This year my group and I tasted almost 1300 wines. We tasted, smelled, and swished a boatload of wines, so to come up with our “own” Top 25 wines that are “the greatest” is not easy. But as always, we try to do our best! My group of 13 wine swishers,  smellers, evaluators, and my friends of Bacchus carefully assessed the wines and came up with the following final list!
 
Congrats to everyone!
 
1  –  Cattleya 2022 Syrah “The Initiation” Santa Lucia Highlands97 Points – WINE OF THE YEAR
 

2 – Mail Road 2021 Pinot Noir Mt Carmel Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills100 Points

3 – Hobel 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “The Joist” Napa Valley99 Points

4 – Arbe Garbe 2022 Malvasia Bianca “Catie’s Corner” Russian River Valley96 Points

 5 – Bevan 2022 Ontogeny Proprietary Red Napa Valley98+ Points

6 –DuMOL 2022 Ryan Pinot Noir Russian River Valley98 Points

7 –Paul Lato 2022 “Stand By Me” Pinot Noir Drumm Canyon Vyd, Santa Rita Hills97 Points

8 – Argot 2022 Pinot Noir “Bastard Tongue” Sonoma County97 Points

 9 – Hudson 2022 Chardonnay “Estate” Carneros Napa Valley98 Points

10 – Crocker Starr 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, A.V.A. Napa Valley96+ Points

11 – Cattleya 2022 ”The Goddess” Pinot Noir, West Sonoma Coast97 Points

12 – Continuum 2021 Bordeaux Blend Sage Mountain Vineyard, Napa100 Points

13 – Switchback Ridge 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “Estate Peterson Vineyard Napa – 97+ Points

14 – Spottswoode 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon “Estate” Napa Valley – 100 Points

15 (tied) – Hayfork 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon “Lewelling” St. Helena Napa Valley95 Points

15 (tied)  – Melis Family 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon “A2” Rutherford, Napa Valley95 Points

17 – Herman Story 2021 Casual Encounter GSM – 97 Points

18 – Paul Lato 2022 “Done and Done” Chardonnay Rincon Vineyard, Arroyo Grande97 Points

19 – Pisoni 2022 Estate Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands96+ Points

20 – Scarlett 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon “Estate” Rutherford, Napa Valley95 Points

21 – Shared Notes 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Les Leçons des Maîtres, Russian River V.97 Points

22 – Cresta Velia 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon “Rutherford” Napa Valley 96+ Points

23 – Mail Road 2021 Chardonnay “Mount Carmel” Santa Rita Hills96 Points

24 – Shypoke 2021 Charbono ‘Le Corbeau” Estate, Calistoga95+ Points

25 (tied) – Paloma 2019 Merlot Estate Spring Mountain, Napa Valley96 Points

25 (tied) – Walter Hansel 2022 Pinot Noir “Cuvee Alyce” Russian River Valley96 Points