Welcome to an exciting moment in the wine universe, where we celebrate some of the most exquisite bottles available today.
When it comes to identifying the best wines, the conversation can become quite animated; simply sharing your list invites a spirited exchange and sometimes even an outright debate.
In realms of personal taste—like art, literature, or music—declaring a selection of top contenders usually prompts skepticism.
But that’s part of the charm of this endeavor, as the engagement it sparks can be enjoyable, even if controversial.
Our Selection Methodology
Our list of the year’s finest wines, however, is not just a reflection of individual preferences.
The top 10 wines we present draw heavily on quantifiable data, which helps to reduce subjectivity in our evaluations.
To form our rankings, we merge diverse opinions from a range of credible sources.
For a deeper understanding of our critics, you can explore our critics page, where we compile scores from respected publications and renowned figures in the wine industry.
This includes insights from titans such as Wine Advocate, Decanter, Jancis Robinson, and Jane Anson, alongside experts like La Revue du Vin de France and Jasper Morris.
This wide convergence provides an authoritative insight into wine criticism.
It’s common for winemakers to ask why their wine received a score of 93 on Wine-Searcher when a local critic rated it at 96.
The strength of our comprehensive review network is that no single rave review can skew a wine’s overall rating too drastically.
This balanced approach ultimately benefits consumers, who can rely on the Wine-Searcher score to gauge a wine’s acclaim among a representative cross-section of critics.
The 2024 Top Wines
This method isn’t about downplaying critics’ preferences—indeed, many have distinct tastes and biases.
Still, we find that comparing prominent critic scores with insights from crowd-sourced platforms like CellarTracker yields valuable alignment in the perception of various wines.
At its essence, our evaluation methodology represents the best practices available today.
It fosters lively discussions among passionate wine lovers, and we relish the varied and spirited reactions we receive during our annual “best wines” feature.
- Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru – Cote de Nuits, France – Price: €22,230 – Score: 98 / 100
- Leroy Chambertin Grand Cru – Cote de Nuits, France – Price: €12,694 – Score: 98 / 100
- Leroy Musigny Grand Cru – Cote de Nuits, France – Price: €36,269 – Score: 98 / 100
- Leroy Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru – Cote de Nuits, France – Price: €8,665 – Score: 98 / 100
- Leroy Domaine d’Auvenay Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru – Cote de Beaune, France – Price: €22,371 – Score: 98 / 100
- Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole – Cote de Nuits, France – Price: €6,051 – Score: 97 / 100
- Leroy Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru – Cote de Nuits, France – Price: €5,850 – Score: 97 / 100
- Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru – Cote de Beaune, France – Price: €5,871 – Score: 97 / 100
- Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port – Portugal – Price: €1,161 – Score: 97 / 100
- Realm Cellars The Absurd Proprietary Red – Napa Valley, USA – Price: €1,230 – Score: 97 / 100
Market Trends in Wine Pricing
Burgundy continues to shine in our rankings, with its representation increasing from seven to eight wines this year.
Once again, Leroy wines have left a significant mark, underscoring their enduring reputation.
Not to overlook, the ninth and tenth rankings highlight exemplary performances from Quinta do Noval, a consistently solid choice, and Realm Cellars, which embodies the spirit of Napa Valley.
Interestingly, every wine on our list shows a decrease in price compared to last year.
A look at the global average retail prices indicates that each wine has fallen in value, most notably, the iconic Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru, which is now priced $2,500 less than last year.
Meanwhile, although the Leroy Chambertin retains a high price, it has experienced a significant drop of $11,140.
This trend of declining wine prices is a welcome sign for consumers.
Source: Wine-searcher
