Another year has passed and it was an eventful one, filled with travel and work and everything else that makes up life. We were out and about again, going to wine tastings as well as evaluating the samples we receive for review, and the wines we buy for our personal cellar. This year we tasted somewhere around 300 wines. Some made a more memorable impression, and from those we present our 25 top wines from the past year.
Our #1 Wine of 2024
As always this is based solely on our opinions, and we only have a staff of two. Value is the primary driver here, but having said that there are always wines that are simply too sublime not to include, even though they might strain the budget a bit. Our self-imposed limit is $100, however this list is comfortably in the affordable category and tremendous value bottles abound. You’ll find some under $20. As 2025 begins we look forward to many more opportunities to taste the best values the world has to offer.
Here are the wines. If you click on a highlighted wine’s name you’ll go to the detailed review. If there is no link associated with the wine, then the review for that wine is not published yet, but we’ll update this list when it is available.
1. 2019 Masciarelli Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva San Martino Rosso – It’s dark purple red in color, with dark berries, cherry, tobacco and vanilla on the nose. Long legs cascade down the glass, with alcohol sitting at 14.5%. Tannins are medium+, as is body right out of the bottle. You defintely get the impression it needs some time. Just let it get some air in the glass, or better yet decant for an hour or two. We let the bottle sit on the counter with a vaccum pump, and it really merged, integrated and reached new depths. Patience is rewarded with a beautiful, rich red wine that has elegance and finesse, as well as some power. SRP is $38 and we think this is a great value wine there.
2. 2022 Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir – The vineyard is only 13 miles from the 
ocean, and faces west. Cool fogs and breezes dominate until August, when the Santa Ana winds begin. The wine sees new French oak. It is dark purple red in color, and the nose is complex with blackberry, bramble and lots of spice, including a full array of baking spice. Body here is medium and the tannins are milder. The finish is really, really long. SRP about $60.
3. 2021 Raffaldini Grande Riserva – This particular vintage is a blend of Montepulciano, Petite Verdot and Sagrantino. It is 75% appassimento and sees 30% new
oak. The nose just screams fruit, mostly berries, red and black. It is full bodied, very rich with that beautiful core of fruit which makes the great wines great. Medium tannins and a long finish cap it off. This is excellent and world class. $65
4. 2022 Boen Coastal Chardonnay – This wine has a beautiful nose of ripe fruits, 
honeysuckle and just a hint of butter. It is simply gorgeous on the palate, smooth with additional flavors of apple and pear. The finish is clean and long. This is luxurious and so delicious. The oak is gentle, which led me to believe it had seen all nuetral oak, but not the case. It was finished in new French oak. The fruit is harvested a little early, giving it a litle more acid that holds its own during the finishing process. The result is a spectacular value wine. $25 SRP but we got it for $18 on sale. Cheri does not like Chardonnay, but she loves this.
5. NV 9diDANTE Inferno Vermouth – This is made with a base wine consisting of 50% Dolcetto and 50% Cortese, both from the Piemonte DOC. Alcohol checks in at 17.5%. There is a full spectrum of herbs and
botanicals here, but what really strikes you is the core of fruit and some of the red wine nuances that form the base of the cordial. I absolutely love this, and it is officially one of my new favorite things. It drinks like a crazy complex but still fruit driven red wine. You really have to try it to appreciate it. It will also be in the $30-$35 range. Highly, highly recommended.
6. 2021 Longevity California Cabernet Sauvignon – This is a deep red, more of a pure 
red than a ruby color. It is vibrant and lively in the glass, with a nose of red fruits, including currant, as well as blueberry and cherry. There is caramel and mocha too, as it is quite complex. On the palate the juice is rich, with a wonderfull fruit core that just screams Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium+ body. Some chocolate wraps in during the long finsh almost like a dessert. This is a beautifully pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. Under $20
7. 2021 J. Lohr Pure Paso Proprietary Red Blend – This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. The color is a dark ruby. Blackberry and black plum come through on the nose, with
savory notes and vanilla. It’s a big nose, full of ripe fruit. On the palate this is full bodied, rich with resplendent fruit, brisk tannins and good balance for a big wine at 15% alcohol. The finish is quite long. $25
8. 2021 Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco – Light golden in color, this white sports a 14% 
alcohol level. It has a rich nose filled wth peach, banana, pineapple and wet stones. It is also rich in the mouth, with texture and viscosity. It reminds me a bit of a good, barrel aged Chardonnay without the heavy buttery oak component. It’s not overdone in any way, but is a white of substance. Part of the wine is finished in 500 liter French oak barrels. This larger barrel knocks down the effect of the oak a bit, resulting in this perfect balance. It is smooth and very long. This is one excellent white wine. $29
9. 2021 Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva – The nose yields dark berries, cherries, shoe polish 
and charred tobacco. This is pretty stellar, big and a little brawny, with stiff tannins. The balance is excellent and the finish is very long. It’s a higher level version of the #1 wine above, only based on price point, and will also benefit from a couple of hours in your decanter. With time it softens a bit, melds together and really becomes pretty impressive. This is a great wine. SRP is $98, and it compares very well with most other wines in that price category.
10. 2021 Raats MR de Compostella – This vintage is comprised of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 17% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, but that will change year to year.
The color is very dark and opaque. Blackberry, black plum and cherry fruit form the nose, and it is a lush expression. Full bodied, the palate also features herbal notes, some floral and tobacco. Tannins are medium+, acid is well balanced and the finish is extremely long. This is a world class red wine in every sense. Exceptional. While the SRP on this is $120, we found it under $100, so we include it.
11. 2018 Gershon Bachus Dae Dia Meritage – From the Temecula Valley in California this is a traditional Bordeaux blend, made up of equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon,
Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. Color is a medium cherry red, with a little amber at the edge. The nose brings currant, cherry, spice, orange peel and a little oak. It is just full bodied with good acid, balance and a fresh, long finish. This is a superior wine. It is elegant, bigger than you think at first and still drinks like a fresh, young wine. It will age effortlessly. I couldn’t believe how good it is. $72
12. 2022 Quilt Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – This juice had 2% Petite Sirah added to the Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is a dark purple red. A nose full of dark fruits,
including blackberry and plum, caramel and a touch of balamic is rich and inviting. The palate is also rich and full bodied. Med+ tannins, nice acid and balance and a long finish wrap up a pretty classic and high quality Napa Valley Cab. It is an exellent wine and a good value at the SRP of $40. We paid less on sale.
13. 2021 FIOL Rosé Prosecco – This is made with 85% Glera, the traditional grape in 
Prosecco, as well as 15% Pinot Noir. Color is a pretty, light pinky salmon. This has tons of fine bubbles, looking more like Champagne really. Aromas of peach, strawberry and tangerine come across in the fruit forward nose. That fruit carries to the palate, and into a long, clean finish. This is quite delightful. $22
14. 2019 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino – The wine is a dark red in color, with a black cherry nose. There is tobacco and some bramble as well. It is full bodied. Tannins are
brisk now, and this will improve with time. What is clear is that the core of fruit is here, focused and really nice. It has excellent length now, and really drinks well with some air time. I would decant for an hour, or maybe leave it for another few years as it starts to hit its stride. $50
15. 2021 Laurel Glen Counterpoint Cabernet – This is a dark ruby in color, with a 
fruit driven nose of blackberry and currant. The fruit is really beautiful, as we now expect from this wine having tried several vintages. On the palate you also get leather and orange peel, as well a some of that tension that mountain wines possess. It is pretty tannic at the moment, and is a baby, but also approachable. We decanted for an hour and it drank very nicely. In a few years it will hit its peak, but is very hard to resist opening now. An excellent wine, a river of fruit, and a good value. $60
16. 2020 Bouza Tannat – Grapes here are individually selected, and we do mean down to the individual grape. 
Ater a long maceration and fermentation in steel tanks, this spends 14 months in French and American oak barrels. The juice is a dark purple red, with a rich, complex nose featuring blackberry, mocha, caramel and tobacco. It is full bodied, if a little tight at first right out of the bottle. Tannins are medium and it is very long. We let this sit overnight after pumping, and it continued to blossom over two more days. It got richer, smoother and seamless, and went from a very good wine to an excellent one. $27
17. 2020 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Organic Red Blend – This is a dark purple wine, 
with a nose of very ripe berries, a little cherry and some richer fruits such as fig. There’s a bit of a ruby port character to the nose at first. You can add in some spice from the Syrah. On the palate the juice is full bodied, rich and generous, but also balanced beautifully with nice acid. Tannins are medium+ and well integrated, especially with a little air time. The finish is very long and this is really a top shelf wine. It also varies vintage to vintage. This is an exceptional vintage. $37
18. 2018 David Arthur Proprietary Red – This is dark purple-red in color. The nose is full of blackberry, currant , cherry and orange peel with wood tones, herbs and some mint. 
Full bodied, this juice has a gorgeous core of pure fruit that carries throughout the experience. Tannins are medium+ and well integrated, although this will still last a long time in the cellar. Good acid keeps it balanced. The finish is very long. This has everything you want in a top Napa red wine. It is superior. $80
19. 2020 Eden Dale Pinot Noir San Giacomo – This is a medium dark, ruby red in 
color, with a nose of lean cherry fruit. At first I got a bit of smoke and was worried this was another wine shadowed by the legacy of the 2020 fires, but that blew off fairly quickly. The result was a rich wine with a pure core of cherry fruit, accentuated with red berries. The juice is medium bodied, well balanced and finished very long. It is simply delicous, and an excellent example of top Sonoma Pinot Noir. $50
20. 2021 Riva Leon Gavi – A light straw colr with greenish hues preceeds a nose of stone
fruit, fig, lemon and other citrus. This has good mouthfeel, structure and a fruit filled palate. That fruit lingers throughout the long finish. This is a very pleasing wine overall and a great value as well. $15
21. 2019 Lorimar Montepulciano – There is a little Petite Sirah and Zinfandel in here, and it works. Blackberry, blueberry and
vanilla frame a rich, full bodied wine with a fruit driven core. It is well integrated, smooth and still edgy. This is an excellent wine. $66
22. 2019 Ponzi Chardonnay Reserve – Made with grapes from seven different vineyard sites within the Laurelwood District AVA, the juice is a light golden color, and a vibrant nose features creamy, vanilla aspects along with apples and spices. On the palate this is so smooth and velvety with pears, apples, spice and some lemon at the end. It finishes very long. This is one of those wines where you just think “delicious”. All Ponzi Chardonnay is finished in large , neutral oak which imparts minimal influence to the wine. The result is pretty wonderful. $45
23. 2021 Emmolo Merlot – This juice is a dark, purple red in color. The nose carries rich black fruit, plums and
berries. It is full bodied with medium+ tannins, and some cherry joins on the palate. Overall it is typical for this wine, rich and full. Jenny Wagner is the winemaker, and her stated goal is to create a wine that is “luxurious, dark and balanced”. We would say she has succeeded. $60
24. 2021 Routestock Sauvignon Blanc – Light golden yellow in color, this has an elegant nose of peach, pear, hawthorne, a little spice and some lemon. Just about medium bodied, with good texture, the palate is pretty wonderful and complex. We loved this wine. It is a superior Sauvignon Blanc. $28
25. 2016 Chateau Livran – Very dark purple toward black in color, showing no sign of age after 8 years from 
harvest. The nose is classic left bank, with dark cassis and berry fruit, some bramble, oak and a touch of herbs. It is full bodied on the palate and rich. A long finish caps it off. This is excellent wine from a great vintage in Bordeaux. $20
Here’s wishing you a great 2025! There are so many wines to discover and we’ll do our best to taste them all. We’ve already started.
A votre santé!
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