Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: Countdown #100 to #61

BY VINOUS | NOVEMBER 12, 2024

We are thrilled to announce the first part of the Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year list. Below are wines #100 to #61, 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   

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Countdown #100 to #61...

#100: 2020 Pago de Carraovejas 

$50, Ribera del Duero, Spain

JH: "This wine exemplifies a modern expression of Ribera, crafted in a style that resonates with international wine lovers. With a production of 70,000 cases, it represents both quality and accessibility, making it a worthy contender for our Top 100 Wines of the Year."

The 2020 Pago de Carraovejas is a blend of 92% Tempranillo, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot from Querada del Botija in Peñafiel, Ribera del Duero. Aged for 12 months in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels, it's garnet-red with a purple sheen. The aromas begin with enticing notes of strawberry, blackcurrant, sour cherry, spice and finely tuned oaky layers. On the palate, it's dry and juicy, with fine-grained tannins and a chalky texture invigorated by well-balanced acidity. Compared with previous house vintages, this is a precise new style for Ribera del Duero. 

94 points – Joaquín Hidalgo, September 2023

Looking out across the hills of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi.

#99: 2020 Sartarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Balciana

$45, Marche, Italy

EG: "Sartarelli wrangles in the depth and complexity of Verdicchio through the single-vineyard Balciana. This bottling is emblematic of the Sartarelli family's recent shift toward a more savory profile than has been the case historically, allowing the variety's minerality to shine. The results are spectacular. The Balciana is enjoyable upon release, yet the real magic happens in the cellar."

The 2020 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Balciana is a deep golden color in the glass. It opens with a delicate bouquet that blends opulent ripe peach and custard notes with refining hints of lemon oil and crushed stone. It’s silky and enveloping, elegance to the extreme. Tropical citrus elevates the ripe orchard fruits, and a salty mineral core adds tremendous depth. Long, long, long, the 2020 lingers on, youthfully tense, with a staining of tart citrus rind and minty herbs that resonate. The ripeness of the vintage shows through, yet Sartarelli has managed to pack this with gobs of balancing tension. 

93 points – Eric Guido, May 2024

#98: 2023 Best’s Wines Riesling Great Western

$25, Victoria, Australia

AH: "This bottling delivers refined elegance at an exceptional value. It beautifully captures the purity and precision of Riesling."

The fine and gentle 2023 Riesling Great Western offers delicate yet finely tuned aromas of citrus pith, green pineapple and wet stones in a savory style. Dry and currently a little angular with a fresh acid bite, the cool vintage has delivered a vibrant and age-worthy expression. This wine is still tightly wound and holding its streamlined shape through to a super long finish. It has definite potential to improve in bottle. 

94 points – Angus Hughson, November 2024

Jean-Marc Burgaud, among the best winemakers not just in Morgon, but in Beaujolais.

#97: 2022 Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côte du Py

$28, Beaujolais, France

NM: "Burgaud is one of the most respected growers in Beaujolais, and his 2022 Morgon Côte du Py epitomizes everything great about his wines—perfumed and seductive, with fine-boned tannins and a refined but persistent finish. Magnificent."

The 2022 Morgon Côte du Py has an absolutely delightful bouquet. Much more charming than the Corcelette, it shows exquisite delineation with perfumed, mineral-laced red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, very focused with a touch of Indian spice toward the detailed finish. This has a long life ahead. It’s so refined and elegant. 

94 points – Neal Martin, March 2024

#96: 2019 Andrew Will Winery Sorella 

$97, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State, United States

EG: "Washington State was known for its Bordeaux blends before anything else, and much of that reputation was due to the success of winemakers like Chris Camarda and his Cabernet-dominated Sorella from the Champoux Vineyard. The Sorella remains one of the most important wines of the region, displaying a core of seductively dark ripe fruit and a balanced structure that promises decades of positive development. It also remains a fantastic value in the category of domestic Bordeaux blends."

The 2019 Sorella is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petite Verdot. It's dark and brooding in the glass, displaying a burst of ashen stone and grilled herbs that gives way to black currant and exotic spice. Round and supple on the palate, this shows cooling acidity and a great depth of rich red and black fruits, contrasted by a saline mineral tinge. It tapers off with a peppery edge and a violet pastille flourish, leaving silty tannins and hints of licorice while finishing with outstanding length. The 2019 is still youthful and tense, yet it promises over a decade of positive evolution. 

95 points – Eric Guido, October 2023

#95: 2021 Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg

$57, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

EG: "Anyone who hasn’t yet experienced the white wines of Cantina Terlano is in for a revelation. These rank among the finest white wines in the world. While the Terlaner Grande Cuvée Primo often steals the spotlight, the Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg offers remarkable complexity and quality at a much more accessible price. This is the bottle I reach for to fill my own cellar. Place it alongside a Premier Cru white Burgundy for a thrilling comparison."