The Best Wines to Lay Down in 2025: A Collector’s Guide to Long-Term Cellaring

For serious wine collectors, the true joy of the cellar lies not only in what is ready to drink today, but in what will shine five, ten, or twenty years from now. Some wines reward immediate pleasure — but others evolve slowly and beautifully, revealing depth, structure, and elegance with time.

2025 is shaping up to be an exceptional year for building the long-term side of your cellar. Across classic regions and rising appellations, several producers and vintages are showing the balance, acidity, and tannic structure that aging demands.

Below is a curated guide — refined, thoughtful, and grounded in the taste and traditions serious collectors value. These are the bottles worth laying down now, with confidence.

Why 2025 Is a Strong Year for Collectors Focused on the Long Game

Across major regions, the most recent releases display the qualities that define age-worthy wines: precision, freshness, and balance over sheer power. Producers have focused on restraint and structure, resulting in wines that promise graceful evolution.

For collectors who appreciate wines at their peak — not prematurely opened or past their prime — 2025 offers an excellent window to buy with intention.

And with a cellar management system like eSommelier, tracking drink windows, provenance, bottle location, and long-term valuation becomes seamless, ensuring nothing gets lost or overlooked as your collection matures.

The Top Wines to Lay Down in 2025

1. Bordeaux 2022 & 2023: The New Modern Classics

Regions: Left Bank & Right Bank
Aging Range: 10–35 years

Both vintages deliver remarkable purity and freshness, despite warm seasons. Expect fine tannins, clean acidity, and strong aging potential.

Key Producers to Consider:

  • Château Lafite Rothschild

  • Château Margaux

  • Château Haut-Brion

  • Château Léoville Las Cases

  • Château Canon

  • Château Figeac

These wines have structure, power in reserve, and stunning balance — ideal for collectors who invest for multi-decade drinking.

2. Burgundy 2021 & 2022 (Red): Elegant and Precise Pinot Noirs

Regions: Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune
Aging Range: 8–20 years+

The 2021s offer classic Burgundian finesse, while 2022s bring slightly more fruit depth. Together they create one of the most compelling cellar opportunities for pinot lovers in years.

Producers Worth Securing:

  • Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

  • Domaine Leroy

  • Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux

  • Domaine Sylvain Cathiard

  • Domaine Méo-Camuzet

Even village-level wines from strong producers will age gracefully.

3. Barolo 2020: A Benchmark Vintage Built for Patience

Region: Piedmont
Aging Range: 12–30 years

2020 delivered wines with profound structure, layered aromatics, and the kind of tannin profile that rewards decades of aging.

Producers to Seek Out:

  • Giacomo Conterno

  • Bartolo Mascarello

  • Vietti

  • G.D. Vajra

  • Aldo Conterno

Nebbiolo’s aging potential remains unmatched at its price point.

4. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (2021–2022 Releases)

Aging Range: 10–25 years

Cleaner fruit, lifted acidity, and a move toward restrained winemaking make these vintages superb for long-term cellaring.

Producers to Prioritize:

  • Harlan Estate

  • Scarecrow

  • Opus One

  • Spottswoode

  • Dominus

  • Eisele Vineyard

A must-have foundation for American-focused cellars.

5. Champagne for the Cellar: 2014, 2015 & Prestige NV Cuvées

Aging Range: 8–30 years

Prestige cuvées age beautifully, gaining richness and complexity while retaining freshness.

Top Bottles to Lay Down:

  • Krug Grande Cuvée (current editions)

  • Dom Pérignon 2015

  • Cristal 2015

  • Bollinger La Grande Année 2014

  • Salon Blanc de Blancs (any vintage released)

Champagne remains one of the most undervalued aging wines in the world.

6. Rioja Gran Reserva (2015–2017 Releases)

Aging Range: 10–40 years

Structured, polished, and beautifully layered, Gran Reserva Riojas gain complexity and elegance over decades.

Producers to Focus On:

  • La Rioja Alta 904 & 890

  • López de Heredia

  • Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay

  • CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva

A superb value for collectors building depth without overspending.

7. German Riesling (2021–2023): Age-Worthy Purity and Precision

Aging Range: 10–35 years

Riesling’s high acidity and minerality create extraordinary aging arcs, especially in cooler vintages.

Key Producers:

  • Egon Müller

  • Keller

  • Joh. Jos. Prüm

  • Dönnhoff

  • Wittmann

These wines transform into honeyed, textural masterpieces over time.

How to Store & Track These Wines for Long-Term Success

Laying down wine is only step one.
Keeping it organized — properly, accurately, and with clarity — is the real differentiator for serious collectors.

With eSommelier, you can:

  • Track drink windows for every bottle

  • Log provenance and purchase history

  • Follow long-term valuations

  • Prevent missed maturity peaks

  • Know exactly where each bottle lives in your cellar

  • Build a cellar that grows with intention, not confusion

Aging wine is an investment in time.
Managing it correctly is an investment in enjoyment.

Final Thoughts: Build a Cellar That Rewards Patience

The wines above represent the finest opportunities for long-term aging in 2025. They bring structure, elegance, and the promise of transformation — the qualities that define great collecting.

Whether you’re expanding an established cellar or beginning a new chapter in your collecting journey, these bottles will bring depth, longevity, and lasting joy to your future drinking.

And with the right system in place, you’ll know exactly when each one reaches its perfect moment.

Anisa Tandon