2024: The Year in Review…And What a Year It Was

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.

Fabio Alessandria in the winery in November 2024, with his iconic Barolo Monvigliero still on the skins.

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.

“Let me know the next time you are out, we can taste a bottle of my 1976,” Richard Sanford told me as we wrapped up a conversation that was part of my research on the Vinous Map of the Sta. Rita Hills. I am not sure if Sanford thought I would take him up on the offer, but that was an invitation I was not going to refuse. This past July, I met with Sanford and tasted the wine. The 1976 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir is one of the most significant wines in the history of oenology in the United States, as it led to the creation of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in 2001 and helped launch an entire industry. Sanford explains the historical context of the appellation and his wine in this video.

The 1976 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir, still in great shape after all these years. Simply unforgettable.

I have known Richard Sanford for more than a dozen years. One of the things I most admire about him is his extreme openness to discussing the ups and downs of his professional life, a career marked by stunning successes and bitter disappointments. That essential humanity, that fragility, is one of the things that informs the world’s most profound artisan wines. At the end of our tasting, Sanford asked me to autograph one of our maps. It was a humbling moment, one I will never forget and possibly the greatest highlight of 2024 for me.

Signing the Vinous Map of the Sta. Rita Hills for Richard Sanford was a tremendous honor.

Emerging Winemakers to Watch

Âmevive, Los Olivos District, California, United States

Âmevive is one of the most exciting new projects I have tasted in Santa Barbara in some time. Alice Anderson and partner Topher de Felice craft wines of notable beauty and elegance. The core wines are made from the Ibarra-Young Vineyard, a historic site in the Los Olivos District first planted with own-rooted vines in 1971, now farmed by Âmevive using organic and biodynamic practices. It’s a good story, but the real proof is in the pudding. Picking early, the generous use of stems for the top wines and aging in neutral oak are some of the choices that inform wines of refreshing energy and understated depth. I am looking forward to tasting more.

Alice Anderson presented gorgeous wines at Âmevive in two tastings this year.

Mini-Focus on Perno

Bruno Pressenda (center), flanked by daughters Cristina (left) and Alice (right).

Monforte’s Perno district is having a moment. To be fair, though, the wines of this subzone within Monforte d’Alba have long been notable. Giuseppe Mascarello & Figlio and Rocche dei Manzoni have made superb wines from these sites for decades. But often what a region needs to emerge is the ascent of quality producers based in those areas, growers whose essential DNA is tied to the place. That has started to happen in Perno in a big way.

Ca’ di Press, Monforte d’Alba, Italy

One of the most exciting young estates I have seen in some time, Ca’ di Press embodies all the qualities of artisan farming and winemaking in Piedmont. The Pressenda family farms 7.5 hectares of vineyards in Perno. In 2018, the Pressendas began bottling wine under their label. It has been a steady climb since then. The family still sells 50% of their crop, which is necessary to balance cash flow and investment. The Barolos are done with spontaneous ferments. They spend 25-30 days on the skins, with pumpovers two to three times a day and no submerged cap maceration. After settling, the wines are racked into wood in the winter. For now, there is just one Barolo, although in some vintages, Ca’ di Press also makes a Riserva bottling. These wines reflect all the fragility and beauty Nebbiolo is capable of. They are wines of toil, sacrifice, success and failure. In other words, daily values that are rooted in the land.

Paolo and Ileana Giordano in their small garage winery in Perno.

Paolo Giordano, Monforte d’Alba, Italy

Paolo and Ileana Giordano farm five hectares of vineyards in Monforte’s Perno district, half near their home and half a bit lower down the road. Ileana Giordano’s grandparents bought the farm in 1939. They had been making wine since 1923, first buying grapes from Clemente Clerico, her mother’s cousin and Domenico Clerico’s father. The family made wine until 1984 under the Fratelli Seghesio label (not to be confused with today’s Seghesio winery), when they decided to cease operations and rent their vineyards to other producers. Over the years and decades that followed, the Seghesios sold fruit to several top wineries. In 2015, Paolo Giordano left his job in Alba as a software programmer in the robotics industry to focus on wine and spend more time at home, opening a new chapter for the young couple.

The Giordanos operate out of a tiny garage winery underneath their home. Despite its small size and no-frills setup, the cellar is clean, equipped with high-quality casks and temperature-controlled, a sign of seriousness and commitment to excellence that I wish was more common in Italy. Paolo Giordano made his first two vintages (2018 and 2019) at Benevelli, where he worked for two years prior to striking out on his own. There is one Barolo, a blend of the two major soil types present here: marl and sand in lower elevations and marl, sand and clay in the upper sections. It spends about 30 days on the skins with natural ferments, followed by another 20 days of submerged cap maceration. My impression is that the best is yet to come.

Robin Kelley O’Connor in action during the 2021 Napa Valley Masterclass at Vinous Icons Miami.

Wine Person of the Year – Robin Kelley O’Connor, New York City

I never worked in the wine industry. I helped my parents out a bit in their shop when I was a kid. Later, I worked in restaurants and sold a lot of very nice wine in the pre-sommelier era, but that’s about it. I have always admired those who have dedicated their time to perfecting their passion and craft in the wine industry. It’s something I wish I had done.

Robin Kelley O’Connor embodies all those qualities. A consummate professional, Robin has always been on point since the first time I met him many years ago at the now-defunct Sherry-Lehman. Robin has a deep, deep knowledge of wine, and yet he is totally disarming, the sort of person who puts everyone at ease with his calm demeanor and total attention to detail. Bravo.

Scenes from a memorable Petrus lunch. Clockwise from left to right: An incredible collection of chefs and a mouthwatering program, chefs busy plating in the Four Seasons’ Presidential Suite, Doppio Cappelletto with Truffles, a fabulous collection of vintages.

Tasting of the Year – Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival, Toronto, Canada

The Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival is a fabulous weekend-long charity event organized by importer Halpern Enterprises to benefit cutting-edge medical research at Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals. This year’s edition was especially outrageous. I co-hosted two spectacular events with Chef Daniel Boulud at the Four Seasons Hotel during a day I will remember for a very long time.

When I was in my mid-20s, my mother took me to lunch at the original Restaurant Daniel. It was my first time eating in a restaurant of that caliber. I was mesmerized, overwhelmed really, by everything—the elegance, the energy, the food, the prices and, most amusingly, by the regular seated next to us who did not feel pampered enough.

About a dozen years ago, I started doing events with Daniel, something I would have never thought could have been possible, even in my wildest dreams. This year, Daniel and I ran back and forth between two incredible events. Up on the 20th floor, in the Presidential Suite, a team led by Boulud, Michel Troisgros, Gilles Goujon and Stefano Secchi prepared a dazzling lunch to pair with nine vintages of Petrus. At Café Boulud, on the 2nd floor, Daniel and Chef William Kresky offered a phenomenal lunch paired with a boggling array of Burgundies donated by local collectors. Each lunch was truly amazing. To have them both in one day was just unreal.

An unforgettable Burgundy-themed lunch. Clockwise from left to right: The menu is full of highlights, Raveneau and Roulot from magnum, Roasted Lobster, Jadot 2002s from magnum.

Dinner of the Year – Langotto Ristorante with Il Professore

I was fortunate to enjoy more than my fair share of exceptional lunches and dinners in 2024. Picking a favorite is next to impossible. But it’s hard to think of any meal I enjoyed more than this impromptu dinner at Langotto. After a day of tastings, I usually want to get back to my hotel, have a light dinner and call it a night. But Il Professore really wanted to have dinner. How could I say no? “I brought some wines I thought you would like,” he said as we parked. “Like what?” I asked. Il Professore showed me. “Let’s have both,” I suggested. “Done,” was the reply. And so, we enjoyed a fabulous late summer dinner and two spectacular bottles, the 1982 Giacosa Barolo Riserva Rionda and Soldera 1982 Brunello di Montalcino. For those who might be concerned, we did not finish both bottles. Il Professore polished them off at lunch the next day.

The Giacosa and Soldera wines have always been expensive since I have known them, but they were also approachable for a special occasion. That is much harder today. Moreover, the Giacosa winery has not turned out an extraordinary Barolo or Barbaresco in many, many years, which makes drinking wines from Bruno Giacosa’s Golden Age even more memorable. There will never be wines like this again. I have always adored the 1982s from both estates. We were treated to two perfect bottles, which we drank rather than tasted, with the spontaneous joy of simply enjoying a fine meal together with no formality at all. I would like to think that’s how these wines were intended to be enjoyed.

Drinking, not tasting. The 1982 Soldera Brunello di Montalcino and 1982 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda.

A Very Special Festa del Barolo

La Festa del Barolo was another highlight. The individual events were all fabulous, but more than anything, I really loved the energy our guests brought. That passion, that deep interest for these wines and producers who make them, was so palpable. The second in our series of village dinners focused on Serralunga and featured Barolos from Baudana, Giacomo Conterno, Massolino and Poderi e Cantine Oddero. This small, informal dinner has quickly become one of the most popular events at Festa. The following day, we convened at Legacy Records for a stunning vertical of the Conterno Barolo Monfortino back to 1958. Perhaps I am feeling a bit nostalgic, but it was not that long ago that Roberto Conterno answered all the phone calls at the winery himself. Friday’s Collector’s Lunch featured another superb vertical, this time a look at all the vintages of Barbaresco Crichët Pajé Luca Roagna has made since taking over his family’s estate in 2002. In a similar vein to Conterno, I remember the first time I met Luca Roagna, about 20 years ago. He was a shy kid back then, but since that day he has gone on to build an enormous presence for his family domaine. From there, we went to The Pool for our Big Bottle & Charity Dinner, where large formats flowed freely. Festa wrapped up on Saturday morning with another tradition, the 2019 Barolo Masterclass and Burgers & Barolo Lunch. It’s always a moment I enjoy, perhaps because I know the weekend is wrapping up. Most years, though, I have already begun planning the next edition.

Festa del Barolo 2024: Monfortino Dinner at Legacy Records, Crichët Pajé Lunch at Manhatta, Big Bottle Gala Dinner & Charity Auction, The Grill’s Burger following the 2019 Barolo Masterclass and Barolo & Burgers Winemaker Lunch.

Vinous Icons Debuts

We were thrilled to launch our new Vinous Icons series of events in both New York and Miami, following tremendous demand from readers. As always, education is at the heart of what we do. Both weekends featured a packed schedule of educational seminars to complement the larger walk-around tastings. In New York, I hosted a Cristal Vertical at Le Bernardin, a Napa Valley BYOB dinner at Union Square Café and a seminar on the Sta. Rita Hills. For Miami, I hosted tastings of the 2021s from Napa Valley and 2021s from Chianti Classico. Bringing so many people together was immensely gratifying. The schedule for 2025 promises to be even more packed, as we will do Icons in New York and Miami along with Italy Icons in New York.

Vinous Icons. Clockwise from left to right: Napa Valley BYOB Dinner at Union Square Café, with Le Bernardin Wine Director Aldo Sohm and Roederer Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon just before our Cristal Lunch, the Gala Dinner, Vinous Icons Miami just before showtime.

Our New York event was also the catalyst for a few days with the entire Vinous editorial team. When I was in college, I read an interview with jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. Among other questions, Metheny was asked to share the biggest secret of his success. The answer was simple. “Surround yourself with people who are better than you.” I took that advice and used it to build every ensemble and team of people I have worked with ever since. Tasting and talking about wine with my fellow colleagues was incredibly stimulating and educational. Every day, I am simply awed by the collective knowledge and passion of our critics.

The Vinous Editorial Team. From left to right: Joaquín Hidalgo, Eric Guido, Rebecca Gibb MW, yours truly, Angus Hughson, Neal Martin, Nicolas Greinacher, Anne Krebiehl MW, Billy Norris.

Vinous Maps – Our Progress in 2024

Our maps team was highly engaged in researching our next two maps, Spring Mountain and Fort Ross-Seaview. I spent time in both appellations visiting estates and talking with owners, winemakers and other industry experts to gain as much insight as possible into what makes both places tick. Every region has its own set of distinctive characteristics that inform the wines. Spending time in the vineyards is essential if the goal is to try to understand something about an appellation. It’s a lifelong study, one that is both energizing and humbling. Spring Mountain and Fort Ross-Seaview are set to go to print in early 2025. They will be followed by Atlas Peak and then a few other projects we have in the hopper.

Clockwise from left to right: with Peter Michael winemaker Robert Fiore, Hirsch’s Raschen Ridge, with Lisa and Philip Togni, BOND’s Pluribus Vineyard.

Wine Destination of the Year – Los Olivos, United States

One of the great privileges of my job is spending time in some of the world’s top wine destinations on a regular basis. None of these could be described as unattractive, and most of them are often stunningly beautiful. The food culture can be every bit as compelling. This year, one region stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Los Olivos is one of the centers of Santa Barbara wine country. Located about two hours from Los Angeles, Los Olivos is home to dozens of tasting rooms and, more recently, has become a real center of culinary excellence. The wine scene has long been very rich here. Los Olivos retains much of its American small-town charm, even if most of the storefronts are now tasting rooms. At a time when wine prices have gone through the roof in many regions, wines here remain exceptionally fairly priced.

For years, the dining scene was variable and not especially exciting. That’s not at all the case today. If anything, visitors will have a hard time narrowing their choices. Bar Le Côte is a must for seafood and fish lovers. Chef/Proprietor Brad Mathews and his crew serve up a fabulous menu focused on all sorts of delicacies from the sea. Just a few minutes away, the newly reopened Mattei’s Tavern offers delicious contemporary American cuisine paired with a terrific wine list full of local and imported wines. Interior spaces are cozy, while exterior seating conveys more of the resort feel Auberge Resorts is going for with the hotel portion of the property. Nella, located in the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn, offers bold, lusty Mediterranean fare. The bar is hopping on most nights and is another attraction. The Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café, featured in Sideways, is a bit more informal in both atmosphere and the ambition of its kitchen than the top choices in town, but it has plenty to offer.

S.Y. Kitchen, a ten-minute drive from town, is well worth the trip. Its Italian-focused menu and stellar wine program make it a favorite haunt with winemakers, locals and tourists alike. Hitching Post II, also a short drive away, will place guests in a serious Sideways mood. The menu is pure Americana through and through. There are plenty more options further afield for those with the curiosity to travel a bit further. Readers who want to explore an American wine region beyond the usual suspects will find so much to discover in Santa Barbara and Los Olivos.

Culinary Delights in Los Olivos and environs. Clockwise from left to right: Littleneck Clams at Bar Le Côte, Agnolotti at S.Y. Kitchen, Tuna Tartare at Mattei’s Tavern, Grilled Prime Top Sirloin at Hitching Post II.

Exploring the Essence of Craft – Sadowsky Guitars

When I was in college, my roommate, Jay, ordered a guitar from Roger Sadowsky. At the time, Sadowsky was the guru, the person who set up, repaired and built instruments for many of the world’s most renowned musicians. His client list included Prince, Keith Richards, Will Lee and a list of luminaries too long to mention. I accompanied Jay to New York to pick up his new instrument. We got up at the crack of dawn and took the bus from Boston to New York, two college kids on a day trip. New York City was a mecca of music stores back then, with 48th Street as the hub of activity. We went to Roger’s workshop in its original Times Square location. There, I saw and played custom-made instruments for the first time. The quality was immediately evident. Back then, the difference between these instruments and those sold in music stores off the shelf was massive. Today, it is much narrower. I went back to Boston, sold off a bunch of things, cobbled together savings from two part-time jobs and ordered my first Sadowsky guitar. A second followed some months later. Those two instruments gave me a lot of music. Stupidly, I sold them a few years later during a period of frustration with music. It’s a decision I have regretted ever since.

In the shop with Roger Sadowsky.

Earlier this year, I partially atoned for that error. I learned that Roger was ceasing production of his archtop guitars, so it was now or never. After playing a few instruments, I chose a guitar that spoke to me. Roger’s Jim Hall model is essentially a replica of Hall’s D’Acquisto guitar, with a few modifications, conceived as a substitute for an instrument that had become far too rare and expensive to take out on the road. Roger then gave me a tour of the shop, a visit that was just as exciting as any winery visit. We looked at tone woods, the chambering process that is unique here and several instruments in various stages of completion. There are few things I enjoy more than seeing things made by hand. Today, it has become customary for factories and shops to use high-tech equipment to finish the set-ups of the instruments, to make sure everything is “perfect.” That’s not too different from viticulture and winemaking. I asked Roger if he owned a Plek, a high-tech fret-leveling machine that is all the rage these days. “I am the Plek,” he replied. Hilarious. There is simply no substitute for the total mastery of craft that is achieved over time.

Sadowsky Jim Hall model archtop guitar.

Favorite Non-Wine Moment of the Year – Spring Break in Bologna with the Kiddos

This year’s Spring Break took us to Emilia-Romagna, one of the cradles of Italian gastronomy. With Bologna as a center, we explored the city and its surroundings. We ate our fair share of the local specialties. One of the real highlights was the day we spent visiting the Ferrari museums in Maranello and Modena. We had a blast. The beautifully curated exhibits will delight both the casual car lover and the enthusiast. I suggest booking tickets in advance, as these are very popular destinations. The simulators at the end of both tours are also well worth checking out. Those, too, are best reserved in advance. With a little planning, both museums can be visited in a day, although the combination ticket allows a window of flexibility with regards to timing. Highly recommended.

Spring Break in Emilia-Romagna. Clockwise from left to right: Gnocco fritto with Prosciutto at Osteria di Rubbiara, the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena, Bologna at night.

© 2024 Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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