Top 10 Values of 2024

There is no single formula for identifying great value when it comes to wine. Growing conditions, vintage variations, winemaking styles and personal tastes can all change from year to year, making any hard-and-fast rules difficult to pin down. What is clear is that a range of high quality wines are being made around the world at affordable prices. That’s why, for the fourth year in a row, we’ve enlisted Wine Spectator’s team of editors to select the top values of the past 12 months.

How do producers making such good wines keep their costs down and their production figures up? It's different from region to region, but our process of selection focuses on wines that express the distinctive character of a specific appellation or variety while keeping prices low through innovative methods in the vineyard and cellar.

This list is capped by our choice for Wine Value of the Year. All of the wines rated 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale, cost $40 or less and were made in large-enough quantities to be widely available. From Sonoma to Tuscany to Mendoza, the wines on this list all showcase top-tier winegrowing regions at their most budget-friendly, each of them finding a way to overdeliver on quality for the price. We hope you’ll take this opportunity to explore a new category or find your next go-to bottle.

Below our editors profile picks 2 through 10. Read more about the Wine Value of the Year, Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County 2022.

Winemaker Arnaud Weyrich creates Roederer Estate’s Brut Anderson Valley from a blend of 60 percent Chardonnay and 40 percent Pinot Noir, similar to the house’s Champagne siblings. (Courtesy of Roederer)

2. ROEDERER ESTATE

Brut Anderson Valley NV
93 points | $32 | California

This California outpost of Champagne Louis Roederer not only produces a consistently top-rated sparkling wine with its L’Ermitage bottling, but also makes one of the state’s most reliable values with this non-vintage Brut Anderson Valley. “Your non-vintage is your bread and butter,” says winemaker Arnaud Weyrich, who blends in some of his best juice and oak-aged reserve wine for the NV bottling. “Even if it’s a good vintage, you have to hold back some of the best lots to keep your non-vintage to the standard.” The winery relies on 620 acres of estate vineyards in the remote Anderson Valley of Mendocino County. Cool evening temperatures and fog from the Pacific Ocean lend vibrant acidity to the grapes. A blend of 60 percent Chardonnay and 40 percent Pinot Noir, this bottling was aged in bottle for nearly two years. 85,000 cases made.—Tim Fish

Ruffino winemaker Alberto Stella carefully blends each vintage of Ducale Riserva—primarily Sangiovese with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Colorino—to maintain consistency of style. (Courtesy of Ruffino)

3. RUFFINO

Chianti Classico Ducale Riserva 2019
92 points | $25 | Italy

Founded in 1877, Ruffino is one of Chianti Classico’s historic estates. Its riserva was first produced in 1890, one of the few wines aged in chestnut barrels for a year before release. The Duke d’Aosta was so impressed with this wine that Ruffino became the supplier to the Royal House of Savoy. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the company, Ruffino dedicated its flagship riserva to the duke with the 1927 vintage, thus beginning the Ducale Riserva label. Selected grapes are sourced from Ruffino’s estate vineyards in Chianti Classico. Additional grapes are purchased through growers with long-term relationships controlled by a Ruffino agronomist. The blend is 80 percent Sangiovese, plus 20 percent Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Colorino from Ruffino’s estates. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the Sangiovese is aged in 10,000-liter oak casks, while the other grapes are aged in 2-year-old barriques, all for about one year. Additional aging occurs in concrete vats for six to eight months, plus three months in bottle before release. From the excellent 2019 vintage, this Chianti Classico is hitting its stride now. 75,000 cases imported.—Bruce Sanderson

Argyle’s Pinot Noir is carefully crafted from a variety of Willamette Valley plots to represent the best of the region. (Andrea Johnson Photography)

4. ARGYLE

Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2022
92 points | $28 | Oregon

Argyle was part of the second generation of Willamette Valley wineries that arrived in the late 1980s and followed in the footsteps of 1960s and ’70s pioneers such as Eyrie and Adelsheim. Located in the city of Dundee, the winery continues to be one of Oregon’s most dependable Pinot Noir producers, and this Willamette Valley bottling is the best bargain in the portfolio. The 2022 comes from all four of Argyle’s estate vineyards, sources that span the entire valley. Winemaker Nate Klostermann ferments the Pinot in hundreds of small lots. “Between our Lone Star and Spirit Hill vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills, Giving Tree Vineyard in Polk County, and Knudsen Vineyard in the Dundee Hills, we have built a vineyard program that showcases the diversity of the Willamette Valley,” Klostermann says. Spirit Hill provides acid and tannins. Knudsen lends silky and floral notes. Lone Star offers richness and roundness, while Giving Tree provides the wine with its darkest fruit. 55,000 cases made.—T.F.

Villa Antinori has been in the Antinori family for centuries; it is depicted on the labels of their line of affordably priced wines. (Courtesy of Antinori)

5. ANTINORI

Toscana Villa Antinori 2021
92 points | $25 | Italy

Villa Antinori began life in 1928 as a Chianti Classico riserva. Originally made from purchased grapes and wine, the wine was retooled in 2001 as a Toscana IGT made entirely from Antinori’s estate grapes to control quality and style. The blend changes from year to year, with a focus on Bordeaux varieties with a little Sangiovese, according to Antinori CEO Renzo Cotarella. The 2021, from a near-perfect season resulting in a rich and dense yet harmonious red, relies on Cabernet Sauvignon (40 percent), with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. The fruit comes primarily from Antinori’s estates in Maremma, Le Mortelle and Fattoria Aldobrandesca, and the fermentations occur at the respective cellars before blending and aging at Antinori’s La Braccesca winery in Cortona, where a little Merlot is added. The fermentations are in stainless steel, with roughly a year in 2- to 4-year-old barriques. Antinori’s touch and the quality of the vintage add up to a cherry-, pomegranate- and plum-flavored red with savory notes, showcasing bright fruit, smooth tannins and Tuscan character. 130,000 cases made, 37,369 cases imported.—B.S.

Ben Tombs, the chief winemaker for Craggy Range, is working to bring more attention to the impressive Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand's Martinborough region. (Courtesy of Craggy Range)

6. CRAGGY RANGE

Sauvignon Blanc Martinborough Te Muna 2023
94 points | $26 | New Zealand

One of the most impressive Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand is this single-vineyard planting. Unlike the vast majority of Kiwi Sauvignon Blancs, which hail from the Marlborough region at the northern tip of the South Island, Te Muna is located in Martinborough, at the southern tip of the North Island. The region’s cool climate and intense winds have been optimal for producing muscular Pinot Noirs, yet it turns out these conditions are ideal for Sauvignon Blanc as well, with the grapes’ thick, wind-blown skins adding intensity to the wines. Te Muna is divided into two dramatic terraces, with Pinot Noir growing in the decomposing soils of the upper terrace. But the greywacke stones and limestone on the lower terrace make a better match for Sauvignon Blanc. Since Craggy Range was founded by Terry and Mary Peabody in 1998, the quality of its distinctive wines has only become more impressive. A 1,000-year family trust shows how committed they are to the business. 72,000 cases imported.—MaryAnn Worobiec

This Sauvignon Blanc bottling from Dry Creek is made from a mix of clone varieties, including Sauvignon Gris, shown here, to create a complex flavor profile. (Courtesy of Dry Creek)

7. DRY CREEK

Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley 2022
92 points | $25 | California

Sauvignon Blanc wasn’t in vogue when David Stare founded Dry Creek Vineyard in 1972. In fact, he was advised not to plant his favorite grape. But Stare was determined, and for the past 50 years, Dry Creek has been a leader in California Sauvignon Blanc, with the Sonoma County Fumé Blanc bottling a perennial favorite for its consistency and value. Now under the direction of the second generation, led by Kim Stare Wallace, Dry Creek continues to be a leader in the category, exploring more expressions with multiple bottlings of this special variety. This wine explores Sauvignon Blanc from the Dry Creek appellation, offering a complex mix of two clones, Sauvignon Musqué and Sauvignon Gris. Director of winemaking Tim Bell employs a long, cool fermentation for the majority of the grapes in stainless steel fermenters; the remainder has a slightly warmer, faster fermentation in barrels, a mix of French oak, acacia and chestnut for more complexity and aromatics. 18,884 cases made.—M.W.

Mendoza native Lucas Löwi has taken up the mantle of estate director for Terrazas de los Andes after honing his winemaking skills at Bodega Numanthia in Spain. (Courtesy of Terrazas de los Andes)

8. BODEGAS TERRAZAS DE LOS ANDES

Malbec Mendoza Reserva 2022
91 points | $20 | Argentina

Typically, terroir-driven wines are vineyard-specific, so it’s impressive when a winemaker delivers a clear message through a broader, large-volume regional blend. Three decades ago, Terrazas de los Andes went in search of cool, higher-elevation sites, believing that the true essence of Malbec was livelier and more expressive, a stark contrast to wine consumers’ image of the wine from its late 1990s renditions—soft, fruity and quaffable. This wine uses more than 100 parcels from eight organically farmed estate vineyards with elevations ranging from 3,300 to 5,400 feet. Minimal oak is used, and a portion is kept in steel to preserve the juicy fruit and natural acidity. Estate director Lucas Löwi, who joined in 2024 after nearly a decade at Spain’s Bodega Numanthia, aims to expand founder Hervé Birnie-Scott’s vision of evoking a fresh taste of the complex Andean Mountain terroirs. 83,000 cases made, 40,000 cases imported.—Aaron Romano

La Rioja Alta’s Alberdi Reserva is made from 100 percent Tempranillo sourced from vineyards across the Rioja Alta appellation to create a consistent house style. (Courtesy of La Rioja Alta)

9. LA RIOJA ALTA

Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva 2019
91 points | $25  | Spain

Founded in 1890, La Rioja Alta is known as a traditionalist. In Rioja that means long aging in oak and producing wines blended from multiple sources rather than site-specific expressions. “We’re more about each label’s consistent style, while some other wineries are more driven by terroir,” says president Guillermo de Aranzabal. The Alberdi is an introductory version to this philosophy, sourcing Tempranillo grapes (100 percent) from around the winery’s location in the Rioja Alta sub-zone to bring different characteristics to the wine—for example, freshness, fruit, spice or structure, says de Aranzabal. It is aged entirely in American oak casks (another “traditional” flag), all made by the winery’s own cooperage. With just two years’ aging, the Alberdi bottling highlights fruit character and accessibility; yet with the first year in new oak and the second in 4-year-old casks (with racking every six months), the wine shows added complexity and flattering detail that stand out at this price point. 46,000 cases made, 16,500 cases imported.—Alison Napjus

Frank Family’s Carneros Chardonnay is crafted from grapes selected from up to 20 different sites from the Sonoma side of the Carneros appellation. (Courtesy of Frank Family Vineyards)

10. FRANK FAMILY

Chardonnay Carneros 2022
92 points | $40 | California

If you find a winery that makes terrific single-vineyard expressions of Chardonnay, chances are that they also make a regional blend that’s a bit easier to find, carrying a more affordable price tag and representing a house style that’s consistent from year to year. Enter Frank Family Vineyards. Winemaker Todd Graff has made excellent Carneros Chardonnays from Lewis Vineyard and Beckstoffer Lake Vineyard. This stunning wine blends as many as 20 different sites, all from the Sonoma side of Carneros, including Las Amigas, and various blocks grown by the Sangiacomo family, including Green Acres and Catarina. Graff explains that the grapes are preselected for the regional blend from the get-go and are all treated the same before the final blending. Undergoing long, cool fermentations and plenty of lees stirring, they are barrel-fermented—a third in new French oak barrels and a third each in once- and twice-filled barrels—then aged for nine months before bottling. 100,000 cases made.—M.W.