Wines of the Year 2025: Rest of the World
Sylvia Wu draws in the best wines from across the UK and Northern, Eastern and southeastern Europe that have beguiled and charmed our tasters in the past year.
The task of reducing a huge field to just five wines to represent the expansive ‘global discovery’ category was made slightly easier this year, since many of our key finds from southeastern Europe earned a place in one of the panel tastings in this issue.
Apart from this, it has been an enthralling 12 months across these diverse regions. Decanter’s Georgie Hindle loved the almost viscous palate of Schloss Johannisberg’s Goldlack Riesling Trocken 2022, reflecting one of the hottest summers on record in Germany’s Rheingau region.
Ktima Gerovassiliou’s single-vineyard Malagousia 2024, a DWWA Best in Show winner, emerged as one of Greece’s standout wines in 2025, as highlighted by Olly Smith in his ‘Greek white wines beyond Assyrtiko’ article on Decanter Premium in April.
From Austria, Andreas Gsellmann’s Ried Gabarinza Blaufränkisch 2021 was the top-scorer in this year’s ‘Blaufränkisch across Europe’ panel tasting (August issue), with judges noting its poised balance.
While in her ‘Expert’s choice’ feature on Hungary’s famous sweet wine (December 2024 issue), Beth Willard praised Royal Tokaji’s Mézes Mály 6 Puttonyos 2018, part of its single-vineyard Tokaji Aszú range.
Finally, in my tastings of English sparkling wines, I was hugely impressed by Hambledon’s Blanc de Blancs Cuvée, based on the excellent 2018 vintage and notable for its richly autolytic sophistication after four years’ maturing on the lees.
Stellar discoveries from Asia also merit a mention (see decanter.com for full details). From Greater China, the Bordeaux blends Ao Yun 2021 (96pts) and Domaine de Long Dai 2018 (95pts) were among the year’s top scorers, while Domaine Shu Sheng’s Moscato Oro Vino Fortificato (95pts) from Taiwan was a wonderful surprise.
Wines of the year 2025: Rest of the World
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Hambledon Vineyard, Blanc de Blancs, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom
95
Based on the highly regarded 2018 vintage, the Blanc de Blancs – a new addition to the producer's portfolio – was primarily sourced from the south-facing Windmill Down vineyards on belemnite chalk. The NV release was aged on lees for four years. A richly bready, honeyed nose reveals citrus and chamomile, while the palate is round and textured yet driven by vivid freshness. Ginger-spiced with caramelised citrus, mango, and pineapple, leading to a nutty depth that lingers long.
Hambledon VineyardHampshire
Schloss Johannisberg, Riesling Goldlack Trocken, Rheingau, Germany, 2022
Aromas of petrol, lychee and wild jasmine flowers with white pepper and dried thyme. Thick and unctuous, but so alive and really piercing - this...
2022
Schloss Johannisberg
Ktima Gerovassiliou, Epanomi, Macedonia, Greece, 2024
A pale wine in the glass but do not be deceived, this great Greek grape has huge character. On the nose it’s a world of...
2024
Ktima GerovassiliouEpanomi
Andreas Gsellmann, Ried Gabarinza Blaufränkisch, Burgenland, Austria, 2021
Andreas farms 14ha of vines in Burgenland near Lake Neusiedl, having joined the family winery in 2005. He developed his own approaches to respecting nature...
2021
Andreas Gsellmann
Royal Tokaji, Mézes Mály Aszú 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj, Hungary, 2018
Still tightly wound, it deserves time to reveal itself fully, but for now there are wonderful honeycomb, camomile and white pepper aromas, with pineapple, Nashi...
2018
Royal Tokaji
