It's PRIMA's '24 for 24' Wines Of The Year List - Final List
It’s PRIMA’s ’24 for 24’ Best Wines Of The Year
2024 was another banner year for our shelves here at PRIMA as the confluence of great vintages and inspired winemaking the world-over presented us with an embarrassment of riches from which to choose. With feedback from our bustling wine bar to account for, as well as your opinion based on anecdotal feedback and actual sales, we inevitably focused on the wines that made us the happiest- wherever they came from and whatever they cost. The fact that there are so many wines from Italy here (and notably fewer from the New World) reflects our personal preferences. After all, we make no claims to impartiality like some wine journalists claim (but really know better). But to make it to this list, a wine not only had to be good, it had to be VERY good and, not only VERY good, but fairly priced as well (we’re cheapskates here). We found an awful lot to discuss as we were making the list as everyone lobbied for their favorites. But we finally got there, just in time for your year-end enjoyment!
As usual, we’ll be releasing our lists in installments- 6 at a time, Monday through Wednesday, 5 on Thursday and the much-anticipated announcement of Wine of the Year will be on Friday.
Have fun!
Whole list: https://primavini.com/
PRIMA’s 2024 Wine Of The Year
2022 Gianluca Colombo NU Langhe Rosso 1L
$24.99
(Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo & Pinot Nero)
Winemaker Gian Luca Colombo is a force of nature- one of the most passionate, cerebral and intense guys you’ll ever meet. From his tiny family vineyard and winery in Roddi, parked amongst the vines of Ambroggio, that commune’s only registered MGA, he lovingly and biodynamically tends his vines, makes a miniscule bit of eponymous wine, and runs a winemaking and farming consulting business allowing him to work with a score of far-better-known, far larger properties. A native of the area and a graduate of the Scuola Enologica in Alba, Gian Luca has forgotten more about farming and making wine in the Langhe region than most of us will ever know! Part scientist, part farmer, Gian Luca is, indeed, part of a new generation of talented winegrowers committed to changing the landscape of wine production in the Langhe to accentuate sustainability, a ‘natural’ approach and quality over quantity and commercialism. His own wines are studied, precise and carefully made, yet possess a personality, soul and inner life all their own. The wine he calls ‘NU,’ is typical, yet atypical, of the Colombo style.
NU means ‘no’ in local Piemontese dialect, and that’s what he’s screaming on the label; as in ‘NO, I won’t bottle a wine like this, no matter how many times you ask.’ But he did. Normally a fastidious winemaker, the idea of creating a kitchen sink blend was anathema, but, as it turned out, a pretty good idea, as it gives us all a Colombo wine in a less serious, far easier going vein. Made from Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo grown on his farm in Roddi, the secret ingredient is a large, delightful dollop (in 2022, 25%) of Pinot Nero grown in Sinio. Pinot is a grape that Colombo loves and bottles separately and is a big favorite here at PRIMA. (Those who have stayed with Denise at Castello di Sinio might have walked right past this vineyard- or through it, maybe- when jogging or strolling up past the barking German Shepherds on the Montelupo road right outside the castello gate.) Gian Luca hard harvests everything at their optimal moments of ripeness and ferments the fruit on their native yeasts, keeping the varieties separate until he arrives at a blend he likes, subsequently aging the finished wine for a few months in the large Austrian casks he favors and releasing it another two months later, unfined and unfiltered and ready to go. This is sort of wine everyone needs to have in the larder. Dark and fragrant, it’s juicy, snappy, full of flavor and a ton of fun to drink. Served a bit cool from the fridge, it’s a clean, zingy wine that will cut through your beef tartare and pre-dinner cheeses and salumis like a vinous knife. It’s a pasta- or burger-friendly red that might be just perfect out of the cooler in the backyard. Bottled in liters, because a mere 750 milliliters won’t be enough, it’s sealed with a crown cap so you can get at its succulent contents even faster.
Installment I & II & III & IV, 24-2
24) 2022 Domaine Francine et Marie-Laure Serrigny Bourgogne Aligote
$31.99
23) 2022 Cascina Fontana Langhe Nebbiolo
$42.99
22) 2022 Rudi Pichler Gruner-Veltliner Federspiel Wachau
$33.99
REPEAT WINNER:21) 2022 Louis Jadot Bourgogne Blanc
$19.99
20) 2021 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino
$29.99
19) 2022 DuMOL Pinot Noir, DuMOL Estate Vineyard, Russian River Valley
$119.99
18) 2021 Le Piane ‘Bianko’ Vino Bianco
$36.99
17) 2022 Domaine Jean-Claude Thevenet Saint-Veran ‘Clos de l’Ermitage-Saint Claude’ Vielles Vignes
$24.99
16) NV Alexandra Sainz Champagne Brut Heritage Bouzy- Grand Cru
$69.99
15) 2022 Borgo Paglianetto ‘Verdicchio di Matelica ‘Petrara’$19.99
14) 2022 Turley Zinfandel, Old Vines California
$34.99
13) 2023 axr Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley*
$27.99 REPEAT WINNER
REPEAT WINNERS 12) 2022 M. Correggia Roero Arneis
Either/Or $21.99
2023 Cieck Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG
Either/Or $21.99
11) 2016 Antica Fratta Brut Franciacorta Essence Rose
$44.99
10) 2021 Marques de Murrieta Pazo de Barrantes Albariño, Rias-Baixas
$49.99
9) 2023 Flowers Rose of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
STILL $24.99
8) 2021 Locanda Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer Georges III, Napa Valley
WAS $225, Ours is $89.99- LAST CALL
7) 2023 Domaine Orion Chablis AOC
$33.99
6) 2021/2022 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey Rouge Vielles Vignes
Vintage 2021 $44.99
Vintage 2022 $44.99
No one, outside of the growers who have long resided in the village itself, has deeper roots (as it were) in the Cote Chalonnaise village of Mercurey than Domaine Faiveley. The family’s holdings in the appellation go back centuries are unparalleled in both breadth and quality. Their multitude of single vineyard bottlings of both Mercurey Rouge and
Blanc are some of the most coveted, long-lived examples from the appellation you will ever find. And if anyone is in a better position to make two different ‘village’ level cuvees of Mercurey Rouge, I’ve not heard of them. The so-called ‘regular’ Mercurey is a lovely red with good concentration and a lot of the appellation’s noted rusticity, acidity and structure. But, they make a second cuvee consisting of just the older vines they farm within the village’s confines. This Vieilles Vignes red is sort of a Reserve-level wine with not only the oldest vines but also the best exposures combined to make a more nuanced, complex wine with Mercurey’s textbook depth, spiciness and concentration on display. Not as austere and edgy as the Faiveley Mercureys of years past, the recently-arrived 2021 is the best example of this wine we’ve ever tasted- an aromatic, exceedingly charming Pinot Noir with all of the florality, muscularity, gentle rusticity and great fruit you could ask from the appellation. The VV gets a touch more wood than the regular Mercurey and it adds a whisp of vanilla and extra texture to the deeply rendered dark, dusky fruit, lifted purple violet, raspberry pastille and cinnamon aromas, spicy, mineral finish and extra flash of black silk on the end. We love Burgundies with these qualities. It makes them food-friendly as well as swoon-worthy drinks all on their own. Use big stems and watch how this gorgeous red develops in the glass as you enjoy it with braised beef, wild mushrooms, richer poultry and duck dishes or a nice ripe Epoisse! Still a fine value, you’ll be happy to open this tonight as well as in ten years.
5) 2020 Oddero Barolo Classico
$64.99
REPEAT APPEARANCE &
FORMER WINE OF THE YEAR
You’ve probably already read a lot about vintage 2020 in the Barolo and Barbaresco zones and maybe already had the chance to sample a few. It’s the middle harvest of the stunning triumvirate of harvests that includes the monumental 2021s as well as the effusive 2019s. It’s as unique and diverse a trio of top-quality vintages as I’ve ever seen in 35 years of working with these wines. 2020 finds itself in some tough company from which to stand out, but it might ultimately prove, ultimately, to be the most interesting and classically styled of these three harvests. As a group, I feel, the 2020s are a pretty sexy, elegant lot- filled with concentrated and nicely delineated fruit that came from a remarkable harvest of thick-skinned, very clean and healthy grapes that created vividly forward, very site-specific aromatics and just a lot of personality in general. These will be crowd-pleasing wines while young, and, most likely, crowd pleasers as they mature too. For me, they offer more volume on the palate and immediate pleasure than the more elegant, slightly coquettish but quite similar 1998s did at this juncture, and the best possess a lot of the same gravitas and noble Old School Barolo structure as vintage 2012. As I’m now almost 67 years old, I personally look for Barolo to actually drink, and this will be a vintage well worth savoring continuously over a good many years.
The Odderos have sourced this wine- as per usual- primarily from the now-60-year old Nebbiolo vines in the Bricco Chiesa MGA, the vineyard that slopes up from the Odderos’ driveway in Santa Maria di La Morra and wraps around the Chiesa Santa Maria church at the top of the hill, a virtual monopoly of the family’s. There is also a portion of vines in this cuvee from Capalot. You can see those as you go left around the large curve heading up La Morra hill past the giant red bench in Santa Maria, right under the (highly recommended) Eremo di Gasprina restaurant and inn. The final touch comes from the two hectares the Odderos farm in the Fiasco MGA in Castiglione Falletto- the same Fiacso as the famed Scavino (Paolo and Azelia) parcels abutting Villero and Brunella. Is there also a soupcon of the Odderos’ newest-addition vineyard Monvigliero from Verduno in there? I won’t tell! These are consistently great sources that have historically play well together in the hands of winemaker Cristina Oddero and longtime enologist Luca Vegio to create Barolos of intensity, vibrancy, elegance and seriousness. Tasting the Oddero 2020 Barolo Classico at the cantina last fall, we noted that it is an assemblage that is truly greater than the sum of its parts- a complete, complex, serious and extraordinarily well balanced wine that promises a very long life. There is a whiff of Fiasco’s exotic cinnamon sugar in there alongside the camphor, warm baking spices, black truffle and bitter chocolate one usually finds in the Oddero Classico. Not as introverted and tannic as the 2019 was at this stage of its life, we wonder if this will ever close down as tight as that is starting to. This is a classic Barolo to enjoy even now if you want, but certainly it’ll be really hitting its true stride at a decade or more past the harvest. So many reasons to like 2020 and they’re all here in this bottling. By the way, we’re pleased the Odderos have not only held their pricing but, as we pass their pre-arrival price along, it’s $7 a bottle less than the 2019! Certainly worth a half-case wouldn’t you think? 60 bottles to sell.*By the way, we still have some 2020 Oddero crus, Rocche di Castiglione, Brunate, Villero and the debut of the much-anticipated Monvigliero available.. These are extraordinary! If you’d like to see the offer, let me know.
4) 2020 Fattoria Felsina Chianti Riserva
$39.99, REPEAT APPEARANCE
Back when I started at PRIMA, some 30 years ago, the so-called new wave of quality wines from Chianti Classico could be summed up in ‘Three F’s,’ Felsina, Fontodi and Fonterutoli.’ Here were three traditional properties that broke from the pack by challenging the status quo and making enormous individual qualitative commitments that singularly helped give wings to the previously hidebound
Chianti Classico appellation and guide the Gallo Nero through the transition from the ubiquitous straw fiasco to worldwide respect. Now, over a quarter century later, the quality bar is much, much, much higher than it used to be, and Fattoria Felsina is still leading the way. Felsina, from its beautiful home in Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southeastern most outpost of the Chianti Classico appellation, has blazed one new trail after another, pioneering organic agriculture in the region and developing the market for single-vineyard offerings too. Under the inspired guidance of Giuseppe Mazzocolin, this Sangiovese-only property has maintained a sterling reputation for outstanding terroir-driven wines that are still the envy of all, not only for quality but also value. The best way to experience the wonderful wines of Felsina is through their lovely Chianti Classico and the outstanding Berardenga Riserva, the much-ballyhooed 2020 of which has just arrived. Sourced from both the sandy gravelly Albarese and the clay-y Galestro soils that comprise this estate of 14 separate farmhouses and vineyards, a Felsina wine is always dark, fragrant, savory and delicious. 2020 was a warm, generous harvest in Tuscany and the Riserva certainly has more volume and immediate appeal that we’ve typically tried here. Aged for over a year in a combination of Slavonian oak casks and smaller used French oak barriques, it’s some pretty flamboyant Sangiovese. Endowed with an extra measure of color and, more importantly, the classic violet flower, iron-y mineral and dark earth notes typical of the region, it wowed us in a recent tasting. Aromatic and really fresh in spite of its obvious plushness and weight, it’s a full-throttle Chianti packed with Sangiovese’s particular personality. Ready to go now, it’s remarkably deep, balanced and will be perfect alongside all kinds of dishes whether it be a few slices of fresh Pecorino Toscana or a classic Florentine bistecca. It’s a super serious, food-friendly Chianti that will also reward many years of cellaring too. Very highly recommended.Wine Spectator: #22 Wine of the Year, 2023 A solidly built red introduced by aromas of mint, lavender and wild rosemary. Shows cherry, raspberry, earth, iron, sanguine and tobacco flavors allied to an almost viscous texture as this cruises to the long finish. Impressive now, yet will be better in three to five years. Best from 2026 through 2045. 94 points
James Suckling: A juicy and pretty wine with berries, chocolate, and bark. Subtle. Medium-bodied with fine tannins that are slightly chewy and austere now but will soften nicely with age. 94 points
Wine Advocate: In a bottle with a black label, the Fèlsina 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva Berardenga shows an open-knit quality with soft fruit flavors of dark cherry and baked plum. Those fruit flavors are followed by pretty mineral notes and light spice. That openness and those sweet cherry flavors are characteristic of the warm 2020 growing season. The wine finishes with bright acidity that is typical of Sangiovese. 93 points
3) 2022 Az. Ag. Scarzello Langhe Nebbiolo
$33.99
Whether I’m travelling in Piemonte speaking with actual people or lurking on various social media sites where the local wine cognoscenti gather, I always have my radar engaged to hear what wines people are most talking about. There are a lot of very, very good producers, after all, we never or rarely see here in the United States, and I have an intense fear of missing out! One name I’ve been hearing a lot about on a lot of lips over the past few years is that of Federico Scarzello. I first caught wind of Scarzello in a wine bar in La Morra where a table of winemakers I knew were casually dissecting a bottle of Scarzello’s 2011 Barolo Sarmassa over their tajarin pasta and the reactions were overwhelmingly positive. Unfortunately for me, they had emptied the bottle before I managed to park myself at their table and insinuate myself into their conversation. The next time I heard about Scarzello was in an on-line conversation between some hardcore European Barolo/Barbaresco fans including my old pal
Gregory Dal Piaz (who has forgotten more about Barolo than most of us will ever learn). He listed Scarzello among a shortlist of ‘Old School classic Barolos’ doing excellent work and to be on the lookout for. Now they firmly had my attention, and I promised myself that next time I came across a bottle in Italy, I would partake. In the fall of 2022, I did, and it was every bit as good as advertised. Getting Scarzello here in the US, though, would take some doing and it took a while. But my patience bore fruit when, and out of the blue, a very small LA-based importer let me know he now had Scarzello, and last year and our love affair with these wines was, at last, consummated! And the wines have proved as sensational here as they were there and every delivery we get from them disappears immediately into your hands. It’s that time again, folks!Federico Scarzello , by the way, is the third generation of Scarzello to run the family cellar just steps away from Barolo castle. Though the family’s first bottling from their now organically-farmed vines in the Sarmassa, Paiagallo and Terlo MGAs was in 1978, it wasn’t until Fede returned to the fold from enology school in Alba in 1998 that the Scarzello star began to ascend. Firmly in the traditionalist camp, he brings an incredible amount of passion and skill to his work. The best way to discover the Old School classic style at this address is with this absolutely wonderful Langhe Nebbiolo. Like the Barolos made here, the maceration in cement tank is extended and the extraction gentle, but the aging in cask is only eight months and bottle aging only six longer before release. It’s an exceedingly pretty style with its pure cherry-inflected fruit front and center while its beautiful aromatics of spicy camphor, cinnamon, tar and fennel wild fennel add complexity and interest. The 2022 has just arrived in the country (I will be the first to have it here) so I would be a little cautious about opening it right now without giving it a few months to chill in your cellar, as it were, but once you do, you’ll be very, very pleased with the results. I would also be please to uncover a few bottles in the back of that cellar in eight or ten years too!
2)2023 Domaine Prieur Sancerre AOC ‘White Label’
$35.99
We sure hated running out of Luc Prieur’s 2023 Sancerre Blanc earlier this summer. And, by all accounts, so did you! That lovely little wine was one of our biggest sellers of the spring! There is some good news, though, for those of you who were left without their favorite Loire Valley tipple. Reinforcements have just arrived in and we all get to enjoy, in time for Thanksgiving, two stupendous efforts from Luc Prieur’s Loire Valley estate, a patchwork of vineyards that encompasses almost all of the many microclimates that comprise the Sancerre appellation. All three of the most important soil types are represented in his village Sancerre AOC (a.k.a. The White Label), as are most of its exposures. The result is an immaculately balanced, benchmark Sancerre Blanc with great persistence, character and length. This is everything we love in great Sauvignon from its bright lemongrass and green herb character to its siphoned-through-silex finish. The harvest was a large one quantity-wise (hurray!) but also extremely high quality- in fact, many are calling the vintage ‘classic’ and perhaps even a ‘grand millesime.’ Time will tell! Or get those warm goat cheese rounds and wild greens ready- Prieur is back! It looks there is some availability this time but remember that wine is a staple in many top restaurants in the Bay Area so….. By the way, Honorable Mention goes to Luc’s Monts Damnés 2023 ($49.99). If Sancerre had such a thing as a Grand Cru vineyard, this would be its most important! Affectionately called ‘damned mountain’ for its vertiginous slopes that make farming it a real challenge, those who do it well are rewarded with the appellation’s most special wines- Sauvignons of power, character and incredible age-ability. Prieur’s 2023 Monts Damnés was aged in 600 liter casks to help mellow out its initial youthful intensity but it’s still a deeply concentrated, powerful Sauvignon with thrilling acidity and impressive structure. Skip the goat cheese salad here and go for the Coquilles Saint Jacques, the whole grilled fish or lemon-tarragon roast chicken. Or that Thanksgiving turkey! And save some too. Its reputation for aging is unparalleled.