My Top 10 Favorite Wines of 2024
This is not strictly a “top 10” list showcasing the best of the best, but a collection of favorites for different reasons from throughout the year, including objective quality, personal enjoyment, and things that expanded my mind and palate. With that in mind, these were my top 10 favorite wines of 2024:
Krug Grand Cuvee 170th & 169th Editions
2024 was the year of Krug - my first experience with this top-tier producer, and it altered my palate permanently I fear. All other champagnes now are measured against this, for better or worse (mostly worse for my wallet). I was able to try both the 170 and 169 eds, including 169 in both a half and standard bottle format - a fascinating experiment with bottle aging. The 169 half was the most interesting of the bunch.
Château Guiraud Premier Grand Cru Classé Sauternes 2009
I’ve had sauternes in the past, but nothing of this caliber. In short, extremely rich and complex but fresh and vibrant too, with a seemingly endless finish. At ~$70 for a standard bottle, great QPR in my opinion. Not sure how other vintages compare, but this was memorable.
Louis Michel & Fils Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2020
Already a lover of the Chablis style, this was a high-achieving example. Super complex with bright floral and citrus/melon fruits but still sharp and stony, with a lasting finish. It kept me wanting to go back for more.
Michel Gonet Millesime Blanc de Blancs Champagne Grand Cru Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger 2015
My first real foray into grower champagne, vintage champagne, and single-vineyard grand cru champagne all in one. I really started paying attention to these kinds of details this year, and this was not only a terrific wine in its own right, but opened my mind to something beyond the grand maisons.
Dom Perignon Brut Champagne 2012
2024 was really the year of champagne. Tried Dom for the first time as part of a local wine shop tasting event, which is something I’d like to do more of in the new year. I can now appreciate the Dom love, not to mention the epic 2012 vintage. I’d love to revisit in a few more years to see how it evolves. That said, I’m a Krug fanboy now and it may take a lot for me to be convinced otherwise.
Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2019
Somehow the first red wine on the list, but this was truly an excellent vino. Super elegant and refined, complex with a balance of bright and jammy red fruit, violets, and tertiary notes of leather and cedar. This wine really helped me hone in on tasting for terroir, regionality, vintage characteristics, and quality.
Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Dundee Hills, Oregon 2022
Just a friggin well-made, gorgeous and delicious wine that perfectly marries old world know-how and elegance with new world intensity. I’ve long been a fan of Oregon pinot but this takes things to another level for me.
Domaine Zafeirakis Assyrtiko 2022
First Greek wine I’ve tried as far as I can recall, and really fun to not only try a new region but really taste mindfully for terroir and compare to other varietals and styles I’ve tasted before. This reminded me a lot of a champagne flavor profile without the bubbles - yeasty but fresh - and definitely left me wanting to explore not only other Greek wines, but generally put the exploratory nature of wine consumption into focus for me.
Olivier Ravoire Gigondas 2011
This wine was good but not great, but it was a bottle I had bought basically new when it was released and cellared for a decade or so, opening just this year. While it probably otherwise would not have made the top 10, it was really my first time holding a bottle for this long and attempting to experience the supposed magic of drinking something aged at home in a delayed gratification drinking window. Also first time decanting a wine at home with a dedicated decanter, pouring to remove sediment, and other older-wine shenanigans.
Luis Gurpegui Muga 147 Aniversario Rioja 2021
I had to include this wine because it is a ~$10 banger. Juicy syrupy fruit (but not at all artificial) with added complexity of oak aging bringing more tannic cranberry, coconut, and cedar, some grip but elegant, consistent and a reasonable finish. Rated this 92 points before knowing the price.
Honorable Quenchions(™):
Chateau Suduiraut Premier Grand Cru Clasé Sauternes 2015: Very good but not better than the Guiraud 2009.
Bodega Norton Lote Negro 2018: Fun and smooth Malbec-oriented blend from Argentina and a nice step up from a truly budget daily drinker at around $22.
Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve Champagne: Terrific champagne at a pretty nice value. In an already champagne-dominated list, I couldn’t in good conscience put it in the top 10 among the others.
Albert Bichot Chablis: Reminded me why I love Chablis, but not better than the Louis Michel. Very solid QPR though, and would definitely pick up some bottles to enjoy next summer.
Espiral Vinho Verde: $5 Trader Joe’s wine that absolutely crushes it for a zippy summer quaff.