Tignanello, Antinori’s flagship wine, is packed with “firsts”. It was the first to see blending of Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in super-measured proportions for the perfect wine, the first aged in barriques, and the first Chianti Classico red to omit white grapes. This iconic wine helped define the "Super Tuscan" movement, marking a turning point in Italian winemaking.

Tignanello appeared on last year’s list of your favorites too – and no surprise. It’s dense and resonant with brooding fruit and polished tannins. To quote Antonio Galloni of Vinous, “I don't think there is another wine anywhere in the world made entirely from estate fruit that can match Tignanello for quality, consistency and value within its peer group of top-flight reds”.

The 2016, which has been the top selling vintage, is not short of praise either. Wine Advocate’s Monica Larner said: “This wine is at the top of the list of some of the best Tignanello ever made, including the vintages 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2015”.

You sure love Super Tuscans! This year, one of your top picks was a Bolgheri from the same vintage but crafted by a different winery – and one that’s dedicated not only to producing outstanding wine but also to sustainability in its winemaking and community. This encompasses the Vendemmia d’Artista project where an artist gets to craft a unique label for each Ornallaia vintage. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, this wine displays intense black fruit, toasty spice, lead pencil, and muscular tannins. While it easily has nearly twenty years of cellaring ahead of it, it’s accessible today. With its layers of dark fruit, coffee hints, licorice, and chocolate, in Wine Advocate Monica Larner’s words, Ornellaia 2016 features “extreme complexity and precision” and “monumental depth”.

Louis Roderer may be a global name but, since its founding in the 1830s, it’s remained true to its independent, family-owned roots. It was one of the first Champagne houses to have the vision to grow its own grapes and its commitment to terroir continues to this day. This 2008 is made from Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) harvested from 36 Grand Cru plots, resulting in a vibrant explosion of lemon confit, marzipan, orchard fruit, and dried flowers. Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon says the unique profile of this bubbly is down to picking fully ripe fruit rather than simply focusing on acidity.

You’re in good company with your choice. Antonio Galloni of Vinous describes the 2008 as “one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted”.

Based in Meursault and known for its red and white wine production, Henry Boillot has a hands-off approach to viticulture: this white comes from a single-plot vineyard where the house only allows a handful of experts near the vines. It adopted its non-interventionist philosophy in the 1990s, a trend setter in what was to become widespread practice around Burgundy. In 2024, you’ve had a soft spot for its Clos de la Mouchère across three exceptional vintages. Florals, intense pear, spice, and citrus in a silky mouth with vibrant acidity make this refined wine stand out with Burghound describing the 2020 as possessing “power that is delivered with grace and class”.

This family domaine humbly believes that great wine begins in the vineyard, saying “A vine remembers; if you mistreat it, you will suffer the consequences”.

Another Super Tuscan from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Masseto is regarded as one of the world’s top wines. It was first released to great acclaim in 1984 after famous American enologist André Tchelistcheff identified a 6.6-hectare former clay quarry site in Bolgheri that was ideal for Merlot. The site is made up of small plots that take nearly a month to harvest, so meticulous is the fruit picking and selection process.

Admired for its opulent ripe fruit, kirsch, dark chocolate, caramel, earthy notes, and soft tannic structure, Monica Larner of Wine Advocate says of the 2010: “An absolute stunner…I could wax poetic for hours”.

A list of top annual wines wouldn’t be complete without Opus One. The 2013 was one of your favorites in 2023 too and it’s moved up the list this year! Representing a game-changing moment in Californian wine making, Opus One, is a collaboration between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, established after the infamous 1976 Judgment of Paris.

A bestseller, the 2013 vintage “is shaping up to be an iconic wine” (Antonio Galloni, Vinous), praised for its vibrant blackberry, cherry, and smoky spice, earning a perfect 100-point score from Decanter’s Jane Anson. This superlative wine remains a symbol of Napa Valley’s impressive wine legacy.

Antinori is featuring on your 2024 top-ten list again with Solaia. The 2010 and 2015 have been high on your list this year. This red blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, and 5% Cabernet Franc comes from vines flourishing in the most sun-drenched part of the famed Tignanello hill. Limestone-rich soils, its location around 400 meters above sea, and meticulous winemaking result in a fresh, vibrant blend with layers of blackberry jam, blood orange, chocolate, licorice, cloves, lavender, and menthol, all seamlessly integrated. Decanter’s Jane Anson summed up the 2010 as “everything is in place for it to be exceptional” while Monica Larner of Wine Advocate nailed it by saying: “This wine is meticulously executed, and the 2015 vintage lives up to an ideal of what we imagine Solaia to be”.

It’s no secret that Château Pontet-Canet is widely regarded as meriting a higher ranking than its Cinquième Cru Classé: it consistently competes with the Super Seconds in quality. It comes as no surprise that this 2010 Pauillac finds itself up one place from last year on your list of 2024 top picks.

A leader in biodynamic farming, Canet expresses Pauillac’s classic full-bodied character, while setting a new standard for sustainable viticulture. Blueberry, dried flowers, spice, licorice, and savory hints are beautifully integrated in a wine awarded 100-point scores from Wine Advocate’s Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW and James Suckling.

Here’s another Pauillac that makes you question the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Also a fifth growth deserving a higher rank in the region’s appellation system and another 2010, this Lynch Bages is often viewed as among the best in Pauillac, admired for its intensity, structure, and cellar worthiness.

You loved its core of intense currant, blackberry, and black cherry with roasted cedar, tobacco, and bay leaf hints and powerful licorice toned finish. You’re not the only ones. James Molesworth from Wine Spectator wrote: “If you ever need to explain Pauillac to someone, give them this” and James Suckling waxed lyrical with: “This is the best Lynch in a long, long time” and gave it 98 points!

We’ve arrived at the top of your favorite 2024 wines list and – cheers – it’s Moet & Chandon, Dom Pérignon once again!

This Champagne vintage was scored 99 points by Wine Advocate and the splendor of the year is displayed in this legendary bubbly. Half Pinot Noir and half Chardonnay, it features seamlessly blended lemon peel, almond, mint, smoke, and crushed rocks, and its vibrant, smooth texture showcases sweet spice and pastry notes that close in a long, complex finish.

The 2008 garnered three 98 scores; from Wine Cellar Insider’s Jeff Leve who described it as “in contention as one of the best vintages of DP ever produced”, while Antonio Galloni of Vinous wrote it was “nothing short of magnificent”. James Suckling regarded it as the “best Dom since 2002”.