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Nick’s Summer 2025 Wines to Remember
As the saying goes, “wine is life”… or maybe it’s more of a personal mantra, actually. This summer for me has been one of cheering with friends, endless work on our house, and a few birthday celebrations splashed in there as well, and thus, many a glass of wine in hand to accompany. I have some standouts that are now codified into memory.
Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut Cuvee Rare Millesime 2013
An exquisite Champagne of real complexity. I would put this in the lineup with Dom Pérignon, Krug, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, and Vilmart et Cie Coeur de Cuvée in terms of finesse and that lovely nutty, nougaty, biscuity character that I personally adore in fine Champagne. Perhaps one of the best attributes of Heidsieck’s Rare Champagne is that it is also LESS expensive than all of the names above!
Bollinger Champagne la Grande Annee 2015
I know, I know… TWO Champagnes? Come on! But this was a bottle we shared with close friends for my wife’s birthday, and it was delicious as well! After trying the 2014 vintage last year, which I found to be so linear and bracing in its minerality and acidity, I found the 2015 to be much more refined and leaning more toward that full-bodied, round, rich, nutty character that gets me going. It was excellent and inevitably disappeared too fast.
R. Lopez de Heredia Bosconia Reserva 2013
Classic Rioja with dried red fruits, coconut, dill, and dried leaves, but all so refined that all the flavors played well together. This is an outstanding value in Spanish wine, and perhaps one of the greatest attributes of this historic estate is that they only release the wines after they feel they are ready to START drinking. The 2013, at the time I tried it, was the current vintage! 2014s are just starting to hit the market. This is also a great mid-range Rioja that drinks above its price point.
Storybook Mountain Zinfandel Estate Reserve 2019
This is a small, family-owned (still) estate in northern Napa Valley in the Calistoga AVA that produces some of, if not, possibly the best Zinfandel in California! Now, of course, that is my humble opinion. But I’ve been here and I’m a believer. The wines are well cared for, the fruit is not overdone, there’s tremendous complexity and enjoyability, and aging potential, especially for a Zinfandel. The current vintage is 2019 as well. Their entire lineup—four wines including two Zinfandels and two Cabernet-based wines—were fantastic when we tasted them with our distributor, and I find them to be some of the better wines in their price point coming out of Napa today. And, for the quality, you’ll be paying much more at a newer or trendy winery in the Valley. The Seps family started, or rather, reopened this winery in the 1970’s so pricing remains well in check.
Check out our video review of this and more Storybook Mountain wines
Domaine de Villalin Quincy Les Grandes Vignes de Villalin 2024
Quincy is a lesser-known region in the Loire Valley, next to the more famous Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé villages where Sauvignon Blanc reigns supreme. I find Quincy to provide the same level of finesse, albeit its own iteration, while remaining delicious, approachable, and most of all, less money than Sancerre! This is a great version of Sauvignon Blanc and if you enjoy French whites of the Loire, get this on your radar.
Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin Muscadet Sevre et Maine Vera Cruz 2023
It’s a mouthful to say, but this producer of some of the greatest Muscadet wines I’ve had knocked it out of the park with their lineup of wines in 2023, and the Vera Cruz was outstanding. With its lively minerality, jalapeño, apple notes, and stone fruits with a lightly leesy, gunflint finish, I was convinced that this could masquerade as Premier Cru Chablis in all ways except the price. Muscadet is incredible with oysters and shellfish and is very food-friendly.
