James Suckling Top 100 Wines of 2024: 12 Takeaways & 2 Best Buys!

[@AllenLiu128]

Reasons for decline in wine consumption among young people: 1. It’s not perceived as excited. It is exciting to you and I but it is not for folks who don’t know anything about wine except as a vehicle to get drunk. There are many vehicles to get there and wine is one of the least fun and most cumbersome ways. Cool people/influencers aren’t drinking wine. And when they do, like Lebron, it’s out of 99% of people’s budget and access. Wine is perceived to lack energy. Wine has a brand problem. 2. Wine culture is stuffy. There are guidelines that feel like rules. There are rating systems that dictate good/bad to consumers, stifling curiosity. We rightfully laugh at Fraiser as he is ridiculous - we have become Fraiser in the eyes of young people. There is a lot more new interest in natural wines than traditional wines. Yet, the wine establishment/ruling class denigrates natural wines instead of embracing them. Wine cultural is incredible traditional, and some would say tradition is what positively sets wine apart from so many other industries, but young people are not interested in tradition. 3. Wine is overpriced. Champagne should not start at $40 a bottle. Class growth Bordeaux should not start at $60 a bottle. Napa valley cab should not start at $60. It is easy to sell one bottle of wine. It is harder to sell a case of wine. It’s even harder to sell case after case each month. The high price of wine does not make any of it easier. The whisky market, particularly bourbon, has been collapsing for the past year as well. Trends change and the prices should change with them. 4. The wine industry has an education problem. The wine industry has failed its front line people. Sales people, bartenders, wait staff are the folks who make the final sale. Outside of specialized businesses, I can count on one hand the number of folks who knew the difference between a Merlot and Riesling. Much can be said about what the wine industry has spent its money on - it certainly hasn’t spent it educating its front line people on wine. An uneducated front line person is a misinformed at best and a disinterested at worst. Disinterest is not going to sell wine. 5. Wine is not well-endowed with good mentors. There are quite a few folks who are attention seekers, others who are egotistic, and even more who don’t care. Wine lovers need to be good mentors, hosts, and guides for young people. Wine lovers need to be welcoming and nonjudgmental. Wine is incredibly daunting. Young people who choose alcohol have to start somewhere. They should start with wine and they should have a supportive mentor in their corner while they navigate this journey.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much for this comprehensive and thoughtful list! Appreciate your insights and definitely agree with your points.

[@dougronald561]

One easy way young people can get more excited about wine is to subscribe to this channel! 🍷🍷🍷

[@AttorneySomm]

@@dougronald561 Thank you! An excellent suggestion! 😁👍🍷

[@chriseaton2730]

The high markup for wine at restaurants is a reason why I mostly drink wine at home.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you! Same here, except for BYO or when I’m traveling in Europe, where the markups are much more reasonable.

[@ZipManGem]

A great video and love your take on the list! Keep them coming! A way to get the younger generation into wines, take them to wine festivals, can taste a lot, decide what they like or dislike, and can even visit the winery they enjoyed in the future trips. Start local and then expand slowly.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much! Excellent idea! I agree with you. I was pleased to see lots of younger people at some of the events I attended in NYC earlier this year. That is a great opportunity for younger people to try more expensive wines without having to buy the whole bottle.

[@DrinkinItIn]

I love the formality and respect you show for him by always referring to him as Mr. Suckling.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you! 👍🍷

[@dougronald561]

@@DrinkinItIn that’s an attorney custom

[@DrinkinItIn]

@@dougronald561 That makes a lot of sense - didn't even occur to me.

[@dougronald561]

@@DrinkinItIn I’m an attorney too

[@jareddevon6600]

I'm in my mid 20's and it's pretty rare for me to find someone my age who loves wine. I typically find that it's due to the higher barrier to entry with it being somewhat expensive, choice paralysis, and people being put off by "bad" wines like bulk wine for weddings. I also have found a lot of people don't know how to find great wines. I have a good relationship with my local Wine Merchant and he recently put me on a 2021 Torre Vinaria Montepulciano d 'Abruzzo. It is one of the best wines I've had this year, and only $13 in the US (co-op produced). It's easily the best value per dollar wine I've ever had in my life. Most young people don't know where to start, so wouldn't think to ask an expert.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@jareddevon6600 Thanks very much for weighing in. That all makes sense and I appreciate your perspective! Sounds like you have an excellent resource in your local wine merchant.

[@IloveJ2AChungHua]

Where you at in the US? Cali? I’m also in my mid-20s and been recently roped into the wine so badly I even started taking classes for it haha Glad you have a wine merchant to rely on. I wish I have such a relationship too

[@DrinkinItIn]

Soliciting help from a local wine merchant makes a lot of sense. It's also important to not get overwhelmed when getting into wine. You can learn slowly and chart your own path, it is at least what I practice even to this day.

[@AttorneySomm]

@ I’m based in Dallas, Texas, but travel frequently. Welcome to the channel! Glad to hear you’re taking classes! Many people say my videos help with their classes, particularly those covering specific wine regions. Cheers!

[@AttorneySomm]

@ Well said! Excellent advice.

[@mickeylee2624]

Terrific analysis of JS's 2024 wines! Suckling's point about why young people are drinking less wine makes sense to me. The PERCEPTION of wine being an expensive luxury may be more than enough in deterring wine consumption when compared to other alcoholic beverages that overlap in price ranges. While the way in which I approach appreciating wine is not too different from food and beer, wine does require more work and effort in finding wines that fit personal preference while good QPR.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@mickeylee2624 thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed it! Appreciate you sharing your thoughts!

[@mrphil1956]

Ive been to Alsace (Strasbourg area) a couple of times and have pondered the same question regarding the underrating of their wines. I think the main reasons are they are in direct competition with the HUGE French appellations (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, etc. And I also think they have difficulty in marketing wines with such difficult pronunciations... Also, people STILL think "sweet wine" when they hear Gewurztraminer or Reisling

[@AttorneySomm]

@@mrphil1956 Thank you. Yes those are valid points. Until they catch on, we can enjoy the values!

[@craigmetcalfe1749]

Hey JJ! I would refer to Suckling's 12 tasters as his disciples although I would have to do a little more counting of the silver to identify the Judas! On the subject of younger people not drinking enough wine, I would identify the following: 1. Less disposable income 2. Health reasons 3. Better opportunities for spending their money 4. Spirits are more popular. So in conclusion "Lips that don't touch wine will never touch mine" Cheers!

[@AttorneySomm]

@@craigmetcalfe1749 Thanks very much for weighing in. Appreciate your insights. Cheers!

[@timdijkema1743]

Thanks for this timely analysis of Mr Sucklings 2024 list. For me personally the motto is “drink less but better”. As I generally do not drink on weekdays, I buy fewer but more expensive bottles for the weekend. But no doubt, price inflation of course does play a huge role for most people. And (here in Holland) you start to see more tv ads warning for the effects of alcohol, something you didn’t see before. Cheers, Tim

[@AttorneySomm]

@@timdijkema1743 Thanks very much for weighing in. That is good to know re the ads. Appreciate the response. 👍🍷

[@vantivallarta4161]

Hi John, Thank you for another great video! On the topic of decreasing wine consumption: In my personal opinion and real-life experience, the decline is largely due to a substantial decrease in value. Even though you’ve mentioned that there are still good quality, affordable wines out there, these are unfortunately extremely hard to find. To locate them, you need a strong knowledge of wine, yet there’s still a risk of spending your small budget on something that isn’t worth it. There are many cheap wines, but almost none come close to being any good. Imagine young people trying wines for the first time; they’re often unable to have a positive experience on a limited budget. Instead, they choose products with a better price-to-quality ratio, such as various liquors or even beer. I still remember when a bottle of Château Pétrus cost around $500 (and even then, I couldn’t afford it!). I remember when Opus One, Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Solaia, Dom Pérignon, Cristal, etc... were sold around $100, and Tignanello around $40, and that wasn’t even for current releases! I feel old now... LOL I do understand that wine production today is much more expensive than 25 years ago, and of course there is inflation. However, this doesn’t help today’s potential new wine consumers who can no longer afford top-quality wines. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about wine, yet even I struggle to find quality wines within my budget. I believe these days only some Rioja wines can offer a low cost with a quality that is better than any other wines around the world in the same price range, and even within those, there are a lot of hits and misses that can easily disappoint and stir away consumers from drinking wine. Today everyone is looking for low cost with high quality, and that is extremely hard to find. Looking forward to your next video!

[@AttorneySomm]

@@vantivallarta4161 Thanks very much for your thoughtful response! Very good points for sure. And I still remember $110 Dom Perignon and Sassicaia! 😅 Very glad you enjoyed the video! Hope that you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

[@jakopete1]

@@vantivallarta4161 you are so right!! I do think that i also find value in Bordeaux in the Cru Bourgeois segment, but its a difficult place to start as a newcomer. Some of them are highlighted by John here on his excellent channel, all young people should be obligated to watch it😉

[@jakopete1]

When i was Young (in the late 80's) wine speculation was not really an issue yet, i could as a student afford an excellent wine once in a while (remember i bought an Haut-Brion 86 for 50€, and the Talbot 88 was 15€ on sale.) .Today a student cant even dream of these wines, they must begin their journey in the "village wine" segment, complicated and less thrilling. So i think Mr Suckling is right.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@jakopete1 Thank you. Yes I looked it up and $50 then is about $143 now. Enough for some outstanding wines but not First Growths for sure.

[@ericanderson2258]

Loved seeing K Vinter's M.C.K. (Motor City Kitty) 2021 at #7. Suckling has shown he is a big fan of Charles Smith, but to have this at #7 with a 99 point rating at only $40/bottle is such a delight to see. Kudos to House of Smith and K Vintner's.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@ericanderson2258 Thanks very much! Yes, they do an excellent job. I have featured their wines a number of times on this channel. Cheers!

[@jonotek]

The Bertani 2015 was amazing, I finally was able to get it in my hands in my country just this week!!!! Was fortunate able to try it out at Bertani Winery (courtesy of the Sales team there) before it was revealed at Vinitaly this yr. And I told them this is a 99-100 pointer wine. It is already so good with barely any decanting, and it will age even better.

[@AttorneySomm]

Sounds amazing! Appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I haven't tried this one yet, but enjoyed the 2013. I'll have to try to track it down!

[@margauxml]

Thank you for this excellent video-so well-presented and thoughtfully written. Your narratives and arguments around the wines and regions on James Suckling’s Top 100 list are highly engaging. I share your thoughts on the French wines’ performance on Mr. Suckling’s list. Though it’s disappointing, it’s understandable given the challenges of Bordeaux’s 2021 vintage. Completely agree on Austrian wines as well-I’ve always felt they’re incredibly underrated, and some of my most “unexpectedly memorable” wine experiences were in Austria and Germany. It’s also spot-on that Alsace wines deserve more recognition, though excellent selections are sadly scarce in Southeast Asia. Your discussion on global wine consumption trends really resonated with me. I tend to agree that health concerns aren’t the main reason for this decline-at least not among younger consumers aged 21-29. In my country, this age group tends to favor spirits and cocktails, and price isn’t necessarily the issue either. Perhaps it’s simply a stage, and as their preferences mature, wine may become more appealing. I found your discussion on Chinese wines intriguing, though I haven’t tasted one not for lack of opportunity but because I had refused to taste or order one in past trips to China and Hong Kong. While I haven’t tried one yet, it’s interesting to consider as the region develops. Also, big congratulations to Viña VIK and Cristian Vallejo-great to see their work receiving well-deserved recognition! Looks like we will be hearing more about them in your future posts and videos. Overall, this is a fantastic and very impressive video-thorough, informative, comprehensive, insightful, and a pleasure to watch! This is also the first reaction video on James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2024 that I have watched on KZbin. Well done, John! Bravo!

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much, Margaux! Appreciate your thoughtful and comprehensive responses. Good to know your perspective from the country where you reside. So pleased you enjoyed the video! Hope you have a terrific week! Cheers!

[@margauxml]

@@AttorneySommYou’re welcome, John! I must add, this is the most insightful and comprehensive ‘reaction’ on Mr. Suckling’s List that I’ve seen by far. Also appreciated that you shared your favorites from the list.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@margauxml Thanks very much, Margaux! Appreciate the kind feedback!

[@winecollectionaddict]

In Italy there is crisis, young people prefers beer, wine producers look at income tourism especially from US. Barolo and SuperTuscans are addressed to wine Collectors and restoration.

[@AttorneySomm]

That helps to explain why the various consorzio organize so many trips here. Thank you!

[@winecollectionaddict]

@AttorneySomm Everyone is worried about the duties promised by Trump, another contraction in sales is expected, China is the second market but they are more interested in investment wines.Thank you

[@AttorneySomm]

@ Yes I’m hoping that wine will somehow not get impacted by the tariffs but we will need to wait and see.

[@peteT269]

Do Austrian wines get a fair showing in Suckling's list? I was at the enormous Expovina Weinschiffe event in Zürich last week, and of all the different countries on show, it was the Austrian wines (white and red) that blew me away the most. They are so tremendously underrated in my opinion, particularly the reds. Absolutely world class and at a very affordable price.

[@AttorneySomm]

Yes that is one of my takeaways! I’m definitely a fan as well.

[@gachulonsito]

Wittmann is amazing. For me the best of the rieslings.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@gachulonsito Thanks for weighing in! A tremendous producer! 👍🍷

[@DukiWeezi]

I'm 46 and alot of my friends and me included all gave up on drinking alcohol. Maybe why the decrease in sales. I use to be big in wine but l8st my taste for it. Great video tho

[@AttorneySomm]

@@DukiWeezi Thank you for your comment! Much appreciated. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@rickwezenaar]

it might be true that in terms of collecting the 2021 red bordeaux is not on par with other vintages, though it might be proven through time that the 2021 is quite drinkable in the coming years. Not all vintages are collectable...but it doesn't mean they are bad wines in general.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@rickwezenaar Thanks! Completely agree. Just did a video on 2021 Bordeaux last week where I recommend some of my favorites.

[@rickwezenaar]

@@AttorneySomm I think it is good to highlight this to the public. We wouldn't want them to get the wrong idea ;) haha

[@AttorneySomm]

@@rickwezenaar Ha! Yes, that is why I did the video on it and referenced and linked the video here in the description below. In the Bordeaux video I mention that is for drinkers and it will be excellent for restaurant lists. Hopefully people will read these comments and our exchange as well. Hope you enjoy your weekend!

[@rickwezenaar]

@@AttorneySomm excellent. you enjoy aswell !

[@LeRoy-h4n]

Good episode: As for decreasing wine enthusiasm, price is for sure. A bottle of wine, 4to5 glasses compared to bottle of whiskey/scotch. Not even close. More importantly confusion: there are a lot of good/ great wines out there and just as many bad to down right awful convected style wines . Hard to even call them wine. That’s not even talking into account the complexity of understanding wines. But hopefully you’re helping with that. But prices have become a little nutty for, let’s be honest, fermented grape juice. “Enjoy the Sunlight held together by water”. 15:56

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you! Definitely doing my best! Have videos with wine recommendations at lower price points too.

[@denisdonohue1863]

The good thing about Chinese wines is when they tell you there's pencil shavings, there are ACTUALLY pencil shavings.

[@AttorneySomm]

Interesting! I hadn’t heard that.

[@rickkan4870]

there are some really good white wines produced in china(especially in the regions near the himalayasm, btw, the castella di ama came in at number 12 not 13(13 is the wittman riesling)

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you! Haven’t tried a Chinese white yet. I’ll have to change that.

[@Yeoldelole]

Excellent video sir. My question for you is one of strategy. Do you think James put the Chinese wine that may or may not suck on here as a shout out to the Chinese in general, to expand operations there? As we all know, if anything Chinese makes headlines for quality anywhere on the world stage, it immediately goes viral in China. Its almost like their internet, free speech, and algorithms are controlled or something....... cheers.

[@AttorneySomm]

Great question! I know he does events in Hong Kong. This winery has a world-class winemaker and is definitely one of the best in China. I’m interested in trying the wine again to see if it is comparable to others on the list. I certainly think there is even some 21 Bordeaux that would be better but it is not unusual to include a diverse selection of wines on a list like this one to keep things interesting.

[@AttorneySomm]

Ps, glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you!

[@Yeoldelole]

@@AttorneySomm well said. Re tasting that Chinese red might make for a great little short video idea! I would click it.

[@AttorneySomm]

@ Thanks! I’ll look for an opportunity.

[@Ruirspirul]

I was reading this list and joking to my friend, saying, only way Georgian wine gets on this list if a Georgian somehow became relative of Mr Sackling😅

[@AttorneySomm]

@@Ruirspirul They first need to assign a reviewer to handle those wines. Suckling’s team covers a lot of ground but there is certainly room for expansion. Hopefully they will assign Georgia to one of their team soon.

[@kennyasierra]

QPR is not as good anymore, I love wine, but understand my friends when they prefer spirits based on price. Spirits might be as expensive as wine, but the experience of spirits can be extended months or even years depending how much you drink, versus a bottle of wine, which is drink it now or never once opened.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much for your response. That does make sense. The Coravin can help to extend bottles of wine over multiple tastings too, but that tool is not something most people have yet and that tool isn’t cheap either.

[@og-og8vf]

My only quibble with you when you compared the higher prices on liquor to wine is you are comparing apples to oranges. Sure the price could be the same but usually assuming you have a 750ml bottle of both, and let’s say the standard 8oz for wine and 1 once for liquor you would have much more value in the liquor than you would have in the wine as there’s roughly 25 drinks compared to 3.5 glasses of wine. Thank you.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you. Yes, there are definitely more servings in a bottle of liquor.

[@og-og8vf]

@@AttorneySommthank you for your knowledge and videos I highly appreciate them and salud 🍷🙏

[@AttorneySomm]

@ Thank you kindly! Salud!

[@jameswingad3212]

I really don´t think the issue with youth is price. I think it has far more to do with wine losing so much prestige with people more ready to drink other things and the stuffiness of the wine world doesn´t help either.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you for your response. Much appreciated.

[@prccap]

price is the only reason why wine is down. investment companies are killing the industry for wine drinkers. Wine prices will need to drop back down to 2000s pricing if they want new drinkers to come back

[@AttorneySomm]

@@prccap Thanks very much for your response! Appreciate your input. By investment companies do you mean those that buy wine and flip it later? Or large corporations who buy up family-owned wineries and then start raising prices?

[@prccap]

@@AttorneySomm more like companies like vinovest that caused Italian prices to skyrocket for no other reason than they needed to find a new area for groups of people to invest in since areas like france were already high for new investors. The younger generation is not going to get into drinking wine when they need to spend so much on a bottle just to learn and grow. That’s why I said 2000s pricing. I turned 21 in 1999 and was able to really learn and enjoy wine because the prices were very attainable when I wanted to get a better bottle. Now these kids need to spend $50 on what was $25. They aren’t going to do that often enough to become a wine drinker. That’s why they are buying spirits that last longer than 1 night for those prices

[@AttorneySomm]

@ Got it. Thanks very much. That makes sense. Appreciate the elaboration!

[@wren460]

Of course price of wine is the #1 reason why wine sales are in decline !!! I have turned down may offers from different wineries because of their price increase over the last few years. Some of them are actually double the price than 5 years ago. I continue to see many great bargains like Bevan Ontogeny and even The Mascot, but then I see many others that were $200 and now are north of $350 and no no no. Same happened with 2022 Bordeaux which I bought ZERO bottles, but 2023 is somewhat atractive and I bought several cases. For me there is no question that Napa is going in the wrong direction as the entry Napa cab is now in the $200 or so. When the music stops they will suffer a lot because younger generations do not want to spend that on a wine.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much for weighing in. Is it fair to say that you purchase the same volume, but just shift your purchases to the wines that are more attractively priced? One good thing about Bordeaux is that they will lower the price of their wine in some vintages. In most parts of the world, a winery's price only goes higher. I have seen studies showing that young people are actually more likely to pay up for a special bottle of wine, especially where they understand the story behind it. And I also see that beverages that I think are very expensive such as bourbon, whisky, and the like are still very popular with younger people and I don't hear the same doom-and-gloom about those beverages despite higher prices. So that made me wonder if it is really just a question of price.

[@wren460]

@@AttorneySomm a bottle of bourbon or whisky will last for more than just one nigh, while the wine has to be drank in one night. I have many expensive spirits and last me months while the wine is for immediate consumption. And yes, I am switching from unjustified very expensive prices to expensive but that are justified as Ontogeny , Nicolas Catena Zapata, and many others.

[@AttorneySomm]

@ Thanks very much for the additional information. Hope you enjoy your weekend!

[@phillipmanschek5891]

@@AttorneySommthe Bourbon boom might still be roaring but that doesn’t necessarily reflect the rest of the world where distilleries are closing / halting production. There are oversaturation, pricing and buying power issues in many places

[@AttorneySomm]

@ Thank you for weighing in. That is certainly useful perspective.

[@peterlue9274]

Cheap wines are rarely delicious. Some moderately priced wines like Pinot Noirs are overpriced and the cheapest wines are not cheap enough. People were buying bottles of wine for $2 in the 80s and 90s. Now a cheap bottle is $10. If they were $5 people would buy wine and get back into drinking it. As an example, the NV Carlo Rossi California Red is delicious but not complex at all. The price is at least twice what it should be for most people to drink every day.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks for weighing in! That makes sense. Yes, I agree that most of the quality wine I was talking about is at least $15 to $20 per bottle.

[@peterlue9274]

@@AttorneySomm That is great for knowledgeable wine drinkers but most people have no clue what good wine even tastes like. If a new drinker goes into a store and buys a bottle that is all tannins and has no fruit, or is bitter AND acidic for $15-$20, they will likely mix a fruity drink or get a bottled pina colada or drink beer. I love your videos. Keep up the great work.

[@AttorneySomm]

@ Thank you! Appreciate the kind feedback!

[@peterlue9274]

@@AttorneySomm I also have thousands of dollars of wine that I can't sell because of Rudi. Wine was considered a good investment at one point. It does not matter if the price goes up if there is no market. There seems to also be fraud in the wine storage business. When you do not have custody of your wine, how can you be sure it is not replaced with a "flawed" counterfeit? The "hobby" is not the same as it once was.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@peterlue9274 Have the auction houses like HDH passed on it? They send me and others emails asking for wines for their auctions. There are also places like Benchmark that buy wines from individual cellars and places like that locally here in Dallas.