We recently caught up with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc star Jules Taylor and had the chance to try her 2024 Sauvignon Blanc. It’s excellent! During our conversation, Jules proclaimed, ‘If you made bad wine in 2024, you shouldn’t be a winemaker.’ Naturally, we asked if we could quote her. That statement alone sums up the 2024 vintage in New Zealand.

Across all regions, the vintage is exceptional. Most areas experienced lower yields—some by as much as 40%—due to inconsistent weather during the flowering season. Central Otago, though, was spared, maintaining average yields for the region.

Though smaller, this vintage is beautiful. The El Niño weather pattern, which settled in mid-December, brought dry, stable conditions through to harvest. Drawing conclusions about a vintage as a whole can be tricky, given the differing conditions in regions and varieties, but the 2024 wines are undoubtedly bright, forward, and highly aromatic. The cool nights leading into autumn enhanced these qualities just prior to harvest.

So, what does a smaller harvest mean? While the market has faced some challenges lately, a smaller harvest could help balance supply and demand. As for the exceptional quality of the vintage, well, let’s keep that between us. We wouldn’t want to upset that delicate balance just yet.