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The annual Wine Spectator Top 100 list is out, so I am going to react to the Top 10 wines of 2024 and taste the bottles I managed to track down .
Full list of Wine Spectator Top 100 wines of 2024: https://top100.winespectator.com/lists/
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**CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO:
0:45 The Critique
4:45 The Tasting
#winetasting #wineeducation #wine
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31 Comments
I have a 2017 Don Melchor that I’m waiting to open when it’s a bit older. Nice to see it as number one, but since I’ve never tried one, then I would be guessing on how good it is.
Why? Is almost always answered by 💰
Given that a good rating from Wine Spectator is typically a kiss of death for average people being able to access a wine, I would not complain that the list lacks diversity! I’d be glad if all their list was from Napa.
Well done! Driving the prices up is the aim of the magazine, which is is largely dependent on (American) advertising.
Tignanello, again… This is lame.
As you said, it is only contributing to doubling the price in a few years.
Earlier this year I had the chance to sit in a tasting where we had mini verticals blind. And the red of the evening was Don Melchor. Given one bottle was basically flawed with brett, but I managed to place the wine in Chile and C-S was quite obvious. In the end the wine left me quite underwhelmed like it has so many times when I've had the opportunity to taste it before. And when it didn't cost anywhere near the numbers it demands today.
Let me offer a different perspective: Maybe we're pleased when platforms put the usual suspects on their lists. Maybe we're not really that interested in seeing less famous favourites being subjected to the kind of stampede (and price gouging) that comes with these placements.
Great video. Love your comments and they are so true. Just for these raisons their (tailor-made) list is of no importance for me.
WS list has always been US heavy…and Barolo is no grape variety 😊 Nebbiolo. My cellar is Barolo (or Piedmont in general) heavy and plenty of Bordeaux. I always scroll WS list to see if there’s anything interesting I would not stumble normally and see if any dealer has stock.
I loved this video so much – thank you for your honesty and for championing the importance of diversity in the wine world!
I absolutely want to know what your top 10 is!
Thanks for the video. As a regular consumer (not a collector), I find the top 10-100 lists interesting, but not really relevant to me. Once a wine hits a list, the prices rise and it is hard to find, so I most likely will never purchase it. It has to be hard to put together a top wines list, as there are hundreds of thousands of wines made in the world. What is the process for any wine critic to ensure they are really tasting all the wines? For example, does a critic taste all chateauneuf du pape wines before making a decision? are all wines tasted blind? Even so, it is fun to see what they come up. I would definitely be interested in your top 10, just from what you have tasted.
Wine spectator is a bit of a reach for being the ultimate judge on the best wines , however, I don’t know how she can comment on wine she hasn’t tasted. The Williams Selyem and Faust on this list are world class and are not super big producers. She kind of contradicts herself regarding the Telegraph which has a great reputation and is rated high. Maybe it’s been rated too many times in the top 100 over the years…
Overall she did a good job of describing the wines.
Please can we have your choices for the Festive season. 🙏🎅
Hi Agnese, I get your point re: choosing the usual suspects. Would be interested to know what you would choose, keeping in mind that the wines should be readily available for the general reading audience on a US/ global scale.
From Chili i recommend the Montes Alpha M of Purple Angel. Great wine, not to expensive.
Thank you for yet another very informative and educational video! I watch and click on all of the advertisers in the hope that I can help offset the cost of those wine. I hope to see you drink and comment on them in the future as they age in your cellar.
These lists fetishize (and jack up the prices of) a small handful of wonderful wine…but an equally credible list could be made from a thousand other wines. I still read WS, but don’t give a damn about their Top 100. Thank you for offering your critique! Cheers
i was able to buy 6 of the 10 wines the day the list came out and i must say the albe barolo topped them all. this wine is so undervalued its ridiculous. i bought 4 bottles and also a 2019. i gave it a 95 . for such a young barolo this wine delivered for me and im sure it will age well. biggest surprise was the faust which has always been an above average cab but not mind boggling. i enjoyed the wine but i wont remember it
Good stuff Agnes. Wine Spectator is predictable if nothing else.
We all know that the Wine Spectator is a shill for Napa and the rest of California. What surprised me was the lack of Bordeaux on the list because we know they love profiling the same old estates.
It pisses me off that they put the Vajra Barolo d'Albe in the Top 10. Now the price will go up by default.
Not saying the wine doesn't deserve it as it is one of my faves, but putting something in the Top 10 can change the market. I am going to track this throughout 2025.
Hello! Where do I find your oyster T-shirt?
I just had the Williams Selyem last Sunday, and it blew me away. However at the time I didn't even know that it was on anyone's top ten list!
Or maybe this year, those regions and/or varietals weren’t as good? Not everything has to be a conspiracy
Seems like you want “Top 10 Hipster Wines” instead of “Top 10 great producer wines”, which is fine – maybe we need a new list for unknown/undervalued wines!
If I am not mistaken, WS only rates wines that are provided by the wineries. There are certainly multiple times more unrated wines than those that get considered for this list (only because the winery submitted it to them). Having said that, it is always nice to see someone like you give us your honest opinion of the wines tasted. Your honesty is refreshing. Keep making these videos! I love them! Cheers.
Great video and well done for calling it how it is
Great video as always. I LOVE IT when you get into critique mode. You’re 100% correct and spot on with your points and you do it with a smile. These lists always I find just state the obvious and the top 10 is useless other than for collectors. Sometimes you get more interesting additions further down. You definitely enjoyed some of them though and like you I am not at all familiar with Chimney Rock but after seeing your reaction (and not cause of the top 10) I might seek it out. And DEFINITELY like others have suggested a no sediment yearly top 10 would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!!
A local store had the Alba for $30, so I stocked up. It is very satiating and a glass of it makes me happy.
btw you look gorgeous…..
You said you're from Latvia. My mom's grandparents were from Lithuania, and they immigrated to Chicago in the 1890's.
100% agree with you (and with the comment asking for your top ten :D)