Since 1988 Wine Spectator editors have selected the 100 most exciting wines of each year. This annual list honours successful wineries, regions and vintages around the world.
The annual ranking, published on November 17, is based on blind tastings conducted by the magazine’s editors, who reviewed more than 10,200 wines throughout 2025. Of those, over 5,500 received scores of 90 points or higher, forming the initial pool for consideration.
The Top 100 includes wines from classic areas such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany and Rioja, as well as newer hotspots like Oregon’s Willamette Valley and New Zealand’s Marlborough.
The full list is available on Wine Spectator’s website and includes detailed tasting notes for each wine.
3rd/100
Ridge Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley 2023 came in at an impressive Third place.
17.5/20 Jancis Robinson MW | jancisrobinson.com
“76% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Mataro. Long, cool growing season with the latest harvest ever for both Lytton Springs and Geyserville with picking well into November. Meaty nose. Really lively – almost fizzy! But this is proper wine that should mature beautifully. Quite a star!”
95/100 Tim Fish | winespectator.com
“Deeply structured and full of tension, this polished red displays a distinctive personality, offering bold blackberry flavours accented with savoury anise, black pepper and dark Asian spices. Ends with big but refined tannins. Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Alicante Bouschet and Mataro. Drink now through 2035. 11,000 cases made.”
