Do you really mean reluctant not to consider, kinda like double negative?I LOVED Ashes of Ariandel. It felt like Souls in a fairytale book with what is probably one of the coolest bossfights in the series. It is everything I love about Souls condensed to perfection. I'd be reluctant to consider this the best piece of Souls content that exists(including Bloodborne).
To be honest I was kinda disappointed by The Ringed City and didn't enjoy it much. Kind of tedious encounter design and playing beyond the dreg heap took away of the mystery. Just felt a resounding 'meh' after completing it. AoA though made me wish they made an entire game in a dreamlike, wintery landscape.
I agree about it though. I always loved the Painted World and this was a brilliant callback, with a cool twist. It also ended perfectly regarding level design and boss fight. By far was the biggest struggle for me but that made it all the more satisfying.