BY ANTONIO GALLONI | DECEMBER 23, 2024

As 2024 wraps up, it is only natural to reflect on some of the highlights of the year. I don’t think I have ever worked harder, ever worked longer hours, ever traveled as much. And yet, 2024 has been extremely rewarding. I am grateful to a growing Vinous team that has consistently delivered. And of course, I am incredibly grateful to our readers around the world who make it possible for us to do what we love to do. These are some of the most memorable highlights of the year.

Winery of the Year – G.B. Burlotto, Verduno, Italy

“Buy the least expensive wine from the best producers.” This was the advice I was given as a young consumer. It’s still excellent advice. Stated from a slightly different angle, top producers are defined by consistency across the entire range, from their simplest offerings all the way to their flagship bottlings. That’s no small feat, as the number of wineries that meet these criteria is very small. Over the last few years, proprietor Fabio Alessandria has taken his family’s G.B. Burlotto winery to unprecedented heights. The Burlotto Barolo Cannubi and Barolo Monvigliero are now among the most coveted benchmark wines in the world. As good as those wines are, the entry-level offerings are every bit as compelling. The two Sauvignons are among the most distinctive whites in Piedmont. Dolcetto, Barbera and Langhe Nebbiolo are all sublime. If forced to choose, I might go with the Freisa as the most complete wine in this part of the range. Simply put, it’s pretty hard to go wrong with anything Burlotto puts into bottle these days. I drink these wines any chance I get.

Winemaker of the Year – Guillaume Pouthier, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Bordeaux, France

“What is the signature of a great wine?” It’s a question I am often asked. “Conviction” is my reply. Of course, conviction can’t be measured. It’s not a harvest date, not an alcohol level nor a pH. But to me, it’s tangible. Conviction is about purpose, intent, vision, and then the execution of those concepts.

Few winemakers embody those ideals more than Guillaume Pouthier at Les Carmes Haut-Brion. Since arriving from Chapoutier in 2012, Pouthier has led one of Bordeaux’s most dynamic, cutting-edge estates, a winery that is redefining what Bordeaux is and what it can be. Les Carmes is distinguished by its very high percentage of Cabernet Franc and elevated use of stems, both unusual for the wines of the Left Bank and/or Pessac-Léognan, depending on where one wants to place the estate. In Pouthier’s early years, the wines were outstanding, and yet all the elements were separately visible. Then, a few years ago, those lines receded, and what I began to taste was a whole rather than a sum of parts. That’s when Les Carmes ascended into the rarified air of the great wines of Bordeaux. Pouthier is never short of opinions, whether talking about farming, water management, whole clusters, élevage, alternative vessels for aging, bottling or any other subject. He is one of the most passionate, curious and inquisitive winemakers in Bordeaux, qualities that separate the elite from the merely outstanding. Readers who have not tasted Les Carmes Haut-Brion owe it to themselves to do so, as it is truly one of the world’s most profound wines.

Guillaume Pouthier in his state-of-the-art winery at Les Carmes Haut-Brion.

Wine of the Year – 1976 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, United States

This year we introduced the Vinous Top 100, a compilation of the most exciting wines in the world as chosen by our editors. The Vinous Top 100 highlights current releases—wines readers can still find in the market. The focus here is on an older wine, a wine that moved me.