This is the third in a series of articles when I look back on the year that was 2025. Once again, I tasted over 1,000 wines in the previous twelve months, which boggles my mind a bit since that averages out to about three a day. As I contemplate the state of my liver, I also like to reflect on the top wines that I was fortunate enough to taste over the course of the year. Here, I present the best white wines I tasted in 2025.

2016 Davis Bynum Chardonnay, River West Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $40? Heavy Bottle (657g; 23.1oz). Medium straw color, well short of yellow with bright Bosc pear, a touch of mandarin orange, and that characteristic lemon curd on the nose. A bit more demure on the palate than its older cousin, but no less refined as the fruit is shy initially (a tad too cold), so the tartness is the first to the palate and it is firm but far from assertive. The fruit comes in and it pairs perfectly with the tartness and the two proceed in harmony to the wonderful finish, perhaps not quite as intense as the 2011, but every bit as long. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2012 Flowers Chardonnay, Camp Meeting Ridge, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $85. Heavy Bottle (654g; 23.0oz). This is our last bottle of this wine, and I am very sad to see it go. And this just might be the best of the three bottles that I purchased from Last Bottle Wines nearly a decade ago. I have only been out to Flowers a couple of times (I am talking about the winery, not the Healdsburg outpost), and it is a commitment; a good hour plus driving challenging roads. But it is worth it. The views. The wine. Sure, it has become a bit more corporate since the Huneeus Family took ownership (under advice from counsel, I will not mention the scandal. Oops.). This wine was made after the transfer and it is utterly stunning. Brilliant, and on the verge of yellow in the glass with intense lemon curd aromas, a touch of oak, and just a dab of butter. Yowza. The palate is close to perfection with the fruit, the acidity, the wood, and the creaminess all in near-perfect balance. The story was much more interesting (at least to me) when the brand was still owned by the Flowers family, but the wines seem to have elevated and this CMR is absolutely stunning. Whoa. Plus. Extraordinary. 98 Points.

2014 Pascal Clément Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne, Burgundy, France: At Library Wine Bar $146. Whoa. I saw this on the list for $146 and I was shocked. That’s close to retail for a wine of this pedigree, honestly. Certainly yellow, even on the verge of golden with an incredible nose of lemon curd, mandarin, and a fairly intense salinity with perhaps some seashell coming in. The palate is majestic with a rich mouthfeel, plenty of weight, juicy fruit, even a decade out. But the tartness is the story here. On the verge of searing (particularly as it warmed in the glass) and drives the wine all the way to the finish and beyond. Holy cow. Outstanding. 96 Points.

The Library Wine Bar. From Facebook

2019 Smith-Madrone Riesling, Spring Mountain District Napa Valley, CA: Retail $40. Responsible Bottle (530g; 18.7oz). Under cork. Believe it or not, when I received this wine early in 2025, the 2019 Riesling was the current release from Smith-Madrone (they have since moved on to the 2021; they did not produce a 2020 due to the devastating Glass Fire in Napa Valley). Think about that for a moment; while it is certainly common to see a red wine that has 2-3 years on it, this has six and is a white. Why do I mention that? It’s fairly simple. Stu and Charlie Smith don’t really care about what others do or, worse still, what they might think –they are not going to adapt their winemaking, marketing, or business strategies unless it benefits the wine. Case in point. While this wine is six years old, other than a bit of color (I would call it about halfway between straw and yellow), this wine belies its age. Fresh, fruity, and even exuberant, this Napa Riesling makes even the most casual wino wonder why there isn’t more of the variety in this country’s most renowned region. Rich, racy, and refined, this wine starts with plenty of petrol and pear on the nose along with some kiwi, lemon rid, and minerality. The palate is quite tart initially, close to bracing, but it settles down quickly and all that fruit comes to the fore. Holy cow. By the finish, the wine has come into near-perfect balance and the harmony is glorious. Yes, this is fantastic, but it also could use some time, even a lot of time. Don’t get me wrong, this is fabulous now, but a grain of restraint would pay off as soon as 3-5 years out, or as much as 20 or more. Yowza. Outstanding. 96 Points.

I could listen to either Smith brother (this is Charlie) for hours recounting stories from the valley.

As any casual reader of this blog can attest, I love Tongue Dancer Wines. Each year, they dominate my Top Wines lists (please make another sparkling wine, please!) and this year is no exception.

2022 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Pratt Vine Hill, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $65. Heavy Bottle (624g; 22g). Under cork. After I got home from practice and before I started dinner, I popped this but decided I was going to have a beer first (Rodenbach, in case you were wondering). I had pulled the wine from the cellar, so it was about 55°. The added time in the fridge dropped it closer to what I would consider “serving temp” for a Chard, likely around 38° or so. Once I poured it into my glass, it was, well, odd, particularly for a Tongue Dancer. A bit disjointed with nutty and certainly oaky notes dominating just about everything. I was a bit depressed, to be honest, as the 2021 version was my White Wine of the Year for 2024 (98 Points). This one? It bordered on a “yikes” (not really, but that makes what you are about to read more dramatic). I pulled out the bottle to write my note, around 11:00 p.m. when the head coach started texting me (I coach basketball at my son’s school). That is never a one-and-done endeavor, so I did not get to the wine until about an hour later. Whoa. What a difference a few degrees made as this wine was absolutely singing. Lemon curd a go-go with just a hint of oak on the nose and a voluptuous, sexy, fruity goddess of a wine on the palate. This is honestly what I had expected from the jump, but that extra chill caused her to not be presentable. Or something like that. Yeah, at around cellar temperature is where this should be consumed, holy cow what a wine. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2023 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Pratt Vine Hill, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $65. Heavy Bottle. Under cork. OK. Whoa. Of all the wines I receive over the course of a year? This Pratt Vine Hill from Tongue Dancer Wines is in the top three of the most eagerly anticipated. And that is really true. This is now the third vintage that I have tried, and this may just be the best. Past straw and onto yellow in color with an amazing nose. Yes, I typed “amazing,” which I rarely say (or type). Lemon curd, hazelnut, and a touch of buttered popcorn. Whoa. The palate is even more amazing with rich fruit, stunning acidity, minerality, and a silkiness that coats the mouth without you knowing it, helping to prepare you for the finish, which is lengthy, exquisite, and, well, close to life-changing. Yes, I admit I am a huge fan of the brand and the people behind it, but this has to be on the short list for American Chardonnay royalty. And I am serious. Whoa. Outstanding. 97 Points.

2023 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay, Pratt Vineyard, Irwin Lane, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $49. Heavy Bottle (629g; 22.1oz). Under cork. Few things bring me more joy than receiving a large box from Tongue Dancer Wines. I have been reviewing their wines for almost a decade now, and you would be hard pressed to convince me that there is a better producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Sonoma County (I was going to say all of California, but I always shy away from hyperbole). While fifty bucks would not be considered an “everyday wine” by most people, I would contend that this Pratt Vineyard, Irwin Lane Chardonnay is among the best values in Chardonnay today. Brilliant straw in the glass with a stunning nose of Honeycrisp apple, white rose petals, a touch of salinity, and hints of vanilla and hazelnut. There is plenty of fruit on the palate, but it is not the main story here. Nor is the brilliant acidity or even the salty vein that lingers in the background. No, once again, this wine is all about how all the lovely individual components come together in a breathtaking whole. Yes, winemaker James MacPhail can coax beautiful fruit out of the grapes, perhaps like few others, but what sets him apart, in my mind, is how he then tames that fruit to be a component (a very important component) of the larger ensemble. So what makes it such a great value? This wine, while “only” $49, tastes like a wine that could easily fetch three or four times that price. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2023 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Magnolia Montrachet, Dry Creek Valley, CA: Retail $59. Heavy Bottle (624g; 22.0oz). Under Cork. The knowledgeable one, Kerry MacPhail, sent me this and a bottle of the 2022 to decide which one I wanted to include in a tasting I am conducting in Dallas next week. I had tasted the ’22 previously (and loved it: 96 Points), and this wine is really close in flavors and aromas to its slightly older sibling. But. The nose out of the bottle is more expressive with green apple, lime, and maybe a touch of pineapple. The palate is simply magical with plenty of the aforementioned fruit, a tantalizing minerality, and oodles of acidity. But. There is also a deeper richness here, a creaminess that verges on intense. Younger siblings often try their hardest to show up their older brethren, but often fail. This does not. At. All. It soars. Outstanding Plus. 97 Points.

White Wine of the Year:

2010 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant, Savennières, Loire Valley, France: Retail $125. Responsible Bottle (513g; 18.1oz). 100% Chenin Blanc. As many have noted, Joly’s wines can have considerable bottle variation and most of them have an intense oxidative note, which can be off-putting to many. Also, my experience, although limited, with Clos de la Coulée de Serrant is that the wine tends to show better after having been brought close to room temperature and allowed to sit open for quite some time. All of the above was certainly true here. But Whoa. Close to amber in color with intense notes of beeswax, lanolin, walnut, quince, and just a touch of lemon rind. Whoa. The palate is much the same with intense acidity and impeccable balance, weight, and depth. Again, this wine is not for everybody, but for those who appreciate Joly, this is an incredible example. Holy cow. Extraordinary. 98 Points.

Runners-up (95 Points):

• 2022 Brooks Estate Riesling, Eola – Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, OR ($40)
• 2011 Davis Bynum Chardonnay, River West Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA ($50)
• 2021 Le Cimate Trebbiano Spoletino Superiore DOC del Cavalier Bartoloni, Spoleto, Umbria, Italy (22€)
• 2024 Bruna Grimaldi Arneis, Langhe DOC, Piedmont, Italy ($25)
• 2022 Weingut Neumeister Sauvignon Blanc Moarfeitl, Südsteiermark, Austria ($70)
• 2020 Pierre Sparr Riesling Schoenenbourg, Alsace Grand Cru, France ($55)
• 2022 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA ($60)
• 2023 Veritas Vineyard Monticello White, Monticello, Virginia ($35)
• 2023 Château Les Amoureuses, IGP Méditerranée Rosé, France ($25)
• 2024 Girasole Vineyards Rosé, Mendocino County, CA ($20)
• 2023 Maîtres Vignerons de la Presqu’ile de Saint-Tropez, La Jolie Fleur Rosé, IGP Méditerranée Rosé, France ($16)
• 2024 Lange Rosé of Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, OR ($29)
• 2024 Les Sarrins Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France ($25)
• 2024 The Walls Vineyards Cruel Summer Rosé, Columbia Gorge, WA ($99 /3L bag)

Honorable Mention (94 Points):

• 2022 Brooks Ara Riesling, Willamette Valley, OR ($40)
• 2022 Domaine Serene Coeur Blanc, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, OR ($105)
• 2023 The Winery at La Grange Petit Manseng Catherine’s Vineyard, Virginia ($37)
• 2016 B Kosuge Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, CA ($40)
• 2022 Troon Vineyard Grenache Blanc Extended Lees Aging, Applegate Valley, OR ($40)
• 2024 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Rosé Avant Garde, Carneros, CA ($32)
• 2024 Covenant Red C Rosé, Lodi, CA ($35)
• 2023 Estandon Insolence, IGP Méditerranée Rosé, France ($20)
• 2023 Pisoni Family Vineyards Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA ($24)
• 2023 Domaine Richeaume Rosé, IGP Méditerranée Rosé, France ($24)
• 2023 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Rosé, Russian River Valley, CA ($40)
• 2024 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Rosé, Sonoma Coast, CA ($25)