Browse using the new Vinous website now. Launch →
Printed by, and for the sole use of . All rights reserved © 2015 Vinous Media
Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: Countdown #20 to #11
BY VINOUS | NOVEMBER 15, 2024
We are thrilled to announce the latest part of the Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year list. Below are wines #60 to #41, complete with commentary from the respective Vinous critic who selected the wine for the list and their tasting note from when the wine was published on Vinous.
Quick Links: Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: #100 to #61, #60 to #41, #40 to #21, #20 to #11, #10 to #6, #5 to #2, and #1
Return to the Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024, Main Page
Countdown #20 to #11...
#20: Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs
$55, Sonoma, California, United States
AG: “Ridge remains a bastion for classically built, age-worthy wines. Although the flagship Monte Bello gets most of the attention, many other wines in this range are equally deserving. Lytton Springs, long a Ridge flagship, offers superb quality, expression of site and value. It also ages very well, especially in large formats.”
The 2021 Lytton Springs is fabulous. Bright and vibrant to its core, the 2021 impresses with its poise. Readers will find a Lytton Springs that is very much in reserve, as opposed to the rest of the 2021s in this report, all of which are more approachable. Salivating acids and veins of tannin lend shape and persistence, but the 2021 needs time. Red cherry fruit, blood orange, rose petal and sage are some of the notes that linger on the close.
95+ points – Antonio Galloni, October 2023
The Fontodi 2021s are positively stunning, not least the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo (third from left).
#19: 2021 Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo
$115, Tuscany, Italy
AG: “The Manetti family presented a brilliant collection of 2021 Chianti Classicos across their entire portfolio. Choosing a wine for the Top 100 was very difficult. The Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is a bit easier to find than some of the other wines, but all the 2021s are superb, including the new Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Terrazze San Leolino, which could easily have been on this list!"
The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is an absolute stunner. Deep, layered and explosive, the 2021 captures all of the magic of this year in spades. Black cherry, lavender, mocha, spice and licorice all soar out of the glass. A wine of statuesque beauty elegance, the 2021 is utterly mesmerizing. I would be in no rush to drink this. The 2021 spent 14-15 months in barrique (25% new) and then 7-8 months in cask.
97 points – Antonio Galloni, June 2024
A head-pruned, dry-farmed Mourvèdre vine at Tablas Creek
#18: 2021 Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Tablas
$70, Paso Robles, California, United States
EG: “Qualities such as purity, refinement, grace and poise aren't often associated with the wines of Paso Robles, a region built of power and depth of fruit. That is of course, until Tablas Creek arrived on the scene. The Esprit de Tablas is a Rhone-focused blend that could only be created in Paso, mixing Mourvèdre with Grenache, Syrah, Counoise, Vaccarese and Cinsault. It’s a wine of patience, fully enjoyable upon release yet truly worth waiting for. It will make a believer of any Paso Robles naysayer.”
The 2021 Esprit de Tablas is youthfully inward and complex, with a burst of dusty rose, white pepper and lavender, crushed raspberries and wet stone. It washes across the palate with waves of ripe red and blue fruit, motivated by brisk acidity. Notes of licorice and tactile mineral tones saturate toward the close. A wall of fine-grained tannins clenches the palate with primary concentration as violet inner florals and hints of lavender resonate on. The 2021 is full of potential, yet patience will be required.
96+ points – Eric Guido, June 2024
Guillaume Pouthier of Les Carmes Haut-Brion where he’s happiest—out in the vines.
#17: 2021 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
$110, Bordeaux, France
NM: “Furrowing a singular path using Cabernet Franc and whole bunches, Guillaume Pouthier fashioned a distinctive, chiseled, saline Pessac-Léognan that overcomes the challenges of that growing season.”
The 2021 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was one of the best wines of the vintage when I tasted from barrel. This contains 49% whole-bunch (a slightly higher figure than Guillaume Pouthier gave me during en primeur). The barrel-aging has what Pouthier called a "white toasting", very light, so that you don't smell the oak (70% new). It has a complex bouquet, quite open with mainly red fruit, cedar and hints of pressed violet. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled, unobtrusive tannins that imbue this Pessac with a sense of symmetry. It possesses thrilling salinity and is a little granular in texture on the finish, completing perhaps the most impressive wine of this challenging season.
95 points – Neal Martin, November 2023
Bruce Phillips, winemaker Françoise Peschon and vineyard manager Mike Wolf at harvest.
#16: 2021 VHR, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
$325, Napa Valley, California, United States
AG: “Vine Hill Ranch is one of the most distinctive vineyards in all of Napa Valley. Bruce Phillips and his wife, Heather, are the stewards of land that has a rich heritage going back all the way to the 1880s, the very early days of viticulture in the Napa Valley. Historical records show that wine grapes from this site were sold to a number of buyers, including Hamilton Crabb’s To Kalon Wine Company. The Phillipses launched their estate wine with the 2008 vintage, leveraging the talents of Winemaker Françoise Peschon and vineyard manager Mike Wolf. The VHR, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon has been a consistent top performer since then..”
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is super-polished. Freshly cut flowers, rose petal, lavender and spice lend notable aromatic presence to this silky, nuanced wine. This is one of the most elegant wines I can remember tasting here, even with low yields and tiny berries. Silky, perfectly-ripe tannins wrap around a core of red/purplish fruit. Medium in body and wonderfully refined, the 2021 is shaping up to be a gem. It is, quite simply, magnificent.
98+ points – Antonio Galloni, December 2023
#15: 2022 Domaine Samuel Billaud Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru
$160, Chablis, France
NM: “Samuel Billaud's wines rank amongst the best in Chablis and his Vaudésir, which comes from two parcels located on either side of the Grand Cru, is his standout from the 2022 vintage. This is one of the most sophisticated and cerebral wines that he has ever produced.”
The 2022 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru comes from two parcels, one on the east and the other on the west side of the climat that have different degrees of sunshine. It has a lovely bouquet with mirabelle, lime and orange blossom scents that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. Harmonious and poised, this has life-affirming tension on the finish. One of the most sophisticated and cerebral wines of the vintage.
97 points – Neal Martin, June 2024
#14: 2021 Maître de Chai Cabernet Sauvignon Gala Vineyard
$48, Napa Valley, California, United States
AG: “Marty Winters and Alex Pitts met as young chefs working in some of California’s most prestigious kitchens. Over the years, both of their career paths led to wine. Winters and Pitts founded Maître de Chai in 2012 and have quietly built their range since then. The wines draw from a number of sites across several appellations in Northern California, all done in a style that emphasizes freshness and verve. As readers will discover, a number of wines in this lineup are truly compelling, most notably the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Gala Vineyard, which may very well be the single best value in Napa Valley Cabernet today.”
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Gala Vineyard is fabulous. It emerges from a terraced vineyard at 1,800 feet in elevation in Napa Valley, just above the Coombsville AVA. Rich, dark and beautifully structured, the 2021 possesses notable pedigree and character. Black cherry, plum, gravel, licorice, bay leaf and espresso all race across the palate. Readers who enjoy old-school Napa Cabernets will adore this. This wine, if sold in Napa Valley, would cost four to five times as much. Don't miss it!
96 points – Antonio Galloni, January 2024
Winemakers Andy Smith and Jenna Davis presented a breathtaking range of 2021s at DuMOL.
#13: 2021 DuMOL Pinot Noir MacIntyre
$140, Sonoma, California, United States
AG: “Winemakers Andy Smith and Jenna Davis presented a breathtaking range of 2021s, a vintage that will likely go down as one of the best ever here. Despite drought conditions, the wines retain terrific acidity and tons of nuance. The range reaches its apogee with the Pinot Noir MacIntyre, one of the greatest California Pinots I have ever tasted."
DuMOL’s 2021 Pinot Noir MacIntyre Estate Vineyard is one of the most profound, riveting wines I have ever had from any region. I knew it the minute I tasted it. Subsequent tastings have only confirmed that initial impression. Deep, racy and layered, the 2021 captures all the textural richness and vibrancy that are such signatures of cooler-climate districts in Sonoma. How can a wine be opulent yet also light on its feet? The MacIntyre is all that and more. It’s the sort of wine I wish every Vinous reader could taste. Unforgettable.
100 points – Antonio Galloni, November 2024
#12: 2021 Bodega Noemia
$142, Patagonia, Argentina
JH: “The flagship Malbec Noemia reached the pinnacle of precision in 2021. It’s an incredibly refined, finessed approach to Patagonian red wine.”
The 2021 Noemia originates from a 1932 plot planted in Mainqué, Río Negro, and underwent aging for up to two years in barriques and 500-liter French oak barrels. It was born in the cool and balanced 2021 vintage. Vivid purple-red in hue, this 100% Malbec has an inviting nose with delicate notes of fresh plum, elderberry and violet, complemented by hints of chamomile and sweetbriar over a subtle layer of cedar. Dry and juicy, with fine-grained tannins, it stands out as one of the most flavorful Noemias I've ever tasted. With an additional year in the bottle, it will become even silkier and deeper. I would love to revisit it in five years.
98 points – Joaquín Hidalgo, November 2023
Giorgio Serao and Giovanna Morganti are on a roll at Le Boncie, where the wines have exploded in quality in recent years. Le Boncie represents the finest of the vigneron spirit in Chianti Classico.
#11: 2021 Le Boncie Le Trame
$74, Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
AG: “Giovanna Morganti and Giorgio Serao make some of the most compelling wines in all of Italy. The small, intimate operation here is decidedly artisan, very much like similar estates in Burgundy, Piedmont and other regions. The influences—Gianfranco Soldera and Beppe Rinaldi among them—are evident. Readers who want to explore Sangiovese at its finest must put Le Boncie at the top of their lists."
The 2021 Le Trame is everything I hoped it would be. Intensely aromatic, silky and deep, with explosive fruit, the 2021 is a rapturously beautiful wine that captures proprietor Giovanna Morgante at her very best. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2021 needs time to be at its most expressive, but its potential is already evident from the very early going. Le Boncie could very well turn out to be Italy's next superstar estate. Readers will want to snap up these wines before that becomes apparent to the public.
98 points – Antonio Galloni, June 2024
Quick Links
Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: #1
Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: Countdown #5 to #2
Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: Countdown #10 to #6
Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: Countdown #20 to #11
Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: Countdown #40 to #21
Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: Countdown #60 to #41
Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: Countdown #100 to #61
Return to the Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024, Main Page