Rhône 2024 en primeur: Full report and the vintage's top-scoring wines

[breakout] Rhône 2024 en primeur vintage rating: Northern Rhône 2024: 3.5/5 The whites are excellent, but it's a lighter red vintage for the reds, offering many well-balanced, fresh and immediate wines, largely for drinking young and into the medium term. Some reds lack full ripeness, particularly in Côte-Rôtie.

Southern Rhône 2024: 3.5/5 A juicy, fresh and balanced vintage with only moderate alcohol, though some reds lack concentration. Reds are particularly strong in Gigondas. Whites are excellent throughout the region.

[/breakout] [subscriber-content]In the context of the past 10 years, the 2024 vintage in the Rhône is an outlier. With many recent vintages being marked by heat and drought, 2024 feels like a throwback to an earlier age, one before global warming. It’s like a good vintage from the 1990s – balanced, fresh and drinkable. The 2024s offer bright acidity, moderate alcohol and aromatic precision. Is it a 'Great Vintage'? No; it’s a respectable vintage full of wines that you can enjoy immediately for their tension and vibrancy. The reds are unlikely to shut down as they age, and the whites are reliably excellent throughout the Rhône Valley. This vintage is not without its shortcomings. The growing season was extremely challenging and as a result some wines lack concentration. Most aren’t built for long ageing. But while the overall level is good rather than great, there are a host of wines which transcend the vintage to reach peaks of genuine excellence. Northern Rhône red wine of the vintage: M Chapoutier, Le Pavillon, Hermitage 2024

Northern Rhône white wine of the vintage: Domaine JL Chave, Hermitage 2024

Southern Rhône red wine of the vintage: Château de St-Cosme, Le Poste, Gigondas 2024

Southern Rhône white wine of the vintage: Clos des Papes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024

See all Rhône 2024 tasting notes and scores Northern Rhône 2024 [caption id="attachment_435345" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Olivier Clape in the lieu-dit of Sabarotte in Cornas. Credit: Matt Walls[/caption] ‘We had English weather up until July!’ says Yann Chave (of his eponymous domaine), referring to the incessant rain they suffered in Crozes-Hermitage during spring and into summer. ‘August saved the vintage,’ he says, ‘otherwise it would have been a catastrophe.’ A mild winter was followed by early budbreak, but then the weather turned cool and wet in April. In Cornas , Olivier Clape (of Domaine Clape) had 600mm of rain from April to July (820mm is the yearly average). This created a horde of problems throughout the northern Rhône, including uneven ripening and poor fruit set (millerandage and coulure), not to mention downy mildew and black rot. Occurring towards the start of the season, it affected yields more than quality. It was particularly difficult for those working organically, such as Domaine Gonon , as they had fewer mitigation options in their armoury. Jean Gonon says that they had to carry out a record number of treatments in the vineyard in 2024 – something echoed by Clape and others. The rains often came on Thursdays and Fridays, which made the situation even more exhausting as estates had to spray during weekends – if they could. Thankfully there was bright weather between the showers, unlike the even gloomier 2021 vintage. The sun finally arrived and dried out the vineyards in August. Though hot, the mercury didn’t rise above 40°C, and the ground contained enough water to sustain the vines. September turned cool and windy. With rain forecast, some were forced to pick earlier than they would have liked. Highs and lows Cool, wet weather at the end of the season was just one cause of the lack of concentration and a herbaceous streak in some of the reds. Mildew-affected vines and excessive crop loads were others. Occasional use of unripe stems was a contributing factor, too. The more southerly red appellations ( Hermitage , Cornas and southern St-Joseph ) were the most successful in 2024. Côte-Rôtie saw the worst of the weather, and the wines are more disappointing – though with some notable exceptions. Crozes-Hermitage also struggled; vineyards on the slopes tend to fare better in wet weather. White wines are excellent throughout. There are countless wonderful Marsanne / Roussanne wines to choose from, and many good Viogniers from Condrieu , though with fewer flashes of brilliance. This won’t be the longest-lived vintage for reds. Neither will you have to wait; with relatively delicate tannic structures, the majority will be ready to drink on release or soon after. Considering the trials that growers faced in 2024, it’s surprising that so many made such good wines – many people were surprised at how well they’d turned out. Including me. Key northern Rhône producers in 2024 Domaine Belle Domaine Clape Domaine Gonon Frank Balthazar Jean-Louis Chave M Chapoutier Top value northern Rhône 2024 Domaine Vendome, Les Bruclas, Crozes-Hermitage 2024 Benoît Roseau, Sur le Quartz, St-Joseph 2024 François et Fils, Rozier, Côte-Rôtie 2024 Benoît Roseau, La Ribaude, St-Joseph 2024 Southern Rhône 2024 [caption id="attachment_551436" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Château de Beaucastel's Roussanne Vieilles Vignes. Credit: Matt Walls.[/caption] Weather conditions were similar in the northern and southern Rhône in 2024, and the wines display a similar style: good acidity, moderate alcohol, fresh and drinkable – but sometimes lacking concentration. Growers report a nerve-wracking start to the year. ‘It was difficult from the beginning…we nearly lost the vintage,’ says César Perrin of Château de Beaucastel . ‘There was mildew before flowering – that’s the worst’. He’s pleased with the final results though, calling it ‘an elegant vintage, more drinkable than 2023 and 2022’. The downy mildew was more localised compared to the northern Rhône; parts of Châteauneuf-du-Pape were hit hard, whereas other appellations, such as Vacqueyras , got away relatively unscathed. The Grenache was also badly hit by coulure, which further reduced yields – it was a small crop in the south this year. Mourvèdre , however, performed well. The two heat spikes in August drew a line under the poor weather at the start of the season. Two storms in early September and one towards the end of the month raised the spectre of rot, but thankfully the mistral arrived and dried out the vines. The cool weather that followed made for a gradual accrual of tannins and a relaxed harvest, typically in mid-October. Bright spots For red wines, Gigondas stands out in 2024. Perrin says there was less rain and more wind compared to Châteauneuf, meaning growers could wait even later to pick, resulting in better levels of ripeness. In fact, all appellations situated in and around the Dentelles de Montmirail fared well, including Beaumes de Venise, Côtes du Rhône named Villages such as Sablet and Séguret, and parts of Ventoux . It was also a good vintage for Vacqueyras, and there are plenty of strong individual wines from Châteauneuf. White wines are excellent throughout all appellations – in fact it’s a stronger year for whites than reds. There are countless impressive examples from Châteauneuf and Gigondas, and some beautiful rosés from Tavel . When I visited the Rhône Valley in October this year, winemakers couldn’t contain their excitement and enthusiasm for the 2025 vintage that they’d just picked. Early impressions suggest a contrast to 2024: concentrated, structured wines for long ageing. It’s a very small vintage, but you’re likely to want some. The 2024s will provide some deliciously fresh and crunchy wines to drink while you wait for the 2025s to come round. Key southern Rhône producers in 2024 Château de Beaucastel Clos des Papes Domaine de Beaurenard Château de St Cosme Domaine Santa Duc Domaine l'Anglore Domaine des Escaravailles Domaine la Cabotte Château La Borie Top value southern Rhône 2024 Château de la Font du Loup, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2024 Le Clos des Cazaux, Les Clefs d'Or, Vacqueyras 2024 Château la Borie, Syrah, Côtes du Rhône Villages Suze la Rousse 2024 Domaine Elodie Balme, Champs Libres, Côtes du Rhône Villages Roaix 2024 [/subscriber-content] Top-scoring Rhône 2024 wines: See below the 30 highest scoring wines, listed white then red in score order. [wine-collection] Related articles The 12 best Cornas wines to drink now or save for later Eight top Rhône wines to buy in the supermarket Northern Rhône 2015: Panel tasting results