Top wine moments of 2025

Below are my top wine moments of 2025, and except for the first two, in no particular order. 

-Tasting the 1961 Latour (next to the 1945). The 1961 Latour has been on my top 3 list for some 20 years! Finally and unexpectedly the stars aligned. 

-Tasting the 1947 Cheval Blanc together with the 1961, 1989 and 2019. Also on my top 3 list, and again, finally the stars aligned. Maybe 2026 will be the year when the first on the list will be ticked off? The 1945 Mouton Rothschild. 

-Tasting the 1943 and 1962 Pichon Baron together with Christian Seely, at Pichon Baron. 

-Stunning 1927 and 1947 ports from Niepoort, enjoyed with Dirk Niepoort! 

-Enjoying the 1966 and 2015 Barca Velha with Luis Sottomayor in Oslo

-Dinner in Bordeaux with 1955 Montrose, Chasse Spleen, Poujeaux, 1945 Domaine de Chevalier, 1935 Latour-Martillac, 1975 Latour, 1985 Lafite, 1995 Mouton, finishing off with 1975 Fargues and 1955 Doisy Daëne, and even more wonderful bottles! 

-Krug 1959 and 1961 side by side

-Dom Perignon 1949 and 1961

-Tasting the best red 1979 (my vintage) I have ever had, at Haut-Bailly, together with a gorgeous 1989, with the always wonderfully charming Veronique Sanders

-1955 Roederer Cristal and 1966 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, nearly side by side. 

-Sharing a wonderful 1958 Doisy Daëne with friends at Doisy Daëne after a wonderful lunch with Jean Jacques Dubourdieu.

-Tasting Château Laroze all the way back to 1953, with owner Guy Meslin and his wife, some of them they had never tasted before! 

-1978 and 1990 Penfolds Grange side by side, with a 1998 Grange just weeks before and the 2020 and 2021 within weeks as well. 

-Tasting the wonderful 1979 Château Gilette at a lunch with Dany Rolland. 

-Tasting Villa Capezzana back to 1925, with the family, in Florence.

-Boscarelli Il Noccio vertical tasting back to 1991, with the family, in Montepulciano.

-Having three bottles of Screaming Eagle in two days! 

-Two old Petrus, the 1962 and 1959.

-Lunch with Miloute, Francois and Henri Mitjaville, sharing 1985, 1982 and 1979 Tertre Roteboeuf. 

-1990 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle.

-Driving my first ever Ferrari before a wine evening with friends! 

-A perfect 1961 Château Palmer.

-Discovering Sicily on my second only wine trip to this gorgeous island! Fantastic week of many new discoveries! 

-Big vertical tasting of Château Fontenil, confirming Fronsac’s greatness.

-1967 Château Liot, wow, unexpected and incredible wine moment! And my first visit to this estate in Sauternes!

-Every vintage of Brane-Cantenac back to 1992 at the 100 years celebration of the Lurton family as owners. Unfortunately I did not have the time for the lunch, which I heard was magical, where 1961, 1959, 1947, 1945 and 1928 were all shared. But from the list above, it is difficult to feel sorry for oneself even when missing out on such legendary vintages from this venerable estate. 

2025, you have been fantastic! And there are so many more incredible moments than these! 

Thank you all for letting me do this! 

And thank you all for taking part in this adventure!