Newly released results for the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2024 include 117 coveted Platinum medals, representing just 0.64% of all wines tasted in this year’s competition.
With more than 18,000 entries blind-tasted by nearly 250 world-leading experts in a rigorous, multi-stage judging process at DWWA 2024, consumers can be confident that Platinum award winners demonstrate truly exceptional quality.
To attain the 97-point Platinum grade, wines must first attain a Gold medal, before being retasted and evaluated by expert judging panels.
Scroll down to see the Platinum medal winners at Decanter World Wine Awards 2024
‘At this stage the quality is great,’ said Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW, Regional Chair for Tuscany at DWWA 2024. ‘It’s a matter of really assessing which are the top, top wines.’
Stefan Neumann MS, Regional Chair for Switzerland, said of Platinum judging, ‘The overall quality of these wines is just outstanding. It was such a joy to judge; we were running out of superlatives.’
This year’s Platinum list follows the release of full DWWA 2024 results on 19 June, and it lives up to DWWA’s reputation for showcasing the very best expressions of ‘classics’ alongside premium, under-the-radar wines that underline the wine world’s rich diversity.
Decanter World Wine Awards 2024 Platinum medals: Top of the leaderboard
France topped the Platinum leaderboard this year with 28 medals for a whole host of styles.
Burgundy’s highly rated 2022 vintage shone particularly brightly. While a Côte Maconnais wine followed in the footsteps of strong performances for white Burgundy in the Best in Show category, several Platinums went to premier cru reds, and one grand cru. Albert Bichot’s ‘Les Sorbets’ Morey-St-Denis 1er Cru 2022 was ‘oozing inviting red cherry and earthy forest fruit’, said judges.
Only a little way further south, cru Beaujolais showed once again that it deserves a seat at the wine world’s top table.
Champagne enjoyed a strong competition, scooping seven Platinums across both vintage and non-vintage styles that included a Telmont, Blanc de Noirs Brut 2015, combining Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.
There were plenty of great examples of French classics among the other Platinum medals, from Bandol rosé and Loire Chenin Blanc to a ‘sensuous and velvety’ Château La Dominique 2018 from St-Emilion in Bordeaux.
Other Platinum French white wines featured grand cru Chablis and white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but also Muscadet Sèvre et Maine and a Rolle-Roussanne-Grenache Blanc blend from Les Baux-de-Provence.
Italy secured second place in this year’s Platinum medal table, with 18 accolades, just ahead of Spain on 17. A strong year for northern Italian white wines saw top medals for Soave Classico and Lugana Superiore.
There were two medals for Collio DOC wines in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, one of which contributed to notable performance for Italian Pinot Blanc at DWWA 2024. This grape variety was also a driving force behind two Platinum medals for Trentino-Alto Adige wines.
This year’s Platinum list highlighted fantastic, classic Italian reds from recent vintages, too, with Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo, Barbera d’Asti Superiore and Barbaresco all starring.
They were joined by a 100% Cabernet Franc under the Bolgheri Superiore denomination on the Tuscan coast, produced by Tenuta Meraviglia.
Spain’s 17 Platinum medals encompassed stunning examples of the country’s most famous wine names. Rioja and Ribera del Duero reds were strong performers, although there was also a Platinum accolade for a Ribera del Duero white wine produced from Albillo Mayor, as well as for a 2012-vintage Rioja Gran Reserva rosé.
A Ribeiro white wine, a Catalunya DO Cabernet Franc blend and a 100% Carignan from Priorat showed Spain’s strength in depth, not to mention success with several sweet and fortified styles (see below).
Finest Fortified
Neighbouring Portugal was…
Source : https://www.decanter.com/decanter-world-wine-awards/decanter-world-wine-awards-2024-platinum-winners-97-point-wines-532909/
