could see this developing nicely with 10-15 years of age, perhaps a bit more, but drinking fairly nicely now, if a bit crunchy. Medium to medium plush finish. 92+ points now.

25. Damilano Barolo Cannubi 2020 (93) - 92+ Points. Brick red in color with slightly orange tones/rim. Nose is dusty dry clay, dry eucalyptus, dried herbs -- sage and thyme -- red cherry, tamarind, dried orange peel. Palate is big tannins, high acidity, super high-toned red fruit and some herbal/floral notes, and a copper penny metallic tang on the back end and through the finish. Finish is medium+. 92+ points but definitely needs 10+ years aging in bottle to mellow.

26. Domaines Albert Bichot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Murots Domaine du Clos Frantin 2021 (92) - 92+ Points. Very pale and translucent ruby color. Nose is red cherry, woody, a little spice, a little earthy, anise, incense. Palate is medium+ acidity, fairly elegant fine tannins but a little rustic, strawberry, hints of spice, definitely a bit shy. Looking for a bit more depth and complexity, but a solid wine. 92+ points.

27. Massolino Barolo 2020 (93) - 92+ Points. Bright brick red orange in color. Super light high-toned red fruit, orange peel, hints of bubble gum, a little minty, baked clay, cranberry. High acidity and very grippy. 92+ points.

28. Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder Reserve 2021 (94) - 92+ Points. Deep plum ruby in color. Black cherry, cherry liquor, anise, mocha, black tea, slightly nutty. Decent structure, grippy for sure, medium finish, but tasting a little hot. 92+ points.

29. Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley L'Ermitage 2017 (94) - 92+ Points. Very pale straw yellow in color. Fairly intense aromas of bruised apple and pear, mandarin, creme brulee. Palate is fairly rich with medium acidity -- not quite as crystalline and linear as I was hoping, definitely riper in character. Medium+ finish. An enjoyable sparkling wine but lacking a little complexity and acidity for me. 92+ points.

30. Schramsberg J. Schram Blancs North Coast 2015 (94) - 92+ Points. Medium yellow gold in color. Nose is baked apple and pear, toasted almond, hints of brioche, a little Meyer lemon. Palate is on the richer and riper side, medium acidity, a little oxidative character but in a pleasant way in a manner befitting a Champagne-style sparkling wine with a decade of age. Lacking a little complexity for me given its vintage, but still a nice cuvee. 92+ points.

31. Viña Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2021 (96) - 92+ Points. Pale slightly brick ruby red in color. Nose is sun-dried tomato and tomato leaf, ripe red cherry, red plum skin. Palate is medium+ acidity, juicy, very big crunchy tannins. Not super generous at time of tasting and a bit more vegetal/green than I prefer. Perhaps it might open a bit with air and/or age -- would be interesting to taste again in 15+ years. For me, right now, 92+ points.

32. Fess Parker Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Ashley's 2022 (93) - 92+ Points. Medium translucent ruby in color. Very intensely aromatic, with red and underripe black cherry, black raspberry, spice, toasty notes, licorice, some minerality and earthy black dirt notes. Palate is pretty elegant tannins, medium to medium plus acidity, red plum, spice, toast and raspberry/strawberry jam, a little richer than I was anticipating in a nice way. Pretty long finish. Just searching for a little more complexity and maybe a touch more acidity/freshness, but pretty lovely California pinot. 92+ points.

    92 Points

33. Alfred Gratien Brut Champagne NV (2024) (92) - 92 Points. Pale straw yellow in color, with fine bubbles and moderate mousse. Nose is French toast, creme brulee, white cherry, with a little baked yellow apple and pear. Very plush and creamy mouthfeel, slightly toasty, but just missing a touch of freshness. Overall, though, a very lovely champagne that definitely delivers on the creamy/toasty notes. 92 points.

34. Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Martinborough Te Muna 2024 (NA) - 92 Points. Medium yellow with hints of green in color. Nose is extremely intense and aromatic, with fresh pink grapefruit and grapefruit skin, ripe pineapple, gooseberry, fresh grass, green tea, mandarins in syrup. Palate is medium acidity, medium body, a little broader than expected but still fresh, ripe lemon, ruby grapefruit, gooseberry, mandarin juice. Medium finish. Perhaps slightly lacking the racy acidity I was craving, but a very generous and beautiful expression. 92 points.

35. Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé Carneros Cuvée de la Pompadour NV (93) - 92 Points. Lovely peach color with moderate mousse and medium fine bubbles. Nose is strikingly peachy, fresh peach and apricot, slightly toasty, strawberry and red apple, white cherry. Palate confirms the nose -- such a peachy wine, very fun and lively although digging for a bit more layers and complexity and a bit more acidity which are a little lacking. 92 points.

36. Domaines Ott Bandol Rosé Château Romassan 2023 (92) - 92 Points. Pale almost golden-salmon-pink in color. Nose is red and yellow cherry, a little pink grapefruit, somewhat herbal, fennel, a little dry herbs de Provence. Palate is medium+ acidity, fresh tangerine, a little fresh sage and thyme, fennel, a little cherry blossom, a little slate stone. A pretty lovely rose, although would appreciate a little more concentration and finish. 92 points.

37. Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville The Estates 2021 (93) - 92 Points. Deep ruby purple in color. Nose is pepperoni, black cherry, blackberry, black currant, spice, licorice, red and black plum. Palate is big grippy tannins, but fairly elegant. Just missing a little bit of depth, complexity, and richness but perhaps just needs a little air to develop further -- or time in bottle. Still, at time of tasting this was 92 points for me.

    91+ Points

38. Marchesi di Barolo Barolo Cannubi 2019 (93) - 91+ Points. Brick orange in color and very translucent. Nose is spearmint, eucalyptus, red cherry, clay, raspberry, a little vanilla. Palate is very bright, super grippy, with a medium+ finish. 91+ points.

39. Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Maison Bleue 2021 (93) - 91+ Points. Medium ruby in color. Nose is bacon fat, black cherry, ripe red cherry, smoke and smoked meat, with a little bit of savory herbs coming through. Palate is velvety and elegant, with a nice balance of ripe red fruit and savory herbal notes. Medium finish. 91+ points, although I think this wine would benefit from a 2-3 hour decant.

    91 Points

40. Domaine Laroche Chablis Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes 2022 (92) - 91 Points. Pale yellow in color. Nose is fairly intense with a little undertone of oak, yellow apple, green pear, a little saline note, oyster shell, ripe lemon skin. Palate mostly confirms, bit a bit of chalkiness, medium plus acidity, but not a ton of expressiveness. A bit disappointing, but still a reasonably balanced and enjoyable wine. 91 points.

    90 Points

41. Bodega Otronia Chardonnay Patagonia III & VI 2021 (92) - 90 Points. Pale yellow in color with perhaps hints of silver/green. Nose is not super expressive, with hints of perfume, white flowers, yogurt, very subtle yellow apple and white nectarine. Palate confirms the nose, but everything is quite muted and closed. Medium acidity, was expecting a bit more zippiness from this Patagonian expression. Medium- finish. 90 points.

42. Ca' del Bosco Extra Brut Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige 47 Edizione NV (NA) - 90 Points. Pale straw in color with moderate mousse and fairly fine bubbles. Nose is very mineral and floral, a bit barnyardy, white bread. Palate is leesy brioche, chamomile and white flowers, stony, a little closed but decent freshness. Medium finish. 90 points.

43. Laurent-Perrier Brut Rosé Champagne Cuvée 2024 (92) - 90 Points. Dusky pink in color. Nose is medium plus intensity, chalky and minerally, some red fruit, orange or mandarin, slightly toasty, white peach. Medium finish. 90 points.

    89+ Points

44. Juvé & Camps Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Cava NV (NA) - 89+ Points. Dusky pink in color with a moderate mousse and medium fine bubbles. Nose is medium+ intensity with strawberry,candied orange, red cherry, very minerally and almost loamy, with perhaps a very slight whiff of VA and red Twizzlers. Fairly juicy on the palate, with similar red fruit and fresh citrus peel flavors, definite stonyness, and a medium finish. Searching for a little bit more depth and concentration here, as well as some complexity from lees aging which is limited. 89+ points.

45. Bellavista Extra Brut Franciacorta Alma Assemblage 1 NV (2024) (93) - 89+ Points. Pale straw in color with medium fine bubbles and modest mousse. Nose is light brioche, slight lemon/lime, lightly floral, underripe stone fruit and slightly mineral. Palate mostly confirms the nose, but fairly restrained and not super generous in the mouth. Perhaps needs more air to fully express itself, but at time of tasting, 89 points for me.

    89 Points

46. Zuccardi Valle de Uco Familia Zuccardi Malbec Paraje Altamira Concreto 2022 (92) - 89 Points. Medium ruby purple in color. Funky nose, smoky, damp earth, tomato leaf and tobacco, red plum and black cherry, rubber ball (yes, seriously!). A little bit awkward, perhaps needing a bit of air but I suspect just not to my taste given some of the hands-off, naturalistic winemaking choices. 89 points.

I’ve also added my notes for all of these wines on my Vivino page: https://www.vivino.com/users/griffin-b. You can see the full list of all the wines that were available at the Grand Tour on the Wine Spectator Grand Tour website here: https://grandtour.winespectator.com/wineswineries. If you attended the Grand Tour (in DC or any of the other cities), I’d love to know your thoughts on any of the above wines, or any of the other available wines you tried.