The wine world needs to give more recognition to classical wines that embody the greatness of time and place. This is one reason that JamesSuckling.com has chosen the Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015 as our Wine of the Year for 2024. It comes from vineyards on the Tenuta Novare estate in the northeastern Italian region of Valpolicella Classico, where vines have thrived since the Roman Empire. The wine’s balance and refinement are breathtaking, illustrating the greatness of neoclassical wines today – wines that draw from the past but reflect contemporary precision in viticulture and winemaking, offering the ultimate in harmony and drinkability. And its superb character and nature shines through in the glass despite the traditional grape-drying processes used to produce this red.
We believe this can be said about nearly all the wines on our Top 100 World list. Regardless of origin, these wines exhibit pristine character and satisfying drinkability. We tasted and rated over 40,000 wines in the last 12 months to find them, and it was more than worth the effort. Our team of 12 tasters at JamesSuckling.com, including myself, traveled the world, visiting vineyards, speaking with winemakers, and tasting wines, as well as rating bottles daily in our tasting rooms in Tuscany, Napa Valley and Hong Kong.
Of all the wines we reviewed, Italian wines accounted for the lion’s share, with over 9,100 wines rated. France followed with 9,000 wines reviewed, while the United States accounted for almost 6,800 wines. Spain was next with 3,800, Argentina had just over 2,300, Germany comprised 2,000 bottles, Australia about 1,700, and Chile nearly 1,550. Austria and New Zealand each reached around 800 each. We also tasted hundreds of wines from other regions worldwide, from Hungary and Greece to Canada and Uruguay.
Italy also had the most wines on our Top 100 list, with 26, followed by France (18), the United States (15), Germany (12), Argentina (6), Spain (6), Chile (6), Australia (5), Austria (4), South Africa (1) and China (1).
While other wine media outlets are scaling back on ratings and coverage, we’re doing the opposite. We’re traveling more and tasting more. As a trained journalist and wine lover, I aim to deepen my understanding of the fascinating world of wine. I instill this curiosity in my team of tasters and journalists with travel and resources. There’s so much to learn, so much to taste. And we want to share our knowledge with you.
The main criteria for picking our wines for the Top 100 World Wines 2024 list, as well as for our Top 100 country lists coming over the next two months, were quality and price, followed by what we call the “wow factor” – the emotional response a great wine elicits. Most of the wines on the list are rated 99 or 100 points, but there are several 98- and 97-pointers at more reasonable prices, with nine of the wines between $30 and $60 a bottle.
Wines on our Top 100 World Wines list have a minimum production of 5,000 bottles and a median Wine-Searcher price of less than $500. A few wines may not yet be on the market but will be soon. In the past, we made exceptions for wines such as the forthcoming Brunello di Montalcinos, but we no longer do so.
James exploring vineyards in Campania, Italy this summer.
Highlights of the list include the great wines of Germany from the exceptional 2023 vintage, which our senior editor, Stuart Pigott, believes is among the best ever, from a dry yet balanced growing season. Stuart has been a good friend since the late 1980s and has covered Germany as a journalist and taster since then. I have rarely heard him enthuse as much about a vintage as he does about 2023. Our No. 2 wine, the Künstler Riesling Rheingau Hölle GG 2023, is a sublime example of what makes 2023 vineyard-specific dry riesling exceptional.
Austria also had a highly successful 2023 vintage considering our No. 3 wine, the F.X. Pichler Riesling Wachau Ried Kellerberg 2023, not to mention the other Austrian white from the vintage in our list, the Markus Huber Grüner Veltliner Traisental Berg EL 2023 (No. 12). There is one more Austrian wine among our Top 100, although it’s a red – the Moric Blaufränkisch Burgenland Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben 2022 (No. 36).
Probably the most interesting Australian wine on the list, from five in total, is also a riesling – the slatey and spicy Frankland Estate Riesling Frankland River Isolation Ridge 2022 (No. 26).
Indeed, many great whites made the list. Look at the amazing 2021 Sauternes, whose botrytized perfection reminds me of the remarkable 2001 vintage – a benchmark for Sauternes that the 2021 is likely to replicate. Unfortunately, production was significantly reduced by a spring frost.
Three 100-pointers are on the list: the Château Suduiraut Sauternes 2021 (No. 10), Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes 2021 (No. 16), and Château d’Yquem Sauternes 2021 (No. 34).
The list also features excellent 2021 Napa Valley cabernet sauvignons at relatively affordable prices. The 2021 vintage was small in production but yielded wines with structure and balance, showcasing a new era in the valley as top vineyardists and winemakers focus on crafting wines with tension and harmony. Check out offerings from revered names like Continuum and Dominus, as well as less-known gems like the Keplinger Napa Valley Oakville Vine Hill Ranch 2021 and the Cathiard Vineyard Napa Valley 2021. Although not from Napa, take a serious look at the Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello 2021 (No. 49) – it’s sure to be a classic.
The 2020 Barolos are not to be missed. I am personally a big fan of the vintage due to the wines’ exuberant perfumes, clarity in fruit and excellent structure. It has the “drink me” character of a top contemporary vintage and is more consistent in quality than the slightly overrated 2019.
Tuscany also boasts some superb reds from the hot and dry 2022 vintage, underscoring how top-class viticulture and subtle winemaking make a difference. I was genuinely impressed by the quality of many Tuscan reds from this challenging year. Try our No. 4 wine, the Petrolo Valdarno di Sopra Galatrona 2022, and see what I mean. It has energy, freshness and a purity of fruit with a cashmere-like texture that’s extraordinary.
Alsace is also on our radar this year with four wines on the list, including a longtime favorite pinot noir from Albert Mann. Personally, I don’t understand why more people aren’t drinking Alsace wines. They are unique, reflecting perhaps one of the world’s most complex terroirs and showing true character in both reds and whites.
And then there’s Etna, the volcanic region of Sicily, Italy. I visit the area every year, and it continues to enchant me with its natural beauty, history and people. The abundance of old vines planted on lava flows on a live volcano’s slopes makes it all the more alluring. The wines, both red and white, offer remarkable drinkability and complexity with volcanic character, often at accessible prices. Our No. 9 wine, the Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana 2022, is a glorious example, as is our No. 42 wine, the Girolamo Russo Etna Bianco San Lorenzo 2023.
Another notable mention in our Top 100 is a Chinese wine: the 2020 Ao Yun from Shangri-La, created by Moet Hennessy in the Yunnan region. It’s the second time the Ao Yun has been on our list, and it continues to improve. We have followed this winery’s evolution since its inaugural 2013 vintage, and the 2020 release shows even more refinement. We now rate over 500 Chinese wines yearly, making JamesSuckling.com the most important international wine media outlet covering China.
As in previous years, many familiar names are back on this year’s list, particularly icons from Argentina and Chile like Almaviva, Catena Zapata, Sena, Montes, El Enemigo and Cobos. This is just the way it is: these producers consistently deliver exceptional quality, both in vineyards and wineries, and they travel the world to share their stories.
READ MORE ARGENTINA ANNUAL REPORT: CLOSING THE GASTRONOMIC GAP
It’s the same with Super Tuscans – dynamic Italian wines crafted with international varieties or in innovative ways, with Galatrona, Oreno, Sassicaia, Saffredi and Colore making the Top 100 World Wines list again this year. Ditto with Barolos and Barbarescos, whose single-vineyard offerings from such wineries as Bruno Giacosa, Pio Cesare, Poderi Aldo Conterno and Vietti dot the list annually.
Notably missing from our list are high-end Bordeaux and American wines that, though exceptional, are prohibitively expensive. Bordeaux also had to contend with the problematic 2021 vintage, which produced wines for earlier drinking due to a wet and cool grape-growing season. Meanwhile, the best Burgundy and Spanish wines are becoming increasingly pricey and out of reach for most wine lovers.
High prices for top wines remain an issue, and I believe the decline in wine consumption across generations is directly linked to this. The high cost of living compounds the issue, with many, especially young people, needing to prioritize essentials. Yet, I am optimistic about their interest in wine. This year, I spent time with enthusiastic young consumers at our Great Wines events across Miami, New York, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul and Tokyo, engaging with over 21,300 attendees, all thrilled about wine.
This may explain why so many young wine lovers are drawn to Germany’s top wines – they represent some of the best values globally. For example, our No. 2 Wine, the Künstler Riesling Rheingau Hölle GG 2023, hails from a remarkable vineyard near Frankfurt and retails for about $65. Similar value is found in Italian whites such as Alto Adige’s Manincor Sauvignon Blanc Alto Adige Tannenberg 2022, at around $40.
These wines prove that great wines need not cost a fortune nor require a luxury label to command appreciation. They deserve to be valued for what’s in the bottle and the story they tell – when they were made, where they come from. We hope you feel that connection when you explore the wines on this year’s list of our Top 100 World Wines! And I look forward to you trying some.
– James Suckling, Editor/Chairman
Note: The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated in 2024 by the tasters at JamesSuckling.com. You can sort the wines by country, vintage, score and alphabetically by winery name. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.
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