What are the most sought-after and coveted wines in the world? This is a very difficult question and we’re going to attempt to answer it using iDealwine auction data from 2024. Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhône, Champagne, the Loire, Jura and Languedoc are all represented in the Top 50. But why will come out on top? Will it be Romanée-Conti, Château Rayas or Petrus? Let’s find out!

50 of the biggest names in wine in 2024

While the variety of wines and regions continues to expand, it is clear that auctions continue to focus massively on a handful of iconic names. The 50 best-selling producers brought in over half of the total value generated at auction last year (53%). However, when looking at their volume, they only make up 19% of the total bottles.

So, who can we find in these rankings? Despite the small size of their vineyards (which pushes up the rarity of their production), Burgundian producers occupy 24 places in the rankings, just as they did last year. Bordeaux properties sit in 14 places (compared with 16 in 2023). The Rhône Valley is represented by four estates, just as it was the previous year. A sign of its attractiveness on the secondary market, Champagne gains an additional representative in the shape of Roederer (no. 47) which joins Selosse (no. 14) and Dom Pérignon (no. 40). Jura can count on three iconic figures – one more than the previous year – in this list summarising the crème de la crème. Alongside Ganevat (no. 42) and Overnoy (no. 49), which both saw the prices of their bottles at auction drop significantly, Labet enters the Top 50 in no. 48. Two stars complete the rankings, both proud representatives of their regions: La Grange des Pères, Languedoc (no. 23) and Clos Rougeard, the Loire Valley (no. 25). The rankings have therefore been slightly rearranged. When looking at Burgundy, we can see several famous names entering the Top 50: Domaine Comtes de Vogüé (no. 45), Maison Drouhin (no. 46) and Domaine Robert Groffier (no. 50).

Drop in average prices slightly more noticeable for the icons

The average price for wines featured in these rankings is €417. This amounts to a drop, although slight (-3%), but greater than that observed for all wines auctioned (-2%). A trend is emerging. For the most iconic wines sold at auction, a price drop has been proven necessary for them to be bought. Nevertheless, their prices are still above market value, as their average price is 2.8 times higher than that for all wine auctioned last year.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti demonstrates its superiority at auction, being the only estate to see the amount generated by its wines to surpass €2 million. The first three places go to the same trio, with a slight change in the rankings from the previous year as Petrus moves ahead of Emmanuel Reynaud‘s properties in the Rhone Valley which saw the average price of their wines drop significantly (-16%). Finally, five estates generated more than €1 million, two more than in 2023 – another sign of the polarisation happening at auction.

Have wine enthusiasts abandoned other producers and regions off the beaten track? Absolutely not! Bidders took advantage of the calming prices last year. There are two types of buyers. On the one hand, there are those who concentrate on flagship bottles. These great collectors want only the very best, the crème de la crème, to enter their collections. On the other hand, there are those looking for a wine adventure. iDealwine is a treasure trove for those on the hunt for new discoveries, who can find unique labels from visionary winemakers from all around the world in the auction catalogues. These two worlds are not shut off from each other and will sometimes even find themselves going head-to-head over rare bottles. This is what we analyse with a fine-tooth comb in the Barometer.

Below are the 50 most sought-after producers on iDealwine in 2024.

A few notable names are missing from the Top 50: Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Bordeaux, Pessac-Léognan, 35th in 2023), Trapet (Burgundy, Chambertin, 42th in 2023), Henri Jayer (Burgundy, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Cros Parantoux, Richebourg… 45th in 2023), Anne Gros (Burgundy, Richebourg, 49th in 2023), Château Palmer (Bordeaux, Margaux, 50th in 2023), Salon (Champagne, was listed in the 2022 rankings)…