Choosing just three bottles to represent the dynamism and diversity of Australian wine right now was made even harder by the calibre of the contenders.
Penfolds, for example, had 15 wines scoring 95 points or more in Decanter tastings in 2025, with two vintages of Grange (1990 and 2021) awarded 99pts.
But my choices for Wines of the Year 2025 reflect the younger wineries and newer-wave styles that made me really excited during the year.
{"content":"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"}
Wines of the year 2025: Australia, New Zealand & South Africa
{}
{"wineId":"90891","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"100084","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88170","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"95189","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"98021","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
Related content
