Vinous Top 100 Wines of the Year - 2024: Countdown #60 to #41
BY VINOUS |
We are thrilled to announce the second 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
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Countdown #60 to #41...
#60: 2021 Denner Vineyards The Dirt Worshipper
$85, Paso Robles, California, United States
EG: “Many years ago, The Dirt Worshipper provided one of my ah-ha moments regarding Paso Robles’s potential. While unabashedly Californian in origin, the Dirt Worshipper adds layers of savory complexity, tricking the taster into questioning how so much Northern Rhone character can be infused with New World fruit. It remains a benchmark of the region and one of my go-to domestic Syrahs.”
The 2021 Dirt Worshipper is impossible to ignore, blending incense with dried roses, white pepper and exotic spice. This impresses with its elegance and grace, washing across the palate with silken textures and ripe red and black fruits as a wave of juicy acidity adds lift. Violet inner florals resonate throughout. It tapers off spicy and incredibly long, embraced by a coating of fine-grained tannins that tug at the senses as a resonance of clove lingers on. Simply spellbinding, this is unmistakably New World fruit, yet with an Old Word soul.
96 points – Eric Guido, July 2024
Piedra Infinita vineyard at Zuccardi Valle de Uco in the autumn.
#59: 2021 Zuccardi Valle de Uco Finca Piedra Infinita
$180, Mendoza, Argentina
JH: “This wine is a trendsetter in Argentina as Paraje Altamira steps into the spotlight.”
Hailing from a cool vintage in the Uco Valley, the 2021 Finca Piedra Infinita, from Paraje Altamira, was bottled after one winter in concrete vats. As with Zuccardi's other wines, it delivers a naturally primary profile that embodies what can be achieved with un-oaked wines in the southern Uco Valley. This purple-hued Malbec reveals balsamic herbs undertones, intense violet and floral aromas and notes of plum and blueberry. Dry and compact on the palate, with chalky tannins and fine fruit expression, it delivers exceptional concentration and a rich, long-lasting, fruit-driven finish. Just fabulous.
97 points – Joaquín Hidalgo, November 2024
#58: 2020 Castellare I Sodi di San Niccolò
$200, Chianti Classico, Italy
