If you are looking for a wine splurge for the holidays, whether you gift someone else or yourself, these showcase a pursuit of excellence regardless of price. Ranging from Cult Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to Italian Icons, Rioja Royalty, Chilean and Argentine benchmarks, these are some of the best I tasted this year.
2019 San Leonardo Vignetti delle Dolomiti ($115) The prestigious Italian wine guide, Gambero Rosso, has named this still family owned, Trentino-based estate – having just celebrated its 300th anniversary – as 2025 “Winery of the Year”. This proprietary blend of cabernet sauvignon, carmenère and merlot is only produced in great vintages. Its crisp acidity, velvety elegance, will allow it to age up to 30 years.
2021 Luce ($125) While most Tuscan wines focus on sangiovese (and rightfully so), this property, a 20-year collaboration between Tuscany’s Frescobaldi family and Napa’s Mondavi family has always emphasized merlot as part of the blend. The combination yields freshness and structure that support deep, ripe fruit with delicate floral and spice nuances, a broad, lush palate, and satiny tannins.
2020 Duca di Salaparuta Duca Enrico ($80) For 200 years, the family of the Duke Henry of Salaparuta has been a leader in Sicilain viticulture. The epitome of the winery’s nero d’avola, this single vineyard wine was first bottled in 1984.This is fresh, vertical, with red berries, spice notes and velvety tannins; demonstrating the grape’s ability to achieve richness and ageability.
2020 Viña Seña ($115) In 1995 Robert Mondavi and Eduardo Chadwick (of Viña Errázuriz) pioneered this joint venture to demonstrate the world-class quality potential from Chile. The result: Seña, one of Chile’s iconic wines. Made with 100% estate grapes biodynamically farmed in the Aconcagua Valley, this blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec, carménère, petit verdot shows well-structured red fruits, herbal and spice notes with integrated oak.
2020 Viña Cobos Hobbs Estate Malbec Agrelo ($160) Paul Hobbs was a pioneer of Malbec in Argentina, establishing Hobbs Estate in Mendoza in 1998. This wine celebrates the estate’s 25th anniversary, showcasing its best parcels. Amazing for its floral aromas and concentrated red fruits, a juicy, elegant mouthfeel is complimented with well-structured but velvety tannins and a long finish.
2019 Del Dotto St. Helena Mountain Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons ($250) Del Dotto is a family-owned winery established 35 years ago in the Rutherford Appellation of Napa Valley. It is heralded for its barrel-tasting cave experiences at their two Italian inspired properties. A key component of the experience is learning the influence of the different types of oak barrels. The 2019 American Oak Fouquet Carved & Grooved Block 2 displays notes of sweet spices such as vanilla and coconut, reflective of the wider grain of American oak to accent its ripe cassis. The tighter grain barrels of the 2019 Taransaud French Oak Block 3 impart bright red fruits with mocha and mineral accents and subtle oak notes.