Casa Tês 2022 is the only Brazilian wine featured in the World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection 2025. Announced on Tuesday (25th), this selection comprises 123 wines from 19 countries, chosen after tastings conducted by renowned sommeliers worldwide. This is the second edition of the list, initiated last year and organized by the same company behind The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, The World’s 50 Best Bars, The World’s 50 Best Hotels, and World’s Best Vineyards rankings.
To earn a spot on the list, producers from around the globe submitted their finest bottles for tastings held in the UK in January. The panel included sommeliers and beverage directors from four continents and 18 countries, among them professionals from top restaurants like Disfrutar, designated the best in the world in 2024, as well as sommeliers from Table by Bruno Verjus in Paris, Maido in Lima, and Sézanne in Tokyo. Pablo Rivero from Don Julio in Buenos Aires and Danyel Steinle from Nelita in São Paulo also participated in the evaluations.
The national label, Casa Tês 2022, is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot produced by Casa Tês, a winery founded in 2017 on an old coffee farm in São Sebastião da Grama, Vale da Grama, surrounded by the Serra da Mantiqueira in São Paulo. Sommeliers described the wine as a “powerful red” with notes of red fruits, cherries, hints of mint, aromatic herbs, and green foliage.
The wine undergoes cold maceration at 7°C for five days, is vinified in concrete tanks at 22°C, and aged in French oak barrels for about 12 months. The resulting wine is characterized by medium intensity, high acidity, grainy tannins, a full body, and a mineral finish. Sommeliers recommend pairing it with meat and vegetables seasoned with black pepper or with spinach and bacon pizza.
“Representing Brazilian wine in this year’s selection is a true honor. Produced in often challenging terrains, our wines reflect a unique terroir, and it was a pleasure to share this with the sommeliers,” stated Pedro Testa, founder of Casa Tês. The wine sells for R$ 520, but purchasing it requires registration on the winery’s allocation list. Only registered individuals receive offers, and sales are conducted by Casa Tês itself, given the limited and personalized production.
Casa Tês is located in Vale da Grama, known for its rugged topography, rocky soil, and granite cliffs. The estate lies between 950 and 1,300 meters above sea level, with vines planted since 2017. The valley extends from the edge of a volcanic crater surrounding Poços de Caldas to São Sebastião da Grama, at the foot of the Serra da Mantiqueira. Over 40% of the land is dedicated to preserving native vegetation and includes water springs.
Cultivated grape varieties include Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon. The winery operates with minimal intervention, using concrete and stainless steel tanks for vinification. After fermentation, the wine is aged in French oak barrels.
Other South American wines also shone in the World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection 2025, with 23 wines from four countries in the region recommended, including 17 reds and six whites. Argentina led with 13 labels, featuring famous wineries like Familia Zuccardi and Catena Zapata from Mendoza, and Bodega Colomé from Salta. Chile followed with five wines, all blends from the Rapel Valley, including three from Clos Apalta and two from VIK. Uruguay had four reds on the list, from Maldonado and Canelones, with three from Sacromonte and one from Bodega Bouza.
During the tastings, sommeliers had access to the history and videos of each label. The panel provided tasting notes and pairing suggestions, culminating in a consensus decision on each wine’s inclusion in the selection. Check out the full list for this year at this link.
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