In reading through my tasting notes from 2025, a couple of themes stood out: wine drinkers are enjoying an excellent supply of well-made wines under $25 from around the world; direct-to-consumer offers from discount and flash sale sites have opened up new opportunities for value; and, you can always trust the best producers in any appellation to deliver stylish wines no matter the vagaries of the vintage (there are also the worst producers one can learn to avoid).

The following is the first tranche of notes of the top 5% of wines I tasted during 2025 and covers Burgundy and Pinot Noir. We tasted at winery events, wine festivals, tastings for restaurant and retail trade, vendor-organized tastings, wine clubs, from our own cellar, and at the regular events of Chevaliers du Tastevin, the Burgundy wine group. This first list includes 16 wines from Burgundy, with vintages from 2002 to 2016, and 9 Pinot Noir wines from different countries, and vintages from 2012 to 2023. In Burgundy, the 2005 and 2009 vintages stood out.

My cutoff was wines scoring higher than 17 on the 20-point scale and 92 on the 100-point scale. Sadly, I didn’t taste any wines that reached the high 90s or hit 100 during the year. As a caveat, my scale may be more conservative than most others. Everyone has different sensitivities built into their DNA, so my apologies if any in here seem short of what you’ve experienced. If you like it, it’s good, no matter what anyone else thinks! From my notes:

BURGUNDY RED

  • 2002 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart. Light-mid ruby, rim variation; red fruit, cherries, wood, gamey nose; mid acids; mid tannins; balanced, smooth, rich, earthy red fruit finish. 17.5/93
  • 2005 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts Vieilles Vignes (tasted at a Chevaliers event). Dark ruby, rim variation, viscous; complex earth, red and black fruit, violets, rose petal nose; mid-acids; mid-plus tannins; good depth; long, firm finish; needs time. 17.5/93.
  • Nicely evolving 2005 Joseph Drouhin Clos St. Denis. Light-mid ruby, rim variation, some tearing; earthy, red fruit, cherries, light spice nose; mid-plus acids; mid-plus tannins; balanced; long, rich, red fruit, mineral, and spice finish. 17.5/93.

    Faiveley 2009 Clos de Beze

  • 2005 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Grand Cru Échézeaux. Light-mid ruby, rim variation, brick edges, gamey, earthy, wood, mid acids, mid tannins, good depth; long, rich, gamey, red fruit finish. 18/94.
  • 2005 Domaine Thomas-Moillard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts ($70 in 2014). Light ruby, rim variation, amber edges; closed, opens with air, earthy, gamey, light spice, red fruit, oak nose; low-mid acids; mid tannins; fading a bit; tart red fruit finish. 17/92.
  • 2005 Domaine Ponsot Chapelle Chambertin. Mid garnet, rim variation, viscous (13.5 alc.); red fruit, earthy, mineral, cedar nose; mid acids; mid-plus tannins; long, rich, earthy red fruit finish. 17/92.
  • 2005 Domaine Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. Dark ruby, rim variation, viscous; earthy, red and black fruit, rose petal nose; mid acids, tannins; good depth; long, rich, balanced red fruit, animal and earth finish. 18-18.5/94-95.
  • 2006 Maison Frederic Magnien Bonnes Mares. Sharp mid-ruby; red fruit, musk, light animal, minerals, oak nose; mid acids; softening tannins; round, ripe, long complex finish; hints of oak. 17-17.5/92-93.
  • 2009 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. Mid ruby, rim variation, pink edges; earthy, gamey red fruit nose; mid-plus acids; mid tannins; mid-plus depth; long, rich earth and red fruit finish. 17-17.5/92-93.
  • 2009 Maison Albert Bichot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Malconsorts Domaine du Clos Frantin. Mid-dark ruby, rim variation, pink edges; rich red fruit, rose, tea leaves, smoky nose; mid acids, mid tannins; good depth; long semi-tight red fruit finish. 17/92.
  • 2009 Faiveley Clos de Beze. Mid ruby, rim variation, brick edges; red fruit, earthy, animal, light minerality nose; mid acids; mid tannins; mid+ depth; beautiful long, rich, balanced, red fruit, oak, and earth finish. 18-18.5/94-95.
  • 2009 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Domaine Louis Jadot. Light-mid ruby, rim variation, brown edges; beautiful red fruit nose; earthy, gamey, wood; low-mid acids; softening tannins; long, elegant red fruit finish. 17.5/93.
  • 2009 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. Mid ruby, rim variation, pink edges; earthy, gamey red fruit nose; mid-plus acids; mid tannins; mid-plus depth; long, rich earth and red fruit finish. 17-17.5/92-93.
  • 2009 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin. Light brick, amber edges; earthy, animal, black fruit and wood nose; mid acids; softening tannins; fine depth of fruit; long semi-tight finish; some life left. 17.5/93.
  • 2010 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin. Light-mid ruby, some browning, rim variation; gamey, earthy, rich animal, red fruit nose; low-mid acids; mid tannins; great balance; long, rich, animal and earthy red fruit finish. 18/94.
  • 2016 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts. Mid-ruby; viscous; sweet red fruit, rose petals, wood nose; mid-acids; low-mid tannins; long, balanced, elegant finish. 17/92.

PINOT NOIR

  • Dundee Hills, Oregon, 2012 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Grace Vineyard. Light-mid ruby, amber edges, viscous (14.3 alc.); smoky, stemmy, strawberries, tea leaves, bright red fruit nose; mid acids; low-mid tannins; long, stemmy, woody, slightly hot red fruit finish. 17.5/93.

    Serene 2012 Grace Pinot Noir

  • Carneros, Calif., 2016 Etude Pinot Noir Grace Benoist Ranch ($27 in 2018 sale). Light-mid ruby, rim variation, brick edges, viscous (14.2 alc.); red fruit, cherries, distinctive light smokey nose; low-mid acids; soft tannins; balanced, semi-long, lush red fruit finish. 17/92.
  • Stylish Martinborough, NZ, 2019 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir ($65). Light ruby, rim variation, viscous (13.5 alc.); red fruit, stemmy, rose petal, strawberry nose; low-mid acids; softening tannins; balanced; semi-long, deep, refined, tasty red fruit finish. 17.5/93.
  • Russian River Valley, Sonoma, 2019 DuMOL Pinot Noir Estate Flax Vineyard ($90 winery 2021). Light-ruby, rim variation, viscous (14.1 alc.); smokey, earthy, red fruit, cherries nose; mid acids; mid tannins; still tight; semi-long, deep, red fruit, cherry finish. 17/92.
  • Russian River Valley, Sonoma, 2019 Maritana Pinot Noir Martaella Vineyard ($36 in 2023). Light pink-ruby, rim variation, viscous (14.0 alc.); red fruit, cherries, good Pinot nose; mid acids; mid+ tannins; softening; long, balanced, tasty, red fruit finish. 17/92.
  • Russian River Valley, Sonoma, 2020 DuMOL Pinot Noir Estate Flax Vineyard ($90 winery, 2022). Mid ruby, rim variation, viscous (14.1 alc.); red fruit, cherries, stemmy, like oak, anise nose; mid acids; mid+ tannins; mid+ depth; long, distinctive semi-tight red fruit, wood and mineral finish. 17/92.
  • Anderson Valley, Calif., 2016 Littorai Pinot Noir One Acre ($90, estate sale 2021; 116 cases). Mid-dark ruby, slightly viscous (12.7 alc.); red fruit, cherries, light stemmy, spice nose; mid acids; mid tannins; long, balanced, rich red fruit finish; nice style achieved with the lower alcohol; more classic. 18/94.
  • Dundee Hills, Oregon, 2021 Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard ($75, Wine Access). Light-mid ruby, a little hazy, not sharp, viscous (13.0 alc.); red fruit, strawberry, earth, oak, and stone nose; mid+ acids; mid tannins; nicely balanced semi-tight red fruit finish. w/salmon. 17/92.
  • 2023 Domaine Drouhin Roserock Pinot Noir. Mid ruby; red fruit, roses, light floral, bright fruit; mid full acids; mid full tannins; good depth; bigger style; long medium full cherry and wood finish. 17-17.5/92-93.

Next: Bordeaux, Cabernet and Other Reds