The Best Gift Wines in 2024

• BUBBLES •

1. 2008 Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’Or Brut Rosé

Origin: Chouilly, Champagne, France
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Price: $199 for 750 ml.
ABV: 12%

This tête de cuvée from Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte makes a perfect gift Champagne. Feuillatte is known for expert packaging and marketing and with this bottle they do not disappoint. Its curvaceous black bottle is dimpled to mimic strands of black pearls.

This is the wine for the hedonists in your life. They will delight not only in this pink fizz but the package in which it’s delivered. A big, ripe Brut Rosé Champagne, it offers powerful berry notes with an underlying gaminess. It is a Champagne fit for a meal but is almost as satisfying as a meal all on its own.

> For more information, visit the Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte official website.

• WHITE WINES •

2. Ram’s Gate, Hyde Vineyard, Chardonnay 2019

Origin: Carneros, California, USA
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Price: $70.00
ABV: 13.7%

With its cool climate, Carneros produces wines of great depth and distinction. Situated upon a rolling hillside, where the San Francisco Bay meets the edges of Napa and Sonoma counties, Ram’s Gate Winery patiently awaits. Director of Winemaking Joe Nielsen is parlaying the estate vineyard into a model of thoughtful precision farming and sustainability, while also elevating each wine in the portfolio to its highest vineyard expression.

A golden straw yellow colors the wine. The elegant nose with hints of stone fruit, spices and wet stones is also reflected on the palate where it is intensified and promising increased complexity with some aging.

> For more information, visit Ram’s Gate official website.

• RED WINES •

3. Larkmead, Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 | Napa Valley, California, USA

Origin: Calistoga, Napa Valley, California
Varietals: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc
Price: $125.00
ABV: 14.5%

Larkmead is a truly historic vineyard, dating back to 1895. One of the very finest vineyards in Napa Valley, Larkmead has been in the same family hands since 1948. This steadiness has allowed for the type of careful study that is necessary to truly unlock a vineyard’s potential. Since the beginning of their modern winemaking history in 1997, they have been relentlessly fine-tuning their viticultural and cellar techniques to most accurately express the vineyard’s voice.

This dark ruby red wine offers a nose of black cherry, plums, flowers and cigar box. The flavor profile is marked by abundant dark berry fruit, spices, tobacco and cacao, all layered with smooth tannins and ending on a long, elegant finish.

> For more information, visit Larkmead official website.

4. Col d’Orcia, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Poggio al Vento 2015 | Montalcino, Italy

Origin: Montalcino, Italy
Varietal: 100% Brunello (Sangiovese Grosso)
Price: $167.00
ABV: 15%

Col d’Orcia is situated on the outskirts of the medieval hilltop village of Montalcino, in Tuscany’s Siena province. The estate has a rich winemaking history dating back to the 14th century. Winemaking was already an established agricultural pursuit in Tuscany, when centuries earlier, the region was occupied by the Etruscan civilization, who planted grape vines. The estate is currently owned and managed by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano. Under his leadership, plantings have expanded exponentially at Col d’Orcia and the estate has been transformed into an organic farm with biodynamic practices.

Poggio al Vento is a single vineyard in the heart of the Col d’Orcia estate, surrounding a centuries-old oak tree. The precious crop from the 17 acres of Sangiovese deserves the historic Poggio al Vento label only in the best vintages.

This powerful, deep red wine delivers concentrated aromas of ripe berries, black cherry, stewed plum, sweet tobacco and garrigue. The palate boasts more ripe red berries, cherry and a hint of licorice, accompanied by fine but present tannins, salty minerals and some emerging tertiary aromas of leather and musk.

> For more information, visit Col d’Orcia official website.

5. Patrimony, Caves des Lions 2019 | Adelaida District, Paso Robles, California, USA

Origin: Adelaida District, Paso Robles, California
Varietal: 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Cabernet Franc
Price: $269.00
ABV: 14.9%

Straight from the heart of Paso Robles’ Adelaida District in California, brothers and co-founders Daniel and Georges Daou create elegant wines that rival the best in Napa Valley, Bordeaux and beyond. Located only 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the vineyards experience an intense diurnal temperature shift which allows them to receive the perfect balance of concentrated flavors and balancing acidities.

As winemaker, Daniel Daou is confident that the Patrimony range will illustrate that the Adelaida District is the next benchmark for Bordeaux varietals. With an intense, integrated flavor profile in mind, he ages the wines for 27 months in custom-made oak barrels from France.

This wine displays a deep ink purple color with complex aromas of blackcurrants, cedar, chocolate, earth and baking spices. The mouth feel is full-bodied and rich with flavors of dark cherries, tobacco, spices, mineral and savory. Present but ripe tannins are tamed by the silky acidity evolving in a long and complex finish.

> For more information, visit Patrimony official website.

READ MORE: Soul of A Lion, A Roaring Cabernet Sauvignon | DAOU Vineyards, Paso Robles

6. Gamble Family Vineyards, 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley, California, USA

Origin: Napa Valley, California
Varietals: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, 1% Merlot
Price: $60.00
ABV: 14.3%

Founded in 2005 by third-generation Napa farmer, Tom Gamble, Gamble Family Vineyards farms approximately 175 acres of prime estate vineyards from Napa Valley’s most respected AVAs—Oakville, Yountville, Mount Veeder and Rutherford. Set in an isolated nook off of Highway 29 in the heart of Napa Valley’s Oakville District, the winery, open to guests by invitation, has a quiet and bucolic presence. Tom Gamble’s mission is to carry on the heritage of quality farming that his ancestors sowed when they came to Napa as farmers and ranchers in 1916.

The wine has a deep crimson-purple color and delivers a showy nose of ripe cherries, blackberries, plum and espresso beans. The palate offers vibrant black fruit, silky tannins and finishes long and well-balanced.

> For more information, visit Gamble Family Vineyards official website.

7. Bouchaine, 2019 Carneros | Napa Valley, California, USA

Origin: Carneros, Napa Valley, California
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Price: $40.00
ABV: 14.3%

Bouchaine is the oldest continuously operating winery in Carneros, a region located on the southern tip of Napa Valley. In the late 1880s, a Missouri-born settler named Boon Fly planted grapes and fruit trees on the property. An Italian winemaker named Johnny Garetto bought the land in 1927 and farmed it until 1961, when he sold to Beringer. Twenty years later, the dilapidated winery was purchased by Gerret and Tatiana Copeland who made it into a state-of-the-art winery.

The wine shows a bright ruby color. The bouquet flashes ripe strawberries, cherries, rose petals and spices. The palate is smooth, filled with lush red fruit, vibrant acidity and smooth tannins resulting in an easy-drinking Pinot Noir ready to drink now.

> For more information, visit Bouchaine official website.

8. Lang & Reed ‘Two-Fourteen’ 2017 Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley, California, USA

Origin: Napa Valley, California, USA
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Price: $85
ABV: 14.5%

The Napa Valley is definitely a region with any number of special occasion wines worthy of your meal. Although most Napa Valley red wine lovers will probably instinctively reach for a Cabernet Sauvignon, we’re inclined to recommend something different.

Lang & Reed is a winery focused on Cabernet, but not Cabernet Sauvignon. This winery produces what’s recognized as some of America’s best Cabernet Franc.

The wine’s name comes from the single grape clone used to make this wine, Clone 214 from France’s Loire Valley. It offers ripe blueberry and blackberry aromas and flavors, but an underlying savory, dried herb note and hint of black pepper is what really gives it a special character. This Cabernet Franc lingers long on the palate and is sure to please any lover of Napa reds.

> For more information, visit Lang & Reed official website.

9. Marciano Estate M Proprietary Red 2018 | St. Helena, California, USA

Origin: St. Helena, California
Varietal: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Price: $139 for 750 ml.
ABV: 14.8%

You may be shocked to learn that the Marciano California estate was first planted with vines in the late 1800s. Although the estate didn’t produce its own commercial label until it was purchased by Maurice Marciano in 2006, it was a grape producing property for more than a century. Marciano made a reputation for itself as a producer of remarkable red wines.

If you have lovers of Napa reds in your life, they are going to have their socks knocked off by this wine. A huge Cabernet-dominant blend, it offers aromas of black cherry, espresso and sweet baking spices. Super concentrated yet finely focused, it’s a beautifully made wine with dark fruit, spice and lingering caramel on the finish.

> For more information, visit Marciano Estate official website. 

10. 2020 Beckmen Cuvée Le Bec | California, USA

Type: 47% Syrah, 34% Grenache, 11% Mourvèdre, 7% Counoise
Origin: Santa Ynez Valley, California, USA
Price: $29
ABV: 14%

California meets the Rhône with this well-priced red blend. This is an easy-drinking wine with an attractive bouquet of blueberries, forest floor and spice, with just a hint of something floral to give it freshness. On the palate, it offers a silky texture and a refreshing bite of acidity. The only problem with this wine is that you’re sure to run out quickly, so keep an extra bottle or two handy.

> For more information, visit the Beckmen official website.

11. 2020 Cline Ancient Vines Carignane | California, USA

Type: 100% Carignan
Origin: Contra Costa County, California, USA
Price: $18
ABV: 15%

This wine practically bursts from the glass with a perfume of violets and plums, espresso and clove. It’s a big wine that packs a punch of alcohol, so don’t let it sneak up on you.

You’re likely to be so attracted to its bright acidity and lingering finish that you’ll find it hard to turn down that second (or third) glass.

> For more information, visit the Cline official website.

12. 2019 Ashton Hills Reserve Pinot Noir | Adelaide Hills, Australia

Origin: Adelaide Hills, Australia
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Price: $75 for 750 ml.
ABV: 14.5%

The Pinot Noir lover on your list has probably already done a thorough exploration of the wines of Burgundy, California and Oregon, but they might not realize that the hills just outside of Adelaide, South Australia, also offer perfect Pinot Noir growing conditions.

Ashton Hills is considered a pioneer in Adelaide Hills Pinot and the 2019 Reserve showcases the winery’s legacy. A dark and smoky wine, its ripe cherry fruit is balanced by earthy notes and an almost intangible gaminess. It’s a wine that could be drunk now or cellared for several years.

> For more information, visit the Ashton Hills official website.

14. 2019 Murrieta’s Well The Spur Red Wine Blend | California, USA

Origin: Livermore Valley, California
Varietal: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 6% Petite Sirah, 7% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot
Price: $26 for 750 ml
ABV: 14.5%

This is a bottle for the wine lover on your list who enjoys the unexpected and will never anticipate a wine with this elegance and restraint to come from California’s Livermore Valley. Murrieta’s Well is an estate-grown winery that celebrates the climate and terroir of the Livermore Valley. It is clear from their wines that they truly understand which grapes work in the region.

Their 2019 Red Blend is a complex wine for the price, which is why it makes our list of the Best Gift Wines. It offers bright cherry and berry aromas. Its blackberry, black plum and cherry fruit flavors show pleasing restraint and are backed up by vanilla and the heat of clove near the finish.

> For more information, visit the Murrietta’s Well official website.

15. Tenute Rubino, Palombara, Primitivo di Manduria 2019 | Puglia, Italy

Origin: Puglia, Italy
Varietal: 100% Primitivo di Manduria
Price: $22.00
ABV: 14.5%

Tenute Rubino is a family-owned winery established in the early 1980s. This winery was one of the first to recognize the potential of the Apulian terroir as a wine growing region. That being, the winemakers at Tenute Rubino are experts at producing the famous wines of Puglia — Primitivo and Negramaro.

The wine shows a deep ruby color. The delicate nose reveals black cherries, flower petals and herbs. The juicy flavors are marked by ripe red fruit, a touch of spice and mature but present tannins.

> For more information, visit Tenute Rubino official website.

16. Horsepower, Grenache 2019, Fiddleneck Vineyard | Walla Walla Valley, Oregon

Origin: Walla Walla Valley, Oregon
Varietal: 100% Grenache
Price: $184.00
ABV: 13.5%

Christophe Baron, who grew up in Champagne, created Horsepower Vineyards in 2008 as an homage to his family history and traditional Old World farming techniques: draft horses were used on his family’s estates in Champagne until his grandfather invested in a tractor in 1957. Now, Christophe is bringing craftmanship full-circle, eschewing technology for four Belgian and two Percheron draft horses to cultivate 18 acres of vineyards with a connection to the land that has been largely lost with conventional mechanized farming.

The wine shows a bright ruby color. The nose opens with floral notes, strawberries, savory herbs and pepper. The juicy palate is layered with red berries, spices, leather and licorice. Silky tannins round out this intense and lengthy wine.

> For more information, visit Horsepower Vineyards official website.

Sign up for GAYOT’s Free Newsletter