This is the second in a series of articles when I look back on the year that was 2024. Once again, I tasted over 1,000 wines in the previous twelve months, which boggles my mind a bit since that averages out to about three a day. As I contemplate the state of my liver, I also like to reflect on the top wines that I was fortunate enough to taste over the course of the year. Here, I present the best white wines I tasted in 2024.

2021 Chimney Rock Elevage Blanc, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $56. Very Heavy Bottle (796g; 28oz). 71% Sauvignon Gris, 29% Sauvignon Blanc. Tropical and citrus fruit and a noticeable creamy aspect, but nuttier with some guava and hyacinth. Rich and intense mouthfeel with near-perfect balance from the jump. Creamy, rich, and multi-layered. Whoa. All three of the Elevage wines were spectacular, but this is my favorite (but only barely). Outstanding. 96 Points.

Said Elevate Blancs (and a Sauvignon Gris for good measure).

2010 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant, Savennières, Loire Valley, France: Retail $125. Responsible Bottle (513g; 18.1oz). 100% Chenin Blanc. Whoa. Close to amber in color with intense notes of beeswax, lanolin, walnut, quince, and just a touch of lemon rind. Whoa. The palate is much the same with intense acidity and impeccable balance, weight, and depth. This wine is not for everybody, but for those who appreciate the style? Holy cow, this is an incredible example. Extraordinary. 98 Points.

2009 Nicolas Joly Savennières Roche aux Moines Clos de la Bergerie, Loire Valley, France: Cru Wine Bar. $130. I am more familiar with Joly’s iconic wine, Clos de la Couilée de Serrant but the first time with this one. Golden even slightly orange in the glass with an inviting, intriguing nose. Honeysuckle, beeswax, and lanolin are all present with maybe some bruised apple hidden in there as well. The palate? Pretty close to magical. Round, unctuous, and enveloping this truly a special wine. Rich, tangy, and lingering, Joly was unique in many ways as were his wines. This is no exception. Extraordinary. 97 Points.

2012 Weingut Knoll Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibenberg, Wachau, Austria:Retail $55. Heavy Bottle (615g; 21.6oz). Under cork. Golden color with rich honeyed notes of ripe pear and lemon rind, this certainly comes off as an “older” white before even the first sip. And that is just fine with me. The palate is also rich, creamy, layered, and viscous–unlike any Grüner I have had previously. It’s not as tart as other wines made from the variety, but it is also much more complex, causing me to pause, reassess, and redefine my idea of “Grüner Veltliner”. I imagine for true devotees of the variety, this might verge on sacrilege, but for wine lovers and geeks like me, this is nothing short of revelatory. Whoa^2. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2009 Maison Roche de Bellene Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières, Burgundy, France: Retail $240(?). 100% Chardonnay. Under cork. I bought this back in 2017 from my favorite wine shop in Beaune for 55€ (about $60) and I had forgotten about it until now. The cork was in fine shape and while the color has clearly moved on to “yellow”, the nose was fantastic with great lemon curd and minerality dominant with touches of white pepper and spice. The palate is a bit subtle initially but 100% classic Meursault: rich, even on the verge of unctuous, with some buttery, creamy notes (but nowhere near an oak monster), loads of citrus, and the accompanying zinginess, with a finish that lasts for minutes. Whoa and a Yowza. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2013 Trattore Farms Viognier, Dry Creek Valley, CA: Retail $35. Heavy Bottle (642g; 1lb 6.6oz). This wine certainly did not disappoint; not only has it not slipped one iota, but it may even be better than it was when I opened the previous bottle in 2021. Wow. Whoa. Yowza. And a Holy Cow for good measure. This wine is off-the-charts fantastic. Rich, layered, complex, fruity, and tart, I could sip at this wine for several days. A bit dark in the glass, as one would expect, but otherwise? No signs of age here. I can safely say that I have not had a Viognier this good outside of Condrieu (and even then…). Outstanding. 96+ Points.

As any casual reader of this blog can attest, I love Tongue Dancer Wines. Each year, they dominate my Top Wines lists (please make another sparkling wine, please!) and this year is no exception.

2017 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $50. Extremely Heavy Bottle (880g; 31oz). Aged Tongue Dancer is a commodity in my house; we find it hard to hold onto bottles as they are typically so fantastic upon release. I have had his wine a few times now and whoa. Rich, on the verge of unctuous, with fantastic tree fruit (ripe pear) and aromas of lemon curd wafting in and out of detection. The palate is rich, for sure, but also balanced, nuanced, and morgasmic (technical term). Whoa. This is truly amazing. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2021 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $55. Heavy bottle (621g; 1lb 5.9oz). Under cork. This is what wine should be; wine is so much more than what is in the glass. Sure, there is the color (light straw), the nose (lemon curd, a bit of spice, a mineral note), the palate (rich, unctuous flavors of lemon, oak, marzipan, and white pepper), and there’s the finish (long, luxurious, and lovely). But. What I have come to realize, accept, and even embrace, is that wine is about the people. Sure, many wine pundits will exclaim that wine should connote a sense of place, a terroir, a connection to the soil. But wine does not make itself, the “land” does not harvest, blend, or bottle it. No, people do that. And I can not think of two people in the world that I would rather share a bottle of wine with more than James and Kerry MacPhail. That is what makes wine so special. And this wine is special. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2022 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Magnolia Montrachet, Dry Creek Valley, CA : Retail $59. Heavy Bottle (626g; 22.0oz). Under cork. Light in color, and a bit shy initially, with lemon curd and minerality coming through after a bit of coaxing. Whoa. The palate is certainly demure, particularly straight out of the bottle, but as it warmed (slightly), the aromas intensified (with a slight hint of buttered popcorn), and some ripe green apple emerged. The palate? Off the charts. Again, “demure” with plenty of fruit but held in check by the tartness and mineral aspects. Fantastic. But the most amazing aspect of this wine is the finish; deep, rich, tart, and lengthy, this wine firmly gets a “holy cow” and yet another whoa. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2019 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Pratt Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA:Retail $49. Very Heavy Bottle (705g; 24.8oz). Under cork. Fairly light in the glass, this wine has a rather masterful touch: it is expressive both of the nose and the palate with luscious fruit, balancing acidity, and, well, tons of verve. But this now three years older wine seems to have developed more depth and complexity and the finish, which was already lengthy, has become seemingly endless. Whoa. Outstanding. 96 Points.

White Wine of the Year:

2021 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Pratt Vine Hill, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $65. Heavy bottle (Tongue Dancer has greatly reduced their bottle weights. 626g; 1lb 6.1oz). Under cork. This is now the second vintage of this wine and while I loved the 2020 (97 points), I am pretty sure I like this 2021 even more. I have been saying for a while that James and Kerry’s Tongue Dancer Chardonnays are other-worldly but it is true. And this Pratt Vine Hill? I place it firmly at the top of the list (although the Bacigalupi or the Ultra or the …). What makes me so giddy about this wine in particular? Easily it is the balance as each element is in near perfect concert with the others. The fruit (lemon curd), floral aspect (acacia), subtle oak notes, and a salty mineral aspect characterize the nose. On the palate, all of the above is joined by a lovely, unifying tartness that carries the fruit to a lengthy finish. In a world full of superlatives, this wine really does stand out. Extraordinary. 98 Points.

Runners-up (95 Points):

• 2022 Chimney Rock Elevage Blanc, Napa Valley, CA: ($56).
• 2020 Chimney Rock Elevage Blanc, Napa Valley, CA: ($56).
• 2022 Covenant Solomon Blanc, Sonoma County, CA: ($75).
• 2023 Bodega Garzón Albariño Single Vineyard, Las Violetas, Canelones, Melilla, Montevideo, Uruguay: ($25).
• 2022 Ketcham Estate Viognier, Russian River Valley, CA: ($48).
• 2016 Tercero Roussanne, Zaca Mesa Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley, CA: ($40).
• 2022 Vinoce Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County, CA: ($45).

Honorable Mention (94 Points):

• 2015 Brooks Riesling Brooks Estate Vineyard, Eola – Amilty Hills, OR ($32).
• 2022 Covenant Chardonnay Lavan, Sonoma Mountain, CA:  ($42).
• 2024 Familia Deicas Albariño Atlántico Sur, Uruguay: ($20)
• 2021 Duchman Family Winery Viognier Bingham Family Vineyard, Texas High Plains, TX: ($28).
• 2023 Pisoni Family Vineyards Lucy Pico Blanco, Monterey County, CA: ($26).
• 2019 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley, CA: ($45).
• 2021 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, CA: ($48).
• 2022 Trapiche Chardonnay Terroir Series Finca Las Piedras, Valle de Uco, Argentina: ($52).
• 2022 Troon Vineyard Vermentino, Applegate Valley, OR: ($40).
• 2022 Troon Vineyard Grenache Blanc Extended Lees Aging, Applegate Valley, OR: ($40).
• 2022 Vinoce Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County, CA: ($45).