Michaela Morris: My top 10 wines of 2024

Curating this annual list of my top wines of the year is always a reminder of how fortunate I am. It’s never easy to choose just 10 wines, and as with past editions, this year’s list is dominated by Tuscany and Piedmont, where I spend most of my time.

But as my love of Italian vino extends from top to toe, I jumped at opportunities to explore beyond!

Scroll down for Michaela’s top 10 Italian (and Canadian) wines of 2024

While working in wine is never a hardship, in 2024 the line between business and pleasure was more blurred than ever. A big part of that was spending a few weeks in Milan with my photographer husband.

Our time was split between checking out the fashion scene and hanging out in wine bars. Cantine Isola was a regular watering hole. Among the many cool wines I was introduced to, Marco Ferrari’s crunchy, floral and lithe 2022 Rosso di Valtellina was a contender for this list.

Being based in Milan made it very convenient to pop back and forth to Piedmont. Besides laying the groundwork for the Barolo and Barbaresco reports which I will be taking on in 2025, I ventured up to Carema where I continued to be inspired by the simmering potential of a new generation.

Then, a deep dive in Alta Langa unearthed bubble specialist Marcalberto. From a solid range across the board, the 2020 Nature Blanc de Noirs earned an unequivocal place on my list.

Timorasso and Tuscany

I also spent time in the Tortonesi hills, where Timorasso plantings are increasing at breakneck speed and new labels are emerging almost as rapidly. Among these, Vigneti Repetto stood out.

At early adopter La Colombera, Elisa Semino opened her Derthona Timorasso from 2006. As soon as I tasted it, I knew it had to be included here. What a testament to the ageability of this indigenous white grape – and Semino’s competence.

Moving south to Tuscany, I had the great privilege of attending the Chianti Classico consorzio’s 100-year anniversary celebration. Undoubtedly Italy’s most performant wine body, they took the opportunity to unveil an ambitious sustainability manifesto for the entire region.

As for the wines, the annual new release tasting presented a surfeit of gems. One of my top scorers – and top wines of the year – was Monteraponi’s 2019 Il Bragantino. This inaugural release of the estate’s first-ever Gran Selezione inspires much confidence in Chianti Classico’s top category.

I also revelled tasting through the 2021 vintage, which boasts excellent quality at all levels. A discovery for me was La Vigna di San Martino ad Argiano. My 92-point score seems stingy in retrospect. I keep citing the Riserva as one of my favourite new finds when anyone asks.

In Montalcino, Brunello 2019 was the headliner. An outstanding vintage and not austere like some can be, the wines were a great pleasure to taste. The vintage even yielded a perfect 100 points for Conti Costanti.

A striking, statuesque specimen, it evoked visceral emotion. Another stunner was from Giodo. The best ever release from the estate, it is so evocatively expressive of the munificent Mediterranean charms of Montalcino’s Sesta zone.

Puglia, Pinot and Piedmont

Venturing beyond my beaten path, I made it to Puglia, Conegliano-Valdobbiadene and Valpolicella. All satisfied my thirst for Italy’s diversity and rewarded with fun finds. But above all, it was a jaunt to Alto Adige that filled my wine cup to the brim.

I have long been a fan of Cantina Terlano’s Vorberg Pinot Bianco, so to visit this revered site was something of a pilgrimage. It was equally a treat to spend time with Director Klaus Gasser and winemaker Rudi Kofler, who led me through a vertical of Terlaner Primo Grande Cuvée going back to 2012.

The latest release, 2021, achieves the harmony and complexity that Kofler aspired to from the start of the project.

Surely, I spent more time travelling than at home in Vancouver, so those spells at home were precious – and not lacking in fine Italian wine. There were many dinners with friends, like one who hosted a horizontal of 2009s from Produttori del Barbaresco (Montestefano was the wine of the night, but Muncagota also shone!).

I also did some cooking, a hobby I don’t get to enjoy when living out of a suitcase. It served me well for my ‘Barolo in the Noughties’ article, as friends were happy to open bottles from their cellars in exchange for braised rabbit and tajarin.

Clinical point scores aside, the bottle that tugged at my heartstrings was Giuseppe Mascarello’s 2006 Monprivato. If I am mentioning emotions, a nod must likewise go to Massolino’s 2002 Vignarionda: a runner-up for sure.

I even returned home from Italy specifically for Vancouver’s first-ever Festa del Piemonte. Of the dozens of special bottles hailing back to the 1960s, it was difficult to pick a favourite. However, despite coming from the mediocre 1987 vintage, Giacomo Conterno’s Monfortino Barolo Riserva made a lasting impression.

Back to BC

Finally, I was absolutely thrilled to submit my first ever vintage report on Canada for Decanter. The focus was on British Columbia’s excellent 2022s. Yet, it was also bittersweet. In January of this year, a sudden deep freeze decimated the 2024 crop to the tune of 97-99% loss.

Complete vine death is estimated in the 14-18% range. On a visit to the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys in August, it was devastating to see the fruitless plants and vine graveyards.

Syrah, which to date has produced some of BC’s best wines, is particularly cold sensitive so the future fate of this grape is uncertain. Nichol’s Old Vines, which was my top scoring Syrah, were decimated. I bought a case and will be savouring each bottle.

For wine growers, 2024 was extremely challenging in many regions around the globe. I sincerely hope 2025 will be kinder. I am acutely aware that it is only through the resilience and tenacity of vines and growers that I continue to fill my glass with fine wine.

Michaela’s top wines of 2024

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