Looking BACK, looking AHEAD

As 2024 draws to a close, we asked eight of our regular contributors to nominate their most memorable wine experiences of the year and to reveal what they're anticipating most in their plans for 2025

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Jonathan Cristaldi

WINE HIGHLIGHTS 2024

One of my first tastings in 2024 was with Donelan Family Wines at their tasting room in Santa Rosa, California, with founder Joe Donelan, son Cushing and winemaker David Milner. Their Judge Vineyard Syrah 2021 (US$80 donelanwines.com) from Bennett Valley is a wine I can't get out of my mind - it's one of the most complex Syrahs from California I have ever tasted. A few months later, I was in Italy being hosted by Natale Simonetta and his family at Cascina Baricchi in the Langhe. Natale opened a Barbaresco Riserva 2004 and as I prepared to take notes, he stopped me. 'No work today, just drink and enjoy this,' he said. It was such a gorgeous wine, supremely elegant and layered. Much later, back in California, I paid my first visit to Dunn Vineyards to taste several vintages of their Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons. Interestingly, the 2019 releases (£133.33 in bond, Berry Bros & Rudd), which are medium-bodied, mineral-intense and energetic, left me thinking about Barolo.

WINE WISHES 2025

As I plot out 2025, I'm aiming to cover even more ground in Napa Valley, Sonoma and Santa Barbara, and also plan to visit up-and-coming American wine regions in Texas and Michigan to understand how climate change is affecting growing conditions. A trip across the pond to Bordeaux is in my sights as well - because we always need to taste the benchmarks.

Anne Krebiehl MW

WINE HIGHLIGHTS 2024