Italian cuisine has long been a world favourite for its authentic flavours and guileless recipes rooted in simplicity and quality.

In fact, the country's cooking was officially granted Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity status by UNESCO last year.

While pasta is a mainstay of Italy's mealtimes and a symbol of the country's culinary traditions (54% of Italians eat pasta daily (Nextplora [2024]), it's also a paragon of versatility and inclusion.

From celebrated fine dining restaurants to community kitchens run by volunteers, pasta always has a place on Italian tables.

One of the world's top chefs, Massimo Bottura, who played an influential role in the UNESCO candidacy – which was conceived by Maddalena Fossati, editor of La Cucina Italiana magazine – runs the gamut, from his triple-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana to the international Food for Soul network of refectories, where nourishing meals are created from surplus foods for those in need.

Just say pasta

Although it's easy to just say pasta, when it comes to shapes, sauces, techniques and wine pairings, there is a universe of complexities.

Officially, over 300 pasta shapes exist, with more invented almost daily. Thanks to 3D printing, you can even order special occasion pasta to resemble anything from Easter bunnies to Christmas trees.

Ingredients for pasta are simple: flour and water. While in southern Italy durum wheat flour (semola or semolina) for dry pasta is most common, soft wheat is the typical flour of the north, where fresh pasta is more widespread; as it's lower in gluten, egg is often added for greater structure.

For hand-rolled pasta, a board and rolling pin (preferably beechwood) are essential, while cutter rollers are handy for getting the dimensions right. Pasta machines use teflon or bronze dies, the latter preferable for porous pasta that catches more of whichever delicious sauce it's served with.

Other tools include guitar-like frames for spaghetti alla chitarra, and gnocchi boards resembling butter pats for ridged pasta and gnocchi, again aimed at increasing sauce-clinging power.

Pasta heartlands

While every region has its must-try specialities, Emilia Romagna is considered the heartland of fresh egg pasta. Here, dishes are taken so seriously that official recipes are stored at Bologna's Chamber of Commerce, along with a golden sample representing the perfect width of tagliatelle (8mm).

It's hard to overstate the visceral attachment to certain specialities, and traditions are defended passionately: in a move to put a lid on one of the world's (but not Bologna's) favourite pasta dishes, the city mayor even led a 2019 campaign stating that ‘spaghetti bolognese does not exist’, in favour of authentic tagliatelle with ragout. Bolognese (beef and pork) ragout, that is.

Wherever you go you'll find a variation on the ragout theme, from duck in Veneto (with thick spaghetti-like bigoli) to wild boar, popular with pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta) and Chianti Classico or Montefalco Sagrantino in Tuscany and Umbria.

Emilia Romagna is most famous for its filled pasta. Dainty tortellini (weighing just 5g each, filled with mortadella, prosciutto, pork, Parmigiano Reggiano and nutmeg) are supposedly inspired by Venus's perfect navel, and served in a steaming broth suitable for any celebration.

One of chef Bottura's initiatives in his hometown, Modena, is Tortellante, a non-profit association centred on tortellini-making for people with autism (including his own son); the results are served at the on-site Bottega with Lambrusco that's often added to the broth.

Neighbouring cities Bologna and Modena have long disputed paternity of tortellini but generally agree on Castelfranco Emilia, a half-way house with a dedicated festival each September.

Filled delights

Whether they recall hats, crescents or body parts, the various crimped-edged shapes of filled pasta are conceived with the aim of keeping what's inside in.

In recent years pumpkin-filled pasta, originally from Mantua and Ferrara, has risen in popularity for its sweet and savoury flavours.

Exact recipes vary and are a closely guarded secret for cjarsons, another sweet-savoury pasta from Friuli in north-east Italy; common ingredients include dried fruit, herbs, spices, cocoa and jam with potato and ricotta. A structured Collio Bianco is ideal with such intense flavours.

In Sardinia, the closure of typical culurgiones (with potato, pecorino cheese, mint and garlic) is auspicious, resembling an ear of wheat for prosperity, while Piedmont speciality, agnolotti del plin (with roast meats) is purely practical, named after the pinching action used to seal them.

Curiously, agnolotti are sometimes served dry, in a linen napkin, and dunked into a cup of Barbera wine.

Long stories

Serving pasta in linen isn't limited to Piedmont: Rome restaurant La Ciambella serves cacio e pepe pasta (with pecorino romano cheese and black pepper) in a napkin. It's drier than usual, aimed at evoking the farmers of yesteryear who would eat while out in the fields.

Cacio e pepe is considered the mother of Rome's most famous pasta specialities, pecorino cheese and pepper being common to all. Add guanciale for alla gricia, and egg too for carbonara, or tomato for amatriciana.

Each sauce has its appropriate long pasta: tonnarelli (square-sectioned) for cacio e pepe, bucatini (hollow) with amatriciana, and spaghetti for carbonara. All work well with a structured regional white such as Frascati Superiore or Bellone.

Spaghetti (from ‘spago’, meaning string) is the tasty choice for midnight feasts and impromptu gatherings throughout Italy. In Naples and around the coast it's classically paired with clams; add mullet roe for a Sardinian favourite.

Spaghetti capital, Gragnano – the historic heart of dried pasta production south of Naples – is nowadays home to pasta-themed museums and experiences.

Pici and strangozzi are the preferred long pasta of central Italy, respectively round and square-sectioned, while Abruzzo on the east coast is home to fresh egg spaghetti alla chitarra, typically with delicious tiny meatballs.

Green pasta parties

Many Italian pasta recipes are vegetarian, incorporating pulses and seasonal vegetables. Another Abruzzo speciality, virtù teramane, traditionally eaten on 1 May, is like a culinary spring clean, with a huge variety of pulses, vegetables and pastas; whatever's left in the larder after winter. A cherry-coloured Cerasuolo, the archetypical all-rounder wine, is ideal.

Travelling south to Puglia, orecchiette alle cime di rapa (ear-shaped pasta with turnip greens) is a firm favourite on Italy's pasta map. Although turnips are a winter veg, the dish is a year-round mainstay here, as are Ligurian crowd-pleaser trofie al pesto and Sicily's pasta alla Norma (tomato, aubergine, ricotta salata and basil) – named after the opera by Catania-born composer Vincenzo Bellini.

Ultimate comfort food

Scientific research (including Barilla's 2025 study) has regularly found a correlation between pasta and emotional well-being, more so than other carbs.

There's no denying that whether its lasagne, Italy's traditional Sunday comfort food, or another of the many pasta dishes, it most certainly does have a built in feel-good factor – especially when enjoyed with a local wine.

Buon appetito!

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When you’ve lived in Australia for a while, you’ll eventually notice how many Italians – migrants or their descendants – you meet.

By then you’ll also have noticed how entrenched Italian culture, especially food and wine, is in the local landscape.

Following the major post-war waves of migration, Italy remains within the top 10 countries of birth among Australia’s overseas-born population, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

Many migrants from the post-war Italian diaspora chose to work in agriculture and several Australian wine regions – in particular the Riverina in New South Wales and King Valley in Victoria – boast numerous Italian families whose members have been making wine for generations.

Given this generational exposure and deep appreciation, it’s fascinating to see a small, adventurous group of Australians and New Zealanders travelling in the opposite direction.

I reached out to five of these mavericks, each of whom is carving a name for themselves in Italy, and often bringing a uniquely antipodean adventurous spirit to winemaking, shaking up centuries-old traditions along the way.

Jeffrey Chilcott

Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy, Piedmont

After being part of the Kiwi hospitality scene during the 1980s, Jeffrey Chilcott moved to London to see some of the bands that had never made the long trip to New Zealand performing live.

After a three-month train trip around Europe, he ended up in Italy, where he caught the Nebbiolo bug, prompting him to knock on doors across the Langhe region until Celestino Vacca, the then president of Produttori del Barbaresco, offered him accommodation.

‘People said the Piemontesi may not be so open, but I found the opposite,’ Chilcott says.

In the early 1990s, he would meet with Giovanni Conterno and other old-guard producers to taste local and international wines.

‘New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was alien to them as a wine style, and they struggled to get their heads around the overtly herbaceous and pungent nature,’ he says.

Chilcott later joined the historic Marchesi di Grésy. ‘I’m the cellar master at Marchesi and I do some travelling for them,’ he says. ‘I’m very close with the family and everyone else in the region.’

Considered one of Piedmont’s top producers, Marchesi di Grésy is renowned for a style rooted in tradition but ‘open to technology’.

Among its 35ha of vineyards, spread across the Langhe and Monferrato, is the monopole Martinenga, owned since 1797 and the jewel in the estate’s crown.

Considered a human encyclopaedia of vintages, Chilcott has witnessed the rise of the modernists, influencing his approach to Nebbiolo.

While he believes the variety demands patience, he acknowledges that incremental fine-tuning – particularly in tannin management and winery hygiene – has opened Barolo and Barbaresco to international audiences.

‘You know Campari? It has that dolce-amaro – bittersweet – quality, intrinsic to a lot of Italian food, and people,’ Chilcott says.

‘In the old days, Nebbiolo wasn’t always harmonious – the dolce [the fruit quality] was not always in harmony with the amaro [the tannins, which could dominate and require significant time to integrate].’

David Fletcher

Fletcher Wines, Piedmont

Born in Adelaide and now an Italian citizen, David Fletcher has always had itchy feet. He was working as a winemaker in Victoria, focused on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, when he first discovered Nebbiolo at a Barolo tasting – the wines stopped him in his tracks.

‘I jumped on a plane a year later to work the 2007 harvest at Ceretto, in the Langhe,’ he says. ‘I wanted to learn everything about Nebbiolo. I thought I might take that knowledge back to Australia – which I did to some extent – but I also fell in love with Italy.’

Fletcher founded his own label in 2009, initially buying grapes from Barolo and Barbaresco, and working out of other producers’ facilities.

It wasn’t until 2012, when he started working full-time as winemaker for Ceretto and stopped dividing his time between Australia and Italy, that he was able to base himself in the latter and fully focus on growing his label locally.

The project began modestly, with wines sold mainly in Australia. For sommeliers there it was exciting to pour a Barbaresco made by an Australian; for the people back in Piedmont, acceptance took longer.

‘There are Barolo families older than me and you put together,’ he says. ‘In Langhe, it’s a very hands-on, relationship-based business. In Australia, you just pick up the phone and someone will do things for you.’

The turning point came in 2015 with the purchase of the building that would become the winery – the dilapidated Babaresco train station, uniquely positioned in a valley surrounded by top-quality vineyards.

‘One morning I walked into the local café and a few pensioners came up to me, patting me on the back and saying I’d done something good for the community.’

Today, Fletcher farms 5.5ha organically, while also making Nebbiolo in Australia under the label of Fletcher, The Minion.

He uses open fermentations, with fully destemmed fruit, extending the ageing beyond minimum requirements in old barriques.

By ‘deconstructing the tradition’, Fletcher has developed a nuanced understanding of the territory.

These days, the only thing he really misses about Australia is his family, though he’s happy to be growing his own in a country where family remains at the heart of everything.

Zoe Johnson

JG Benda, Montalcino, Tuscany

A Sydney-based food and wine journalist with a British passport, Zoe Johnson first bridged the gap with Italy from afar, working in PR for Emilia-Romagna-based kitchen appliance company Smeg and Barilla, the world’s largest pasta producer.

In 2014, she was sent to Venice to assist Australian architects at the Biennale exhibition.

‘From there I decided to stay,’ she says. ‘I promised my dad I would come home after one year, but I never did – it’s still a problem.’

Her path into wine came almost by chance, at a moment when she was considering returning home as she approached 50.

‘I met John [Benda], my partner; he had previously worked in banking and finance in London, and had just bought some land here in Montalcino,’ she says. ‘The 2021 was our first vintage together.’

Though neither comes from a winemaking background, both share a deep love of Italian food and wine. Their 2ha sit at around 550m, higher than many local sites. The couple do everything together, from working in the vineyard to bottling.

The dry-farmed vineyards are certified organic; in the cellar, the approach is firmly minimal intervention, with no temperature control.

They look after distribution and direct-to-consumer events themselves. They only receive occasional guidance from a microbiologist from the University of Florence.

‘We are pruning now; my hand is very sore – I think I have arthritis from using normal cutters. But we’re so humbled,’ Johnson says.

‘I’m staying in Tuscany because if you find a purpose, it doesn’t matter where you are. And I found everything all in one place – the person I love, the job I love and the land I love.’

Trish Nelson

Gazzetta Wines, Lazio

A globetrotter from birth, Trish Nelson changed countries every five years, only arriving in Australia at age 15. Italy took a little longer.

‘I was working in Hong Kong in architectural design and got really interested in sustainable agriculture,’ she says.

‘I then moved back to Sydney and met Giorgio de Maria, sommelier at Berta and natural wine bar 121 BC.’ De Maria’s contagious passion for natural wine proved decisive.

When Nelson travelled to Italy to pursue a master’s degree in sustainable agriculture, she visited many of the producers whose wines had first inspired her in Australia.

An invitation to visit Cantina Giardino in Campania turned into a year and a half there, working in the vineyard and winery. This was followed by stints in viticulture and winemaking at Ajola in Orvieto and Le Coste, on lake Bolsena in northern Lazio, Europe’s largest volcanic lake.

It was there, two hours north of Rome, that she found her base in 2017: a small house and a run-down vineyard above the town, overlooking the lake.

The Gazzetta natural wines – made from organically farmed Procanico, Ansonica, Malvasia, Trebbiano Giallo, Aleatico, Sangiovese and Merlot grapes, among others – are fermented spontaneously, and made without added sulphur.

To stabilise the wines for export – including to de Maria, her Australian distributor – Nelson relies on extended maceration.

‘The tannins are natural preservatives,’ she explains, ‘and if you’re not adding anything and the pH of the wine is high – which it is here, given the volcanic soils – a few days of maceration helps.’

While awaiting Italian citizenship, Nelson admits that life isn’t a bed of roses.

‘It’s beautiful that tradition and regionality are so strong here,’ she says, ‘but as a foreigner, sometimes you feel like a fish out of water.’

Anna Martens

Vino di Anna, Etna

Having begun your career in microbiology at Petaluma in the Adelaide Hills in 1993 and enrolled in the Master of Wine programme six years later, your trajectory might seem set on a prestigious, if conventional, path.

That was certainly the case for Anna Martens, who, in 2004, was offered the position of assistant winemaker at the cult Tuscan estate Ornellaia, where she had previously worked, during the 2001 vintage, in the laboratory.

However, a chance encounter that year with Eric Narioo – founder of UK importer Les Caves de Pyrene and a key figure in the natural wine scene (and now Martens’ husband) – redirected her path to Sicily.

‘Etna was very different back in 2007,’ Martens says. ‘I was working for Andrea Franchetti at Passopisciaro. A few cult names from that versante [‘slope’] were on the rise, like Girolamo Russo and Alberto Graci.’

Martens had already been exposed to natural wine producers through Narioo, which convinced her to adopt a low-intervention approach.

The first Vino di Anna red, 95% Nerello Mascalese, 5% Nerello Capuccio (co-planted), was made in 2008.

‘Until that time, I’d always known that if something didn’t work out, I could add sulphur, enzymes, or filter everything,’ she says.

‘We made our first wine by literally putting whole bunches, with no sulphur, into two mastelloni [‘wine tubs’]. There was so much energy in the wine! Producers told us we were crazy, while to the older locals it was reminiscent of their family wine.’

Now splitting her time between London and the village of Solicchiata, on the northern slope of Etna, Martens says that returning to Sicily always resets her.

‘Every time I land in Catania, I take off my watch, drive with an Italian flair up to the winery, and soak in the luminosity of the place,’ she says.

Martens attributes a profound shift in both her approach to production and her lifestyle to what she has learned on Etna, through others and through the terroir itself.

‘I’ve been asked why I used to rush the wines,’ she says. ‘Energetic as I am, when I get to the winery, the surroundings ground me.’

Italian wines made by Antipodeans

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Both 2023 and 2024 had their challenges for winemakers, but that doesn’t mean these vintages are void of great value-for-money wines.

This year’s value picks focus on chillable, quaffable annatas rather than bottles which rise above their station.

But as a reminder that Chianti Classico offers amazing value throughout its ranks, in addition to the entry-level annatas I've also included one Riserva and one Gran Selezione that won’t break the bank.

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With a young generation embracing it, and historical estates continuing to defend it, Chianti Classico Riserva remains resilient to the vagaries of vintage, climate and trends.

Even as former Riservas continue to be upgraded to Gran Selezione, Chianti Classico's middle tier is still seeing its share of new wines.

Sofia Ricasoli, who represents the 33rd generation of the region’s most legendary wine family, has chosen Riserva for her one and only Chianti Classico made under her own label.

‘It’s a more historical category than Gran Selezione’, she rationalises. Launched with the 2021 vintage, Innesto means ‘graft’ and references a return to her deep roots after studying and practising law, while at the same time looks toward the future.

Challenges aplenty

Aware but undeterred by the myriad of challenges facing the wine industry today, Ricasoli asserts, ‘The greatest is climate change – more so than market or economic conditions.’

Indeed, climate challenges were front and centre in 2023, with a significant reduction in quantities due to peronospora (downy mildew), hail and drought.

After losing 80% at his Monte Bernardi estate, Michael Schmeltzer essentially folded what are typically three separate bottlings into a single soulful Riserva. Other estates didn’t bottle a Riserva at all.

The Riserva 2023s that were bottled reveal some issues managing ripeness and volatile acidity. Several examples were already fully evolved, contradicting the spirit of the category.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, my top picks come from the region’s cooler pockets: Castello di Querceto in the upper reaches of Greve, Castello di Volpaia in the fresh, forested subdistrict of Radda, and Castellaccio’s Lama dei Cortacci above the hamlet of Lamole at a lofty 700 metres.

I would recommend drinking these over the next five to eight years. San Giusto a Rentennano’s reliably excellent Le Baròncole is an exception and needs more time in bottle.

Chianti Classico's up-and-comers

Read the rest of Michaela's Chianti Classico analysis:

2022 and other late releases

2022 is shaping up to be a far more consistent vintage than 2023. Revisiting some 2022s released last year alongside some 2022s debuting this year reveals a highly successful cohort.

Combining density with grip and zip, they offer a solid decade of drinking potential. Among this year's releases, L'Erta di Radda and Val delle Corti are highlights, while Podere Ferrale is yet another promising new name.

Meanwhile, the category's stalwarts continue to live up to their formidable reputations, highlighted by Castello di Monsanto’s vivacious 2022, Badia a Coltibuono’s refined 2021, and Castell’in Villa’s intricate, age-worthy 2020.

Michaela's pick of Chianti Classico Riserva

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Elevated from Riserva to Gran Selezione for the 2023 vintage, Maurizio Alongi’s standout Vigna Barbischio proudly touts the UGA (Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive) of Gaiole – one of eight subzones now permitted on Gran Selezione labels.

Similarly, Cigliano di Sopra has debuted its first ever Gran Selezione, from a single vineyard in San Casciano planted in 2016.

Maddalena Fucile admits that it’s unusual to declare this lofty status for fledging vines – for context, the estate’s Riserva features 50-year-old plantings.

‘If a vineyard is born with the right stuff, it can be a Gran Selezione even from its youth,’ she reasons.

I was also charmed by Il Poggiolino’s resinous Le Balze and Poggio al Sole’s glossy Casasilia. Both hail from San Donato in Poggio and offer satisfying drinking over the next decade.

As the majority of 2023 Gran Seleziones won’t be released until at least next year, I will reserve final judgement for now – however, several estates including Tregole and Castello di Ama have already indicated that they will skip the vintage for their Gran Selezione.

And while Rocca delle Macìe did produce its Fizzano Il Crocino label, the family chose to use the fruit from their prized plot usually destined for their flagship Sergio Zingarelli bottling in the Riserva instead.

2022 and 2021: Perfect scores and changing rules

The 2022 and 2021 Gran Selezione releases cast a brilliant spotlight on the classification, offering cellarworthy gems promising 10 to 15 years of evolution.

Notably, Castello di Ama’s magnificent Bellavista 2022 earns the distinction of receiving my first ever 100-point score for a Chianti Classico.

Enjoy its longstanding signature blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Malvasia Nera while it lasts, as it will soon be tweaked to conform with revised regulations due to come into effect for the 2027 vintage, which stipulate a minimum of 90% Sangiovese.

Furthermore, because the updated protocol for Gran Selezione will prohibit Merlot altogether, the estate has withdrawn its La Casuccia bottling from the Chianti Classico denomination as of the 2022 vintage.

An 80/20 blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, it is now labelled as a Toscana IGT.

Marco Pallanti, who launched the wine in 1985 and was instrumental in establishing the Gran Selezione category, expresses regret.

‘I have always believed that the best wines of the zone should be Chianti Classico,’ he states. While a loss for the denomination, La Casuccia will find itself in good company among the region’s exceptional Super Tuscans.

The majority of Gran Seleziones today are made exclusively from Sangiovese, having been conceived relatively recently or evolved with foresight of the category’s direction.

Castello di Fonterutoli’s Badiòla is one such example, and rings out in 2022 as a clear reference point for Radda’s cool, radiant and racy profile.

Expanding horizons & new projects

Fully embracing the UGA endeavour, Antinori’s new trio of Gran Selezione from San Casciano, Castellina and Gaiole shine for the second consecutive year.

In other news, the company announced that it has taken over management of Castello di Cacchiano, a historic property once part of the original Ricasoli empire. Expect a facelift there.

With the 2022 vintage, Fèlsina marks its 60th anniversary. Throughout this time, the Poggiali family have been steadfast champions of Sangiovese.

Their Colonia wonderfully captures the wild, earthy sunbaked allure of Castelnuovo Berardegna.

From the same UGA, San Felice’s second vintage of La Pieve combines structural and fruit richness in an approachable package.

Now under the direction of Carlo De Biasi, San Felice is embracing regenerative agriculture. Through the LIFE VitiCaSe project, they have established four pilot vineyards, in collaboration with Castello di Albola and Tenute Ruffino, serving as an educational hub for improving soil health and increasing carbon capture capacity.

Other noteworthy nascent Gran Selezione bottlings from 2022 include Castello di Gabbiano’s Vigneto Cerbaiola, sourced from a single parcel in San Donato in Poggio, and Pomona’s Vigna del Termine.

The latter will eventually bear the UGA of Vagliagli – one of three additional subzones permitted from 2027.

Don't forget the 2022s

Not to be outdone by the 2022s, the late-release 2021s offer as much pleasure as cellaring potential.

Among my personal highlights, Castagnoli’s transportive Salita and Nardi’s effusive Vigna del Pino both wave the flag for the Castellina UGA.

Built for the long term, Castello di Monsanto’s celebrated Vigna Poggio from San Donato in Poggio is outstanding. Likewise, Panzano-based Le Cinciole comes out with its best ever vintage of Aluigi.

Finally, after years in the making, Querciabella has released three new Gran Selezione representing Greve, Radda and – another UGA-in-waiting – Lamole.

‘This was Sebastiano’s dream,’ says long-time winemaker Manfred Ing. However, Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni ceded ownership of the winery to his sister Mita Castiglioni and her son Andrea before seeing the project reach fruition.

The wines are a stunning testament to his legacy, with the Radda bottling getting my top vote.

Ultimately, no single subzone triumphs above the others. Instead, the exciting and diverse wines emanating from across the region serve to reinforce the UGA project, cementing the ongoing commitment of Chianti Classico's top estates to the Gran Selezione category.

Read the rest of Michaela's Chianti Classico analysis:

Michaela's top Gran Selezione released this year

Gran Selezione: Best of the rest

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Old-school or contemporary? Chianti Classico’s wineries argue that 2024 is both.

‘They recall the Chianti Classicos produced in vintages of yesteryear,’ says Monteraponi’s Alessandra Deiana, who describes them as elegant, fine boned and lively.

At the same time, wineries are hopeful that these chillable, chuggable reds will appeal to today’s tastes. ‘It’s what wine drinkers are looking for now’, asserts Paolo Paffi at Casa Emma.

What is the 2024 style?

Stylistically, the 2024 Chianti Classico annatas are slender and frisky, with modest alcohols typically hovering between 12-13%.

Quality, however, is mixed. Those that shone are vivacious, agile and refreshing, exhibiting lovely perfumes and extraordinary lightness with satisfying flavour.

Some are less charming, even a bit angular, while the weakest examples reveal lean and diluted wines with green, unripe tannins.

Embodying the beauty of 2024, Badia a Coltibuono is my top annata. Other highlights include Monteraponi, Jurij Fiore & Figlia’s unoaked Sonocosì, and Principe Corsini’s Villa Le Corti for value.

Viticcio spent less time in wood to allow for an earlier release and is all the better for it. Both San Giusto a Rentennano and Poggerino show a bit more density and structure relative to their counterparts without forsaking the identity of the vintage.

While the annata category is often a treasure trove of wines that overdeliver, this is less prevalent in 2024. Even so, most sit comfortably and modishly within their station.

I am less inclined to put away a few bottles ‘for science’ as I often do; instead, it is a vintage for immediate and uninhibited drinking.

For those – like me – who love lithe sprightly reds, the vintage’s successes are worth buying. Who knows when a profile like 2024 will come around again?

Clinging on to organics

Chianti Classico 2024: Vintage in depth

The 2024 vintage of Chianti Classico is certainly unlike any other in the last decade. A wet spring, followed by the dry and progressively hot summer somewhat resembled 2023.

September and October, however, were marked by cool temperatures and unremitting rain, the likes of which growers had not seen in years.

‘That extended ripening cycle gave us lower alcohol, brighter acidity, and a freshness and luminosity in the wines that I find genuinely exciting,’ raves Roberto Stucchi at Badia a Coltibuono.

While many echo his enthusiasm, others are less convinced. Matteo Buccerelli at Antico Podere Casanova decided against bottling a Chianti Classico altogether, claiming that the wine is ‘too thin’.

By all accounts, the growing season was gruelling. The wet spring brought high disease pressure, and after devastating losses to peronospora (downy mildew) in 2023, agronomist teams were extra vigilant about staying on top of spraying.

The vines rebounded from the low yields of 2023 with a bumper crop. The Chianti Classico consorzio reports a total production of 305,000 hectolitres in 2024, which is 50% more than 2023, and the highest since 2019.

At San Giusto a Rentennano, Luca Martini di Cigala says that green harvesting was ‘fundamental’ to achieving full ripeness.

He dropped 25-30% of bunches between July and August, and another 10-12% at the beginning of September. ‘Too often, grape thinning is done too late or not at all,’ he emphasises.

The heavy loads were exacerbated by the rain in September, which plumped up berries and slowed ripening, particularly in areas with less sun exposure. The once common practice of deleafing became vital again.

According to several growers, achieving phenolic ripeness was a challenge, especially in vineyards where the summer heat had blocked photosynthesis. However, waiting for ripeness increased the risk of rot.

The long and onerous harvest lasted well into October and required multiple passages in between downpours.

Thin, delicate skins demanded gentle vinifications. Winemakers cited everything from less pumping over, avoiding punching down and shorter macerations.

The latter was also due to logistics, as there were just so many grapes to vinify – estates scrambled to get their hands on more vats to deal with the surfeit.

‘2024 was undoubtedly difficult to manage, and costlier compared to other years,’ says Angela Fronti at Istine. ‘Nevertheless, it was highly rewarding in the end.’

Read the rest of Michaela's Chianti Classico analysis:

Late release – A look at the 2023s

Michaela's pick of Chianti Classico 2024 (& late releases)

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Romano dal Forno was born in 1957, the only son of a family of small vineyard owners in the valley of Ilasi, in the east of Valpolicella.

Like many families in the valley, the Dal Fornos had always produced wine for their own use and sold the bulk of their grapes to the local cooperative. Romano was the first to bottle and sell wine under his own name.

When I first met Romano towards the end of the 1980s, we spoke at the kitchen table of his family home.

A flight of rickety steps led from the kitchen to the tiny underground cellar where Romano’s entire production was ageing in traditional casks.

A single light bulb dangled from the ceiling of the cellar – the scene was one which you would have found in the homes of countryside families the length and breadth of Italy in those days.

Passing in front of the Azienda Agricola Romano dal Forno today, the company headquarters could easily be mistaken for a rather grand 17th-century Venetian villa from the outside.

The architecture, along with the decor of the reception areas are of the era, however the grape-drying and vinification facilities are high-tech, with an array of equipment designed to the company’s own specifications.

The cellars go down three levels, and the vaulted barrique cellar alone extends for an area of 1,392m².

Valpolicella's best-kept secret

The vineyard area has grown from the original 7.5 hectares to 35ha, and production from 5,000 bottles a year to an average of 50,000.

The wines – which for most of the 1980s were Valpolicella’s best-kept secret – today enjoy iconic status.

The transformation of the azienda has something of a fairytale story about it, and in fact Romano himself says: ‘Sometimes, when I’m on my own in the winery, I wander around and I think to myself, how on earth did I manage all this?’

Romano made his first official vintage in 1983. He was 26 years old and recently married.

Bursting with energy, he was idealistic and galvanised by the dream of making quality wine. But breaking with the local cooperative was a giant step.

When Romano told his father he wanted to start his own production, his father took it badly. Where was the sense in setting up in competition with the cooperatives?

In the end his father acquiesced, but looking back now, Romano has to admit that he was right to be sceptical.

‘In the 1980s, the word “quality” did not exist in the Italian language. You had to produce quantity to get ahead’.

Learning from a legend

It was about that same time that Romano met Giuseppe Quintarelli, with whom he formed a lasting relationship.

The legendary Amarone producer was an inspirational figure for Romano, but when it came to making wine, he was determined to do it his way.

‘I didn’t want to be a copy of Quintarelli… I wanted to stand on my own two feet’, he says, continuing, ‘Giuseppe always used to say, “We have always made wine the way tradition commanded, and how it always has been”, but that jarred with me’.

Romano could not relate to a tradition that was not a part of him, but there was one instance at the start of his career when following Quintarelli’s advice proved to be a game-changer.

Quintarelli had suggested that Romano thin out the crop, which he did – not by removing whole bunches, but by cutting away the bottom of the bunch to leave only the wings, known as the ‘ears’.

‘I saw immediately that this was a good thing to do, but also very risky,’ he recalls. ‘The results were great when the weather held, but in years when it rained it was a disaster’.

Despite the risks, with this extremely rigid selection using only tiny bunches of the very best fruit, Romano was able to produce high quality wine.

This attracted the attention of an American importer and enabled him to enter the US market at the end of the 1980s, commanding prices well above the average for the period.

At this stage, no more than 5,000 bottles were being made from his 7.5ha of vineyard – around 3,500 bottles of Valpolicella and 1,500 of Amarone.

These drastically reduced yields and hyper-selection became hallmarks of the estate, but Romano knew that castigating the vines in a vineyard which was not designed for low yields was a compromise.

Following visits to France to study high-density planting, Romano planted a vineyard with 11,000 vines/ha in 1996, and over the next 10 years, between new acquisitions and the replanting of existing plots, he converted the entire estate to hyper-density, resulting in revolutionary low yields unheard of in the Veneto at that time.

Rethinking the process

The vineyard is the starting place, but it does not stop there. Romano likes to cite the late Carlo Petrini’s dictum that, ‘From great grapes you can also make excellent vinegar’, and the refinement of the vinification processes has played a crucial role in the evolution of the winery.

The distinctive features of Dal Forno’s wines – the purity of fruit, the dry elegance, the finesse of the tannins, and the extreme technical precision – can all be traced to specific innovations in winemaking over the course of time.

The fruit quality comes from the rethinking of the grape drying (‘appassimento’) process.

Romano recounts that in the first years: ‘Clients used to come to visit... and I would proudly show them grapes still laid out to dry in April. When I think about it now, I think, how stupid I was’.

The concentration that comes with appassimento is indispensable to Amarone, but over-long drying compromises the purity of the fruit, introducing notes of advanced evolution.

‘Appassimento isn’t like sending a school kid to do cramming lessons to make up for what he didn’t learn at school’, Romano notes. ‘It’s that extra bit of study that helps him to excel’.

Reducing the length of appassimento meant going back to the vineyard and picking later to have levels of ripeness which offset a shorter period of grape drying.

Grapes for Amarone now dry for no more than 60 days, and since 2001 the fruit for Dal Forno’s Valpolicella is pressed after 30 days.

Since 2020, production has been managed by Romano's son, Marco.

The second milestone in the forming of the house style was the development of a drier style of Amarone.

‘Amarone is an opulent wine; if it’s not opulent it’s not Amarone, but that opulence has to be supported by a freshness and sapidity that make it inviting to drink’.

Final tweaks

Obtaining the elegance of the style he was looking for meant reducing the residual sugar, but up until 1993, when he moved into new, purpose-built cellars, fermenting all the sugar out of musts with the massive concentration of partially dried grapes was problematic.

He says: ‘I remember that in the early years, not having the technology, nor the understanding of how to solve the issue, many vintages ended up with residual sugar. Perhaps some clients liked the old-fashioned style, but I didn’t.

'Amarone should have three or four grams of residual sugar, maximum five, but sometimes it used to go up to eight, nine or even 10 grams. They might have drunk all right when they were young, but with age those wines became fat and sticky’.

The ability to control the temperatures in the final stage of fermentation through underfloor heating in the new cellars was the piece of the jigsaw that completed the picture.

From the first vinifications in cement vats in the old family cellar, in order to get the textures he was looking for, Romano has always experimented with crushing, fermenting and punching down together in the same vessels.

When he moved into the new cellars he started experimenting with vinification in barriques.

‘I found out later that in France, Château Le Pin was vinifying in the same way, but I didn’t know that when I started,’ he recalls.

Romano was not satisfied with the initial results, but he learned from the experience.

‘In 1995, I constructed the prototype of a vat that reproduces the vinification in barriques, and from then on, it was plain sailing.’

Defending identity

I put it to Romano that there is great stylistic diversity in the Amarones produced today, and I asked for his views on the direction it should take in the future – should it try to accommodate modern tastes, or remain faithful to its origins?

His reply left no doubt about his convictions: ‘There is a theory among some producers that Amarone should become a wine to drink throughout the meal… but it has no sense.

‘Amarone is not an everyday wine. We are talking about wines with 16-17 degrees of alcohol. I can’t imagine an Amarone with 14 degrees. To go under 16% you lose concentration, you lose substance… If we turn Amarone into a vinello ('a little wine') what have we achieved? We’ve lost that identity that has brought us to where we are today.

‘When we begin to put into question emblems, Amarone and Recioto… we are destroying our history’.

Dal Forno Amarone in some vintages, such as the great 2011, has touched 17% abv and perhaps even a half a point higher, but the wines have always maintained that characteristic. The current aim is to stabilise at 16%, but not to go under.

Romano believes that accommodating Amarone to perceived commercial demand for wines to drink throughout a meal is a betrayal of its true character.

‘Reducing the alcohol, you have to press earlier and then you lose concentration and substance'.

A taste of precision

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It’s not every winery visit that begins in a 13th-century church. In early February, Chiesa San Donato provides a welcome refuge from the chilly winds that wrap their way around the hilltop village of Lamole.

At this time of the year, there’s no one to be seen; a stray cat soaks up a shaft of sunlight on an old stone wall, but the road is quiet.

It's a stark contrast to the summer months, when Chiantigiana tourists flock to the hamlet’s lone restaurant, ‘Il Ristoro di Lamole’, to enjoy authentic Tuscan fare against a backdrop of magnificent views.

But for now, the small hilltop borgo is deserted, and winemaker Andrea Daldin and I have the ancient frescoes to ourselves.

Daldin explains that as recently as 1945, Lamole was a beating heart with 1,000 inhabitants. Today, in contrast, the number sits closer to 100.

Yet, the preservation of the little church and its 14th century altarpiece is remarkable; in the long summer evenings, the doors are flung open to host a throng of tourists for summer concerts.

Chianti Classico’s high altitude frontier

To reach this quiet haven, situated between Siena and Florence, you must take the road from the famed town of Greve, climbing to over 650 metres above sea level.

Lamole is both the smallest and one of the coolest UGAs (Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive) in Chianti Classico, sitting at the upper limit for growing Sangiovese in Tuscany.

Increasingly, this extreme geography is highly coveted. As summers get ever hotter, forward-thinking wineries are aggressively scouting for cooler sites.

Lamole’s altitude offers a welcome freshness that translates directly into the wines; at this elevation, vines benefit from cool evenings, excellent ventilation, and long sunlight hours.

Consequently, land prices here have soared to become among the highest in all of Chianti Classico.

A Venetian legacy

The driving force behind Lamole’s modern preservation is the entrepreneurial Marzotto family, whose wine group is currently managed by its eighth generation.

With ancestral origins as philanthropic Venetian textile merchants, the family has invested heavily in the village.

Their work includes financing the restoration of San Donato, driven by a philosophy that a good wine must also be 'good' in financial, environmental, and social terms.

This continues a wine legacy that first began in 1935, when Count Gaetano Marzotto established the Santa Margherita winery in the eastern Veneto, transforming reclaimed marshland and establishing schools, housing, and medical care for his workers.

Today, the group’s properties span from Alto Adige to Sardinia, and further afield in Oregon – but here, their Lamole di Lamole estate remains the area's largest, spanning 288 hectares with 37ha under vine.

Stones and coins

The very identity of the region is etched into its geology. The village takes its name from lame (meaning 'blades') – the mineral-rich natural terraces that cut into the steep slopes.

This viticultural landscape traces its lineage back to Roman times, and ancient cart tracks are still used to navigate the vineyards today.

It was in these soils that Daldin once unearthed a Roman coin; a token he has kept in his pocket ever since as a talisman and a reminder of the area's rich past.

Even the flora nods to antiquity. The distinctive Florentine iris, or gaggiolo, has grown among the vines since the Roman era, its bloom reflected in Florence's symbolic fleur-de-lys.

Highly prized by perfumiers for its orris root, this flower serves as the inspiration for the estate’s floral ‘Maggiolo’ Chianti Classico, named for its May (maggio) flowering.

Preserving this vertical landscape requires constant effort. The vineyards are situated on terraces supported by dry stone walls made from traditional Tuscan sandstone (macigno), an ancient structural craft recognised by UNESCO in 2018.

Lamole di Lamole has undertaken extensive restorations of these walls around its Campolungo vineyard, which yields the grapes for one of its flagship Gran Selezione wines.

Carbon

Managing the delicate balance between past and future falls to Daldin. Originally from Trentino, the winemaker moved to Siena to study oenology and has spent the last 30 years at Lamole di Lamole.

In this time he has overseen the conversion to organic farming, employing a meticulous, vine-by-vine approach utilising natural treatments based on aloe, algae, and propolis, alongside careful water management.

This ecological focus reached a milestone when Lamole di Lamole became the first Italian winery to be certified carbon neutral, backed by a dedicated full-time sustainability manager within the HERITA Marzotto Wine Estates group.

Pruning is not only a case of building the essential structure of the plant, but a way of helping develop the next generation of viticulturalists.

As Daldin explains, specialised pruning courses are hosted in these vineyards to preserve the alberello lamolese – a traditional bush-training method perfectly adapted to these steep slopes.

Testament to this, the estate boasts a historic plot of old vines planted in 1945, showcasing 30 different clones of Sangiovese trained using the alberello lamolese method, standing as a living museum of the town's heritage.

A taste of Lamole di Lamole

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Lambrusco, Emilia-Romagna’s sparkling red wine, is on-trend for being pairable, chillable, and more complex than once presumed.

But besides Lambrusco (and Sangiovese), there's another grape worth considering – the region's signature white grape, Albana.

Albana has long been overlooked due to its primary application in sweet, late-harvest passito wines, which has obscured the grape’s true potential.

Yet did you know that Albana di Romagna DOCG was the first white wine in Italy to receive DOCG designation, in 1987?

Capable of making dry and sparkling styles as well as the more ubiquitous sweets, the golden hued grape's versatility hinges on attention to terroir and technique.

So here are three reasons to pick up a bottle of Albana this summer.

1. Authenticity

Many winemakers in the region are commited to Romagna’s indigenous varieties, including Trebbiano, Sangiovese, and of course Albana.

This ensures that a sense of true identity and authenticity can be found in the bottle, tied to microclimate and soils for true terroir expression.

Open valleys support some maritime influence from the Adriatic Sea and abundant sun exposure, while inland sites offer a greater balance of clay in the soil for water retention.

Albana thrives in a composite of calcareous, sandstone, and clay soils, where it expresses acidity, salinity, and minerality.

For example, Elisa Valpiani – co-owner of Marta Valpiani in Castrocaro Terme – applies low-intervention winemaking in ‘Delyus’, a bright white with a lovely salty freshness, grown on south-facing slopes 500 metres above sea level.

2. Versatility

Full in body and with a plush texture, Albana's dry wines typically express savouriness and freshness, with tension and equilibrium between citrus, stone fruit, herbal and floral notes.

Notes of honey complement sweeter wines.

Albana’s thick skins lend phenolic structure, which makes it particularly suited to orange/ skin contact expressions, as well as supporting sweet wines.

The grape's natural acidity is beneficial for making sparkling wines, and also perfectly counterpoints the residual sugar in botrytis and late-harvest sweet styles.

Vinification in concrete or stainless steel preserves Albana's dynamism, while the use of oak brings out more complexity and enhances texure.

Lees stirring is used for even more weight and texture.

3. Food friendly

With phenolic structure, acidity and freshness, Albana is a fantastic white wine for the dinner table.

Dry versions in particular are substantive, full-bodied counterparts to the region’s signature pasta dish, cappelletti, as well as structured seafood, pork, and poultry dishes.

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Timorasso is a native, white Piedmontese grape variety that had almost completely disappeared but has made a remarkable comeback.

References to the variety (sometimes under different names) suggest it has been grown in the region since the early 13th century, but only half a hectare of Timorasso remained by 1985.

Once destined for oblivion, the grape was saved when visionary pioneer Walter Massa recognised its potential.

Massa became the first – and for some time, the only – person to believe in the variety, especially its capacity for ageing.

But others began to see its potential too and by 2025, plantings of Timorasso had grown to 500 hectares.

What does Timorasso taste like?

The typical characteristics of this hard-to-cultivate variety, which also requires careful attention during vinification, include lively acidity, accompanied by a sapid, lingering finish.

Often quite deep in colour – veering towards gold – it can be both mineral and lemony in character or richer, with stone and honey notes.

If you see one be sure to ask what style you're going to get!

Where is it grown?

Timorasso is now the focus of wine production that has transformed the Colli Tortonesi, an unspoilt environment where vineyards, orchards, fields, woods and meadows coexist in a mosaic of biodiversity.

Colli Tortonesi in Piedmont is a place where new wineries keep appearing, and even producers from the Langhe are investing here.

Derthona (a future sub-zone of the Colli Tortonesi Timorasso DOC) continues to grow steadily, underlined by the ‘Derthona Giovani’, a vibrant group of young winemakers collaborating to drive forward these increasingly promising Timorasso wines.

Timorasso: Five to try

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The Wine Society's buyer for Italy, Sarah Knowles MW, clearly went on a bit of a spending spree in order to bring in some top names and bargain buys for its members.

From the own-label ‘Exhibition’ series to stunners from the superb – and now deliciously maturing – 2016 vintage, it's hard not to dream of stocking up the wine fridge.

And I'm heartened that such an established company is placing a focus not only on the key, traditional areas of interest – Piedmont and Tuscany – but also on the hot producers and little-known wine areas, which bring both value and a sense of adventure.

With wines from the likes of Ar Pe Pe, Benanti, Conti Costanti, Foradori, GD Vajra, Pietradolce and Pieropan, there's plenty for label snobs, but I've picked out six wines that are perfect for delicious summer drinking.

You can also find more recommendations from The Wine Society's range linked at the bottom of this article.

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The Ca’Marcanda project in the sea-kissed region of coastal Tuscany began in 1996, led by the pioneering vision of Angelo Gaja.

It was a decision fuelled by curiosity – his daughter Gaia coyly jokes that her father could be accused of ‘cheating on Nebbiolo with Cabernet’.

Yet, what Bolgheri really represented was a great sense of freedom.

‘Stylistically there were no preconceptions; it’s the new world of Italy,’ she notes.

The Gaja name is perhaps best known as a leading light in Piedmont under Angelo Gaja, but today the family’s estates span three regions of Italy: Piedmont (Barbaresco, Barolo and Alta Langa), Tuscany (Ca’Marcanda in Bolgheri and Pieve Santa Restituta in Montalcino) and Sicily (Idda on Etna).

Settling in Bolgheri

As Gaia explains, ‘We arrived 10 years later’ – namely after the key names that led the historic Super Tuscan movement of the 1980s, from Grattamacco to Guado al Tasso and Ornellaia.

While Angelo Gaja remains involved in key viticultural decisions, since 2012 it has been the three siblings of the family’s fifth generation that tasted and decided each week with the winemaker.

‘Here I grew a lot thanks to the experiments at Ca’Marcanda… It is a philosophy of doing, of being hands-on,’ says Gaia.

The flagship: Camarcanda

Gaja’s 120ha Ca'Marcanda estate focuses on four key labels: three reds (Promis, Magari and Camarcanda) and a white blend, Vistamare.

For the reds, key international varieties take centre stage, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah, in addition to Sangiovese.

The distinct Bolgheri landscape offers a range of soil types, from more sandy to clay-driven and mineral-rich.

This is in particular due to the influence of the Metalliferous Hills, which in the past was a key area for copper, iron, marble and limestone mines.

Recent zoning studies have evidenced around 27 different soil types; to which Gaia acknowledged, ‘the future of Bolgheri will still have a lot of surprises for us’.

Flagship wine Camarcanda represents the estate’s true calling card, produced from some of its best plots.

Today it is a Cabernet Sauvignon-driven blend with the remainder Cabernet Franc, while in the past Merlot also featured.

‘Italianity’ as a marker of identity

Gaia Gaja certainly knows how to command a room. Pulling listeners into her inner circle, she highlights the concept of ‘Italianity’ and the triumph of the ‘ingredient’ or ‘raw material’ in winemaking and gastronomic excellence in Italy.

For her, it's a sense that ‘complexity is not the same as complicated’ that is key, and what truly matters is purity of fruit and territory.

Looking ahead

The effects of climate change on winemaking were already front of mind in Angelo’s choices.

Forward-thinking and ambitious, from the outset he collaborated with university professors, entomologists, botanists and geologists.

Today, Ca’Marcanda remains a forerunner in its approach to the developments and adaptations required by the changing climate in both vineyard and winery.

Working with Professor Andrea Lucchi from the University of Pisa, the estate was involved in an extensive study of insect behaviour that culminated in the pioneering development of ‘smart bugs’, which are being trialled and used to tackle pests in the vineyard, beginning with Ca’Marcanda and now stretching to some 120 other producers.

A focus on the role of mixed agriculture (olives, cereals, woodland), composting practices, and cover crops (such as mustard, vetch and clover) are further strategies employed to encourage biodiversity and healthy soils.

More vigorous rootstocks are being chosen, along with a shift from cordon training to Guyot – in part to tackle vineyard diseases such as esca.

Planting orientations in the vineyard are changing too, with newer vines planted north to south rather than east to west in order to maximise freshness.

In the cellar, blending possibilities are being harnessed to make the most of difficult vintages.

Despite the unpredictability of an ever-changing climate, for Gaia these difficulties also constitute an exciting challenge.

She notes that it is these adverse vintages that provide the opportunity to showcase ‘excellence in consistency’, drawing on decades of experience and the ‘repetition of a craft that goes into the glass’.

The evolution of Ca'Marcanda in six wines

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Known collectively as Alto Piemonte, there are seven small areas in the foothills of the Italian Alps producing wines which are little known outside of the local area – Piedmont's ‘other’ Nebbiolo.

Once upon a time, Alto Piemonte was destination #1 for Nebbiolo, but the majority of the vines were grubbed up as its popularity waned in favour of Barolo and Barbaresco.

Comprising seven localities – Boca, Bramaterra, Faro, Gattinara, Ghemme, Lessona and Sizzano – today's Alto Piemonte wines are made on a scale that makes even the smallest wineries in the Langhe seem Bordeaux-like in comparison.

‘In Alto Piemonte, we lost a lot of vineyards in the last 50 years,’ says Mattia Antoniotti of the Antoniotti Odilio winery in Bramaterra.

How Alto Piemonte differs to the Langhe

Located on the northern border of the Piedmont region, the Nebbiolos of Alto Piemonte produce a significantly different style to the big hitters further south, tending towards redder fruits and less tannic structure, making for approachable – if occasionally ‘rustic’ – reds.

Conditions have warmed sufficiently in recent years, bringing the Nebbiolos from the marginal Alto Piemonte climate into the conversation alongside the best the region has to offer. As if to hammer home the point, two of the Langhe's top wineries have expanded into the area: Conterno (with Nervi Conterno), and Paitin (with Bianchi).

Below you'll find five recommendations, selected for value and drinkability.

Alto Piemonte: Five to try

Italy’s reverence for French bubbles runs deep, yet its own metodo classico (traditional method) wines tell a distinct story.

Crafted using the same method as in Champagne – but rooted in Italian soil – these wines showcase the country’s unique landscapes, native grapes, and centuries of tradition, delivering effervescence with unmistakable Italian character.

Historical spark

Metodo classico is produced across Italy, but its historic heart lies in the north – Trentino, Lombardy, and Piedmont – home to landmark regions such as Trentodoc, Franciacorta, Alta Langa, and Oltrepò Pavese, as well as Veneto’s Monti Lessini.

This wasn’t by chance. Northern Italy shares more than a border with France. It also shares centuries of exchange and ambition.

As Champagne rose to prominence in the 19th century, Italian producers studied its methods, imported Chardonnay and Pinot Noir cuttings, and adapted them to their own landscapes.

Long before climate change began reshaping Europe's vineyards, Northern Italy's cooler growing seasons allowed grapes to ripen slowly while preserving the vibrant acidity that traditional-method sparkling wines depend on.

That natural freshness gave the region an enduring advantage in producing elegant metodo classico wines.

Set against the Alps, a landscape shaped by elevation, glaciers, moraines, and alpine air creates ideal conditions for classic-method sparkling wine.

Wide temperature swings between day and night preserve acidity and allow grapes to ripen slowly, resulting in wines of finesse and structure.

Trentino-Alto Adige

A century ago, Giulio Ferrari coaxed Chardonnay from mineral-rich Alpine soils, setting a benchmark for Trentodoc, Italy’s first DOC devoted to metodo classico.

Today, bottlings such as San Leonardo’s Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga Cuvée Pietra, or Rotari’s Flavio Riserva range from light and vivid to autolytic (toasty, reminiscent of brioche) and texturally rich.

Bright and focused, Trentodoc is defined by precision and energy.

Continuing north, Alto Adige’s metodo classico is naturally gaining ground.

Against the Dolomites’ rugged peaks, producers including Kettmeir, Kurtatsch, Peter Sölva, and Praeclarus craft Alpine-spirited wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Bianco – crystalline and taut.

Alta Langa

In Piedmont’s Alta Langa, steep, high-altitude hills with calcareous marl soils and wide temperature swings create ideal conditions for metodo classico.

Only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are permitted, and every bottle is vintage-dated and aged for at least 30 months on the lees.

This gives Alta Langa its hallmark tension, crisp acidity, and savoury minerality, with layered notes of citrus, white flowers, and freshly baked bread.

Still a young DOCG, Alta Langa is rapidly earning acclaim, with both historic producers like Coppo and Enrico Serafino and dynamic newcomers such as Tenuta Santa Chiara.

Oltrepò Pavese

Crossing the Po River, Oltrepò Pavese remains Italy’s heartland for Pinot Noir.

Its history runs deep: in the 19th century, pioneers including Carlo Gancia and Count Augusto Giorgi di Vistarino helped establish Italy’s first metodo classico wines.

‘Engineer Domenico Mazza declared his first production of Pinot Noir Metodo Classico as “Champagne di Codevilla,”’ notes Attilio Scienza, professor and chief scientist at the Vinitaly International Academy.

Despite its finicky nature, Pinot Noir has found a natural home here, with the highest concentration of plantings in Italy.

In this landscape of chalky marl slopes, a cool stream of salinity rises from the Ligurian Sea, and Apennine breezes cool the vines.

Wineries are reviving the Pinot Noir metodo classico tradition, with the term ‘Classese’ now appearing on labels, linking the method ‘classic’ to the place ‘Pavese’, and introducing specific production regulations for the variety.

Conte Vistriano, Tenuta Mazzolini, Roccapietra, and La Genisia are producers worth seeking out.

Franciacorta

Also in Lombardy, vineyards sweep across morainic hills south of Lake Iseo, where careful site selection is yielding polished expressions of Franciacorta DOCG.

Detailed vineyard mapping led by cartographer Alessandro Masnaghetti defines a mosaic of vineyard areas, helping producers better understand their sites, even if those distinctions remain largely invisible to consumers.

This shift toward site expression has helped define Franciacorta’s identity within Italy’s sparkling landscape.

In the glass, this means layered, lees-aged wines where citrus and orchard fruit evolve into almond, bread crust, and a gentle creaminess.

Distinct styles such as Satèn – made from Chardonnay and bottled at lower pressure – offer a softer, silkier expression.

At the same time, estates such as Barone Pizzini and Castello Bonomi are reviving the obscure Erbamat grape.

Naturally high in acidity and late ripening, it adds freshness while offering a response to warm vintages.

Italy’s indigenous fizz

But Italy’s story doesn’t rest solely on international grapes. In Veneto’s Monti Lessini DOC, the indigenous and ancient grape Durella thrives in volcanic, fossil-rich soils, yielding food-friendly metodo classico wines with formidable acidity.

Think of minerals, crunchy green apples, and citrus.

‘Its high acidity makes sparkling wine an ideal vehicle for Durella’s charms,’ says D’Agata.In Piedmont, Luigi Ferrando is reimagining Erbaluce di Caluso as a sparkling wine with tension and longevity.

Around Lake Garda, metodo classico in Lugana made from Turbiana, like those from Perla del Garda, offer wines of brilliance from high-mineral soils, imparting structure and a saline edge with a vibrant, modern snap.

Further north, Prié, the oldest documented grape variety in the Valle d’Aosta, is grown at some of Europe’s loftiest vineyard sites.

Where altitude defines both place and profile, producers such as Cave Mont Blanc and Ermes Pavese are crafting wines that are brisk and finely etched, with mountain herbs and citrus woven through a lively, persistent mousse.

This focus on native grapes is reshaping Italy’s sparkling identity.

From Emilia to Etna

In Emilia-Romagna, Paltrinieri’s ‘Grosso’ draws attention to Sorbara’s singular character.

A grape that cannot self-pollinate, it depends on interplanted Salamino vines. This leads to uneven ripening, which, paradoxically, heightens its natural acidity.

‘Sorbara’s acidity doesn’t come from picking early,’ says fourth-generation Giovanni Paltrinieri. ‘When fully ripe, they are full of acidity.’

The wines are shimmering, vibrant, and expressive – driven as much by character as by precision.

In Sicily, before Etna became known for its reds and whites, sparklers were already made using the traditional method.

In the mid-19th century, the Spitaleri family presented Etna sparkling wines at international exhibitions, reportedly winning top prizes over Champagne.

Production then declined for much of the 20th century before re-emerging in recent years as a small but growing focus among Etna producers.

Grown on Etna’s black volcanic soils, Nerello Mascalese and Carricante are producing bubbles of notable freshness and structure.

A formal category for sparkling wines is set to be introduced into the denomination in the coming years, reflecting growing momentum behind the style.

Key references include Benanti and Terrazze dell’Etna, alongside Tenute Nicosia and Murgo.

More focused projects are also emerging from producers such as Iuppa, Firriato, and De Bartoli Etna, with Tenute Mannino also exploring this space.

‘It’s fascinating to see what indigenous grapes are capable of, particularly Nerello Mascalese,’ says Kirk Peterson, wine expert and owner of US distributor Copfina Nevada.

An open invitation

For wine lovers, Italy’s metodo classico is an invitation to explore.

Italy's traditional method wines are linked by technique but uniquely distinguished by terroir.

In broad strokes, Franciacorta tends toward ripe yellow orchard fruit and breadth, Trentino is known for its steely precision, while Monti Lessini showcases the remarkable acidity and individuality of its native grape, Durella.

Peterson says: ‘For anyone interested in exploring the differences between Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne should also welcome the opportunity to taste metodo classico from Alta Langa to Mount Etna.’.

After all, would you compare Parmigiano Reggiano to Comté?

Italian metodo classico: Eight to try

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The Trentino-Alto Adige region is composed of two distinct geographical and administrative entities: the bilingual Alto Adige/Süd Tirol of the province of Bolzano/Bozen to the north and the Trentino, which takes its name from the provincial capital of Trento, to the south.

Of the two, Alto Adige has undoubtedly gained the most visibility in recent years.

Trentino on the other hand, is known for its classy Trento DOC sparkling metodo classico, but to a large extent the still wines of the province have remained under the radar.

Camera obscura

One reason for this might be that Trentino presents itself to the outside world as a wine region with a certain lack of chiaroscuro.

Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay together account for more than half of the province’s 10,232 ha of vineyards.

Cooperatives make 85% of the wine, 75% of the production is covered by the catch-all Trentino DOC and a significant percentage of the rest is bottled under the even more generic Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT. (Trento Chamber of Commerce, 2022)

The statistics, however, do not tell the whole story.

Within the global DOC there is a mosaic of terroirs and site-specific wines, beside the commercial varieties there are native grapes of great interest and outside the cooperative movement, there is a dynamic artisan winemaking scene.

When you step off the beaten track, there is a whole world to be discovered.

The province of Trento stretches along the central valley of the Adige for roughly 75km, from the border with Alto Adige near Salurno/Salurn, to Veneto in the south, at the village of Borghetto.

To the west it takes in the valley of the Sarca which leads to the northern shore of Lake Garda, and to the east rises to the high peaks of the Dolomites.

Nuts for Nosiola

The first important growing area, moving south from the border with Alto Adige, lies on the left of the Adige, between Salurno and Trento and includes the villages of Faedo, Pressano, Lavis and Sorni.

This is the habitat of one of the Trentino’s most intriguing native varieties, the white Nosiola.

Not much is known about its origins, but it has a historic presence and these days grows almost exclusively in Trentino.

Production is tiny – Nosiola accounts for less than one percent of the vineyard area of the province – but producers on these sunny, gently rolling, glacial-alluvial hills grow it with conviction, making light, dry, tangy wines with subtle hazelnut aromas.

It is the most traditional of Trentino whites, but the style is very contemporary.

Mountainous Müller-Thurgau

Striking east from the Adige, takes you into the much more extreme growing environment of the Val di Cembra.

Dizzyingly terraced slopes supported by over 700 km of dry stone walls creep up to 900 metres in the narrow closed valley where the grainy porphyric soils and the dramatic diurnal temperature excursions give the whites an authentic mountain wine feel.

Chardonnay and Riesling grow here, but the variety of the Val di Cembra is Müller-Thurgau.

On these terraces, the Riesling x Madeleine Royale crossing makes wines with a steely-dry intensity and subtle herbs and white blossom aromas that set them apart from the more familiar soft and scented profile of the variety.

It is a very different wine to the Nosiola of the Adige valley, but as in the case of the former, it is the variety which best shows off the terroir.

Valle di Cembra Superiore is an official sub-zone of the DOC, and the label is worth looking for.

Mysterious Marzemino

If points north and east of Trento are white wine country, south of the town the warmer, lower slopes of the Vallagarina are dominated by red varieties.

Italy’s very first Bordeaux blend was bottled here in the early 1960s, laying the foundations for a production which is a benchmark for the style.

Cabernet and Merlot, however are relative newcomers compared to Marzemino, which has been documented in the northeast since the 15th century.

Various theories of its provenance have been advanced, including migration from the Middle East across the Mediterranean to Dalmatia and thence to Venice.

But research that demonstrates genetic links with the Trentino’s own native Teroldego (quoted in D’Agata, Native Wine Grapes of Italy) suggests origins much closer to its current home.

Marzemino is a medium-bodied, ruby-violet coloured wine with wild berry-and-violets aromas and a dry finish with firm acidity.

Two specific sites are associated with the variety. The first is on the right of the valley at Isera, where soils of volcanic origin give the wines a light minerally quality

And the other on the left, on the calcareous and basalt soils of the Ziresi sub-zone, where the wines tend to have slightly firmer structure.

Both sites have Superiore status in the DOC.

From holy valley

The Valle del Sarca with its picture postcard lakes, runs roughly parallel to Adige, separated from it by a long mountain range with peaks up to 2,000 metres.

The valley is the elected second home of Nosiola, but here, around the communes of Calavino, Lasino, Padergnone and Cavedine, it makes not a dry white, but Trentino Vino Santo, one of Italy’s rarest and most extraordinary sweet wines.

Nosiola for Vino Santo is picked mid-to-late September, the bunches laid to dry on straw mats in open lofts for a period of not less than six months and pressed around Easter time, a tradition recalled in the name of the wine.

The natural environment of the valley is the determining factor in the unique character of the wine.

It is a story of contrasting forces. On one hand the humidity of the lakes encourages the development of botrytis.

On the other, the daily blast of wind from Lake Garda that rattles the shutters from midday to sunset throughout the spring creates the conditions for a period of drying far longer than for any other Italian passito.

So concentrated are the grapes at the end of this period, that it can take two to three days to squeeze the juice from them in hand-operated basket presses.

Yields are miserly. From 100kg of grapes a producer will typically obtain 15 litres of must, which ferments and matures in small barrels for 8-10 years.

Vino Santo is a wine of exceptional complexity on the nose and intense flavours on the palate, sweet but never cloying (fermentation blocks spontaneously at around 150-170 g/l of residual sugar) with a finesse which is rare among wines of the style.

Average production is around 25,000 half-bottles a year.

Terrific Teroldego

The one important wine which does not come under the Trentino DOC umbrella, but has a denomination all of its own is Teroldego Rotaliano.

The Campo Rotaliano is a wide alluvial plain with shallow gravelly soils on the floor of the valley of the Adige, Teroldego is the grape.

It is presumed to be indigenous to Trentino, however research (D’Agata, Native Wine Grapes of Italy ) shows that it is a sibling of the French variety Dureza, which in turn is a parent of Syrah, and this raises an intriguing question about the geographical origins of the Trentino variety.

Wherever the variety came from, Teroldego is cited in local chronicles since at least the 17th century and has always been held in high esteem.

It is a vigorous variety, traditionally grown on high-trained pergolas to give vent to its productive energy.

The wines are medium-bodied, deeply coloured but only moderately tannic with good acidity and aromas of red fruit and violets and often a hint of bitter almonds.

It needs careful handling in oak, but when it is good, it is very good indeed.

Teroldego ranks among the most interesting native grape red wines of the northeast, however one has to wonder about the quality ambitions of a denomination which allows yields of 119hl/ha, the highest of any DOC red wine in Italy.

Entry level wines can be very simple. The twin villages of Mezzocorona and Mezzolombardo are the most important sites.

Savvy young producers

The producers I have listed at the foot of the sections above are (with the exception of two small cooperatives) small-to-medium scale independent estates, which grow and bottle their own wine.

The agricultural census of 2010 found that there were 168 such grower-producers in Trentino.

Official figures for 2022 show that the number has shrunk to 119, but interestingly, the percentage of the total production made by growers has remained stable at 6%.

It is a niche, but it is very much alive, driven by the independent spirit, energy and innovation of a generation of very savvy young producers.

Many of these are represented in the following notes on some of my favourite artisan wines from recent trips to Trentino.

This included a visit in March this year to the excellent Vinifera show dedicated to artisan winemakers from northern Italy’s mountain regions.

The wines of Trentino

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Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW, Jason Millar and Stefan Neumann MS tasted 77 wines, with 5 Outstanding and 22 Highly recommended

Unoaked Italian reds: Panel tasting scores

77 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 5

Highly recommended 22

Recommended 45

Commended 5

Fair 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit red wines of any vintage from anywhere in Italy, made from grape varieties indigenous to the region of production, either 100% varietal or in a blend containing a minimum 85% of indigenous varieties; no vinification or ageing in oak of any type was permitted

Eschewing the oak

Wooden barrels have been used in the wine industry since Roman times, with producers commonly making use of local woods such as acacia, pine or chestnut.

Over time, oak became the preferred material due to its tight grain and abundance across Europe.

As winemakers recognised its positive influence on tannins and flavours, oak gained dominance in today’s wine industry.

Ripe black fruit flavours mixed with smoky (oak-derived) vanilla equals enjoyable drinking experiences for most consumers.

In the production of reds, winemakers use oak barrels or chips to add flavour and complexity, and to help soften tannins, which begs the question: don’t all red wines have oak?

There are more unoaked red wines made than we might initially realise; often they’re simpler, fruitier wines intended to be drunk young – Beaujolais and young Rioja being notable examples.

Yet no other country has more of an association with unoaked red wines than Italy.

The decision to not use oak is based on the desire to preserve the pure expression of a grape variety, to highlight regional terroir, or to create a fresher, more fruit-driven style.

Vessels such as stainless steel, concrete vats and clay amphorae allow for minimal intervention, letting inherent flavours shine – ‘wines without lipstick’ is how Jason Millar described these wines; completely exposed, without any beautification.

‘Wines that bring an element of joy to the drinker’

For this tasting, 17 of Italy’s 20 regions were represented. Piedmont, Tuscany and Sicily topped the list in terms of entries.

Sangiovese was the most popular variety, followed by Barbera – understandable, given that they’re two of Italy’s most planted varieties.

The main discussion among the judges was whether an unoaked wine could be more than simple and fruity. Could it be complex and have the ‘wow factor’?

The top achievers were simple but also concentrated and delicious expressions – ‘wines that bring an element of joy to the drinker’, according to Stefan Neumann MS.

Ultimately, our question was answered.

Without oak, these wines were capable of expressing purity and a true sense of place. And they certainly had that wow factor!

What to eat with unoaked Italian reds, by Fiona Beckett

So varied are these wines in terms of region and grape variety that it’s difficult to make a generalisation about wine matching, other than to focus on what kind of food unoaked Italian wines might successfully pair with in comparison with oaked wines.

By and large they’re younger, lower in alcohol and less expensive than their oaked counterparts – more for everyday or at least relaxed weekend drinking than fine dining.

In regions such as Tuscany, where red wine is predominantly an unoaked wine, it often takes the place of a white – the go-to with a homely chickpea and rosemary soup, for example, or a simple plate of pasta before moving on to a more serious wine with the meat.

Pizza is another obvious option, which isn’t to diminish these wines – it’s an underrated foil for a simple, well-made red.

With their typically pronounced acidity, unoaked reds are a natural match for salumi and, perhaps less obviously, for fish. There’s no reason why you can’t drink a light Sicilian red such as Frappato with pasta con le sarde (with sardines), for instance, or a Bardolino with some garlicky grilled prawns.

See all notes and scores from the unoaked Italian reds tasting

The judges

Unoaked Italian reds panel tasting results:

Wines were tasted blind

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Ageing Italian wines is slowly becoming a trend. Many wineries across the country are showing greater ambitions than ever before, organising vertical tastings, building up library stocks, and re-releasing small quantities of back vintages.

Yet few take the idea as far as Roberto Di Meo, the only producer to regularly release Fiano and Greco wines aged 10 years or more.

The only comparable example might be ‘Rarity’’ from Cantina Terlano in Alto Adige.

Campania’s inland Irpinia is emerging on the global stage, but is still penalised by wineries’ needs for quick cash flow, which leads them to sell their white wines when they are still young.

This makes Di Meo’s work all the more remarkable, reaffirming a potential that is still mostly unexpressed.

The secret vat

Almost nobody knew that Roberto Di Meo had been hiding a single vat of his 1993 Fiano.

‘It’s the only lot from the 1990s that deserved being kept aside for decades. Luckily, there has been more consistency between vintages from 2000 onwards,’ he states.

After 33 years, the wine was finally released in December 2025, celebrating Roberto’s 60th birthday, and marking the 40th anniversary of the estate in 2026.

A tiny production of 2,800 bottles and 500 magnums, it is simply labelled as vino bianco and available via allocation through Di Meo’s importers worldwide.

‘It’s a wine from another era,’ affirms Di Meo. ‘That doesn’t mean current releases won't age as well – current techniques might yield even better results. But with a modest 12% alcohol, its slender style is impossible to replicate in the face of global warming.’

A quiet revolution 

While Di Meo might not carry the international recognition of Mastroberardino or Feudi di San Gregorio, Roberto and his parents, Vittorio and Alessandra, were pioneers of quality Campanian wine, turning a 17th century hunting estate into one of Irpinia's first commercial wineries in 1986.

A winemaker by training, Roberto almost immediately began channelling his interest in longevity into the estate’s production.

‘I’ve always been obsessed with ageworthy whites,' he explains. 'I was already collecting bottles from France and other parts of Italy back then. But in those early years, I didn't have the technical expertise to make one.

‘The climate was also a hurdle – many seasons in the late 1980s and ‘90s were so cold in Irpinia that we struggled to hit even 11.5% alcohol. 1993 was the first vintage that provided the right concentration – still relatively rainy but with milder temperatures. From that point on, I began setting batches aside.’

His Tempo (‘time’) collection, however, only saw the light of day 21 years later.

‘I had already conceived two top-shelf expressions of Fiano – Alessandra, and the oak-aged Colle dei Cerri – in the early 2000s, and started holding them back.

'But, in 2014, I made a step further by launching the 2000 Erminia, which had spent nearly 14 years on the fine lees in stainless steel.’

What makes Fiano so ageable?

Fiano has always been the cornerstone of Di Meo's Tempo collection, accounting for four out of the six late-release wines made at the estate.

A high-acid, late-ripening variety, Fiano is usually shier in its youth than Greco Di Tufo, Irpinia’s other key native white variety.

It rarely reveals its full potential until at least three or four years after harvest, after which it evolves very slowly.

‘You can spot the difference even in the juice,’ Di Meo explains. ‘While Greco turns golden with minimal oxygen during fermentation, Fiano’s pale straw hues remain.’

The project begins in the vineyard, with the four Fiano wines originating from specific plots surrounding Di Meo’s cellar in the township of Salza Irpina, at between 500 and 550 metres above sea level.

‘Within a mere 200–300 metres, not only the soil but also the slope and exposure vary significantly, leading to different outcomes,' he says.

'This is proven by the fact not all parcels perform well in every vintage, forcing us to skip some releases. Furthermore, not everything that is aged hits the market.’

All in the lees

Lees aging in stainless steel is the primary means through which these wines are kept intact.

As Roberto explains: ‘Fine lees protect and enrich the wine. When you age it in an inert vessel for such an extended period, the risk is hyper-reduction, avoided precisely by stirring them.'

One question might be whether these wines can stand further ageing after release.

‘Of course they can!’ replies Di Meo. ‘In fact, I usually offer multiple vintages for sale.’

He acknowledges that his business model isn't for the faint of heart.

‘Some lots simply don't run the distance, forcing you to discard them. But the ones that do – like this 1993 – justify the entire endeavour.’

While the 1993 vintage commands over €250 (roughly £216) per bottle, the other Tempo wines in the range remain more affordable considering their pedigree.

For those seeking a more immediate introduction to the house style, the 2024 Fiano di Avellino displays remarkable precision and elegance, even in its youth, and reaffirms that quality isn't just a result of time, but also of a clear vision and exceptional grapes.

A taste of time

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This year, a new trade format arrived in London with Wines Experience, an innovative structure promoting commercial conversations for Italian food and wine.

As part of the programme Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) hosted a masterclass on 26 April showcasing the potential of Northern Italy’s white wines, marking a significant milestone at the 2025 competition.

Led by DWWA Senior judge and award-winning sommelier Vincenzo Arnese, the full-capacity masterclass featured six wines scoring 95+ points.

From steep slopes, to lake and coastal influences, and mineral soils, the selection of white wines showcased the diversity of Northern Italy through a vast range of terroirs, grape varieties and styles.

A focus on terroir, tradition and innovation

Beginning with an overview of Decanter World Wine Awards’ rigorous judging process, the 2025 edition marked the competition’s 22nd year, more than 17,000 wines from 57 countries were assessed by 248 experts, including 71 Masters of Wine and 23 Master Sommeliers.

Arnese highlighted that Italy has long been celebrated for its outstanding red wines, while a new narrative is emerging for its white grape varieties, defined by freshness, architectural structure and remarkable ageing potential. These are wines redefining the global perception of Italian wines.

Scroll down to discover the six masterclass wines with tasting notes

Italy ranks among the top three most-awarded countries by medal count. During the masterclass, Arnese presented figures underscoring the rising performance of Italian whites: in 2025, Italy secured 65 Gold medals, of which 39 were awarded to white wines and 25 to reds. Notably, whites accounted for 60% of Northern Italy’s Gold medals, highlighting a decisive shift in the country’s qualitative landscape.

The tasting opened with a 97-point Platinum medal winner from Collio, Muzic Valeris Friulano, Friuli Venezia Giulia 2023 – a benchmark expression of indigenous varietal character. It was noted that Platinum and Best in Show represent the elite tier of the competition: all entries scoring 97 points and above are re-tasted a minimum of four times; Best in Show stands as the ultimate accolade, awarded to just 50 wines.

The tasting continued with three 95-point Gold medallists, each having successfully passed a rigorous second judging stage: Podere Selva Capuzza Menasasso Lugana Riserva 2020 from Lombardy, Zýmē di Celestino Gaspari From Black to White 2022 from Veneto and Cantine Volpi Derthona La Zerba Timorasso Colli Tortonesi 2023 from Piedmont.

The masterclass concluded with two leading 96-point Gold expressions from Valle d'Aosta and Alto Adige, underscoring the exceptional quality emerging from Italy’s alpine viticultural landscapes with:

• Les Crêtes, Cuvée Bois Chardonnay, Valle d'Aosta 2022
• Cantina Terlano, Rarity, Alto Adige Terlano 2012

DWWA 2026 judging commences this week, with results set to be announced on 17 June. Another compelling year awaits, and anticipation is already building for the wines that will define this year’s winners.

See below to discover the line-up of 95-97-point wines which were presented on the day (in tasting order).

The six masterclass wines

Muzic, Valeris Friulano, Collio, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2023

Platinum, 97 points
100% Tocai Friulano

Outstanding splendour, evoking fennel and tarragon herbs, jasmine florals and ripe red apple fruit, all of which carry through to the refined palate. Salivating and vibrant with a velvety texture, finely-beaded acidity and visceral gravelly length. Alcohol 13.5%

Podere Selva Capuzza, Menasasso, Lugana Riserva, Lombardy, Italy 2020

Gold, 95 points
100% Turbiana

Dashing golden fruits, sweet vanilla and fresh thyme on the nose with an exquisite mineral purity coming to the fore and an unfurling creaminess to conclude. Alc 13.5%

Zýmē di Celestino Gaspari, From Black to White, Veneto 2022

Gold, 95 points
60% Rondinella Bianca, 15% Goldtraminer, 15% Kerner, 10% Incrocio Manzoni

A lovely original style with alluring ripe apple and pear aromas and contrasting stony mineral undertones. Zesty and vibrant with a long pink grapefruit finish. Alc 13%

Cantine Volpi, Derthona La Zerba Timorasso, Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont 2023

Gold, 95 points
100% Timorasso

Intense buttered toast and juicy, salted lime notes over an overt acid backbone which sears over the mouth-wateringly viscous palate. Full of life and promise. Alc 14%

Les Crêtes, Cuvée Bois Chardonnay, Valle d'Aosta 2022

Gold, 96 points
100% Chardonnay

Keen floral, tropical fruit and buttered toast aromas soak into the voluptuous palate and lap cheerfully against the juicy texture and lingering salted citrus finish. Alc 14.5%

Cantina Terlano, Rarity, Alto Adige Terlano 2012

Gold, 96 points
100% Pinot Blanc

Astonishingly youthful for its age; flourishing with lemon curd, turmeric and ginger spice and acacia honey nuance; resplendent in its plush, poised charm. True perfection. Alc 14%

Search all DWWA 2025 winners

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Many years ago, I wrote an article for an April Fool’s Day issue of a wine magazine (not this one).

In it, I celebrated the enterprise of an Australian winemaker who had created ‘Cabonnay’, an innovative if nonexistent blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Little did I know that reality had got there well ahead of me: Caberlot, a hybrid crossing of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, had been identified by renowned Italian agronomist Remigio Bordini in the late 1960s, in a vineyard in Colli Euganei, near Padua in Italy.

Bordini was enthusiastic about the potential of Caberlot (at that point known by its registration code, L32), since this was a period when Sangiovese was, with rare exceptions, little more than a workhorse.

He believed Caberlot would produce wines with more structure and personality.

He cultivated the variety in his own private nursery for a number of years, but it wasn't until he was introduced to Wolf and Bettina Rogosky that its promise was realised.

The connection

Wolf and Bettina Rogosky had purchased the small Podere Il Carnasciale property in 1972, located in what is today designated as the Val d’Arno di Sopra region in Tuscany, east of the Chianti Classico zone and north of Arezzo.

In those early days, the farm had no road access, water, or electricity.

At around the same time, Bordini was working with oenologist Vittore Fiore at the Castelluccio estate in Modigliana, Romagna, and by the 1980s the team – including consultant Luigi Veronelli – was credited with elevating the quality of Sangiovese in a region then known for its bulk wine.

Fiore began working as a winemaking consultant for Podere Il Carnasciale estate in the mid-1980s, after a devastating frost destroyed 0.3 hectares of olive groves in 1985 and the family decided to pivot to winemaking.

Fiore quickly introduced the Rogoskys to Bordini, once he understood their vision of quality aligned with his, and Bordini agreed to allow them to plant Caberlot.

The first vineyard was planted cautiously in 1986 on those 0.3 hectares of rocky soil, consisting of just over 3,000 Caberlot bush vines.

The first vintage of ‘Caberlot’ was 1988, and because of the small quantities produced from yields below 30 hectolitres per hectare, it was sold principally in magnums.

Carnasciale today

Podere il Carnasciale remains family-owned, with Wolf and Bettina's son, Moritz in charge, with an increasing role for his daughter Elle. Wolf Rogosky died in 1996.

The next generation has been supported by head of viticulture and winemaking, Marco Maffei since 2012, who succeeded consultant oenologist Peter Schilling.

With just 5.5 hectares of vineyard planted between 1986 and 2013 (the first year the vineyards were certified organic), plus new plantings in 2016 which bring the total vineyard area to eight hectares, the estate remains a boutique winery.

The highest, and probably one of the best Caberlot sites is the original home vineyard at 420 metres above sea level, close to the estate’s farmhouse, while the other vineyards are planted lower down near the villages of Mercatale, Bucine, and Montevarchi.

The high density bush vines of the original vineyard of 1986, Moritz concedes, makes it difficult to farm, as all work has to be undertaken manually. Furthermore, there can be a risk of excessive and unwelcome humidity beneath the canopy.

Production fluctuates but in 2016, 3,500 magnums were released together with a small release of 75cl ‘demi-magnums’ called sommelleria, destined for restaurants.

After selective manual harvesting, the grapes are chilled down overnight, destemmed, and then fermented in stainless steel tanks with manual punchdowns.

The wine is aged in medium-toast Burgundian barrels, of which about 50% are new, for 22 months, with just a single racking.

The wines

Wines from different sites are aged separately. In 2019, I was able to taste the seven components of the 2017 vintage from barrel, and the elevated home vineyard was the most perfumed and delicate.

A selection of grapes from the younger vineyards, fermented in stainless steel, results in 5-8,000 bottles of the second wine, known as Carnasciale Botte Grande which, until 2019 was a barrel selection aged in a large 40-hectolitre cask for 22 months, followed by a further six months in bottle.

Caberlot itself is bottled without fining or filtration, and is given a further 16 months of bottle ageing before release.

In addition, there is a pure Sangiovese called Ottantadue, which made in a fresher, unoaked style.

Following natural-yeast fermentation with 20% whole clusters in cement, it spends 14 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling and a few more months in bottle before release.

Unlike Caberlot, which is an IGT, Ottantadue conforms to the local regulations and is labelled as Val d’Arno di Sopra DOC.

By definition, Caberlot is a unique wine, and no other Italian estate has bottled a wine made from the grape.

Not surprisingly, it has acquired a cult status, but that would count for little if the wine itself were not of exceptional quality.

Despite the parentage of the variety, it resembles neither Bordeaux nor the Super Tuscans from the Maremma – it has its own character, swaggering rather than elegant, and Caberlot’s reputation for longevity is fully deserved.

Tasting Caberlot

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We are standing on the panoramic terrace of the tasting room of the Borgo Maragliano winery in Loazzolo, in the Alta Langa.

The Galliano family have produced Moscato here for three generations. They began to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the early 1980s, and were among the first of the new generation of ground-breaking metodo classico producers in the Langhe area of Piedmont.

The cellars are at 450 metres above sea level, while the average elevation of the vineyards spread out below us in a patchwork of vines, pastures and woodland is around 400m.

Carlo Galliano points to a plot which has been cleared on a hillside high above us, on the opposite side of the valley.

‘It’s at 600m,’ he explains. ‘The soils are perfect for Pinot Noir, but my father would never have planted a vineyard at that height. It would never have ripened. But today with the climate we have, it’s different. I’m going to be planting there in the spring.’

Taking advantage

When the production norms for the Alta Langa DOC (later DOCG) were drawn up in 2002, they stipulated that the wine had to be sourced from vineyards at above 250m.

Today the producers’ consorzio estimates that the average elevation is between 400 and 550m, although many growers are exploiting the opportunity offered by a changing climate to plant much higher – on sites where the grapes tick all the boxes for sparkling wine production; intense aroma, high acidity and low sugar.

When the Rivetti family acquired the historic house of Contratto in 2011, they planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dedicated to Alta Langa sparkling wine at between 700m and 820m.

And when Sara Vezza from the Josetta Saffirio winery at Monforte embarked on a production of her metodo classico, she planted on virgin soils at 700m at Murazzano, in an area of high pastures renowned for its cheeses and certainly not in the past for its wines.

It will be interesting to see how the arrival of viticulture will impact these often isolated rural sites in the future.

Italian metodo classico: A brief history

When it comes to metodo classico wines, Alta Langa is very much the new player on the block.

The three other major Italian DOCs for bottle re-fermented wines all arrived much earlier: Trento DOC dates from 1993, Oltre Po from 1970, and Franciacorta from 1967.

Yet production of metodo classico is not new to Piedmont – in 1850, following studies in Reims, Carlo Gancia founded the house of Gancia at Canelli.

Adapting the French system of bottle re-fermention using the local grape Moscato, he produced what is documented as Italy’s first traditional method sparkling wine.

Other historic houses including Calissano, Contratto and Cora followed suit, adding sparkling wines to the flourishing production of Vermouth of the period, emulating Champagne not only in the production method but also in the flamboyant liberty-style advertising posters which have become collectors’ items.

But then it all died away.

Fast forward to 1990, and a group of seven major Piedmontese houses launched a project to recreate the production of prestige metodo classico, which had been lost in the region.

In what would make an interesting case study in entrepreneurial initiative, the project started from zero, with experimental plantings of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and by 1996, there were 48 hectares under vine.

The name Alta Langa was registered in 1998, and the following year the first wines were released.

The producers’ consorzio was founded in 2001, and in record time, DOC recognition arrived in 2002 for the new sparkling wine.

Building an identity

To create a distinctive identity for the new Alta Langa denomination, the production regulations drawn up in 2002 set the bar high.

To begin with, the base must be Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir, used individually or in combination.

There is no non-vintage version – Alta Langa is exclusively ‘millesimato’ – and it must age on its lees for a minimum of 30 months (36 months for the Riserva; this will increase to 60 months when the latest modifications to the regulations come into effect).

The potential area of production for Alta Langa is vast, taking in 149 villages in the three wine growing provinces of Alessandria, Asti and Cuneo.

But currently, only 600ha are registered. To put that in perspective, Barbaresco has around 750ha registered.

Calcareous marl soils predominate, with varying textures depending on the percentage of clay to sand.

Production is limited but growing, with projections for the 2025 total of two million bottles to increase to five million by 2030.

Two great Piedmontese traditions are reflected in the cross-section of Alta Langa producers.

On one hand, there are the long-established sparkling wine and Vermouth houses like Cocchi, Coppi, Contratto and Gancia; on the other hand, small- to medium-scale family-run estates.

Many famous names from the red wine denominations of the Langhe have added Alta Langa to their lists, as have Moscato producers from Asti.

The Alta Langa style

If Trento DOC is all about crisp elegance, and Franciacorta round complexity, Alta Langa offers structure and depth.

The absence of an entry level non-vintage label, combined with extended ageing, are distinguishing features accentuated by the orientation of many producers towards the driest pas dosé (equivalent to brut nature) and extra brut styles.

These styles are not always the most accessible, however, and blanc de noir bottlings in particular can feel very dry indeed, and undeniably Piedmontese: austere, long-lived, and great with food.

10 top Alta Langa for your glass

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Although not indigenous to Italy, Sauvignon Blanc can be considered one of the country’s most important white grape varieties.

The most celebrated examples are from the two northeastern regions of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Alto Adige, while other notable examples come from regions as far apart as Piedmont and Sicily.

Friuli

In the commune of Mariano in the Gorizia province of Friuli, the Gallo family crafts two remarkable Sauvignons, Piere and Vieris, sourced from two distinct vineyards.

Matteo Gallo, son of winemaker Gianfranco, who has managed the Vie di Romans estate for more than 40 years, calls the wines ‘our two most representative crus’.

Gallo characterises the Piere vineyard as having greater soil depth and a higher clay content, while Vieris features much shallower, reddish-coloured soil, rich in limestone and pebbly stones.

He notes that these differences are the result of the way the valley was formed and later shaped, following the overall retreat of the glaciers, a process completed about 10,000 years ago.

‘During this long period,’ he explains, ‘the Piere area was the first to emerge from the waters and it therefore displays a more evolved and deeper soil profile.’

Piere, produced from predominantly Italian-clone vines that have loose grape clusters, is vinified in stainless steel, while Vieris, which has more French clones than Italian, matures for nine months in French oak barriques.

They are, ‘the result of our understanding and interpretation of their unique terroir’, reasons Gallo.

Alto Adige/ Südtirol

At the Cantina Terlano cooperative in the village of Terlano in Alto Adige, cellar master Rudi Kofler notes that Sauvignon Blanc arrived in this commune from France around the turn of the 20th century, marking the origin of the variety in the Südtirol (the Germanic name for the multilingual region).

Cantina Terlano was the first local producer to bottle a single-varietal Sauvignon Blanc, in 1956. Today, the winery offers two celebrated Sauvignon Blancs, Winkl and Quarz, sourced from vineyards in the Terlano surroundings.

They both have a similar profile of volcanic-origin quartz porphyry with sandy-loamy soils very rich in skeletal material (especially for the plots used for the Quarz).

The ratio of vines in each is overwhelmingly Italian – between 70%-80%, with only 20%-30% French.

Kofler vinifies these wines in both stainless steel tanks and large barrels, with slight variations; for Winkl, 20% of the wine is aged in large, 7,500L German oak casks that are between 20 and 30 years old, while for Quarz, half of the wine is aged in 3,000L French oak casks of five to 10 years old.

‘Wines aged in wooden barrels tend to be creamier, more playful in texture and less reductive than those fermented exclusively in stainless steel,’ he says.

The winemaker describes Quarz as a ‘crystalline Sauvignon Blanc with layered texture and vibrant salinity’ – a more formidable wine than the Winkl, explaining that it benefits from a higher proportion of ageing in oak.

A focused profile

Another acclaimed Sauvignon Blanc producer in Alto Adige is the Cantina Kurtatsch co-op.

Although its oldest vines are French clones, head winemaker Erwin Carli prefers the local clones developed by the Laimburg agricultural research centre, which are also used by Cantina Terlano and some other wineries in the area.

Carli explains that these local clones have looser clusters, which results in lower susceptibility to infection by the botrytis fungus, as well as reduced canopy vigour and higher acidity in the resulting fruit than the French clones.

‘Under warming growing conditions, this typically translates into a fresher, more focused profile that helps to retain acidity in the wine,’ he says.

The hillside vineyards here at Penon-Kofl, in the commune of Cortaccia, south of Bolzano, are situated between 425m and 600m, on steep slopes reaching 85% gradient.

The soils are composed of sand and gravel, rich in Dolomitic limestone and quartz minerals.

Carli explains that this site experiences strong solar radiation but with fewer hours of direct sunlight per day – conditions the winemaker believes are ‘ideal for Sauvignon Blanc, promoting ripeness while preserving freshness and aromatic precision’.

For him, flagship Sauvignon Kofl – labelled as Penon-Kofl as of the 2024 vintage, following the implementation, from that vintage, of the 86 new Alto Adige UGA areas (unità geografica aggiuntiva, or ‘additional geographical unit’) – displays an earthy, stony character with its fruit and floral notes in the background.

It's a vertical wine, unlike more typical Sauvignon Blancs of the area, which he describes as more expressive, aromatic and bold.

Piedmont

In Neive, in the heart of the Barbaresco appellation, Pierguido Busso at his family’s Piero Busso winery has been producing the mono-varietal Arbé Sauvignon Blanc since the 2018 vintage.f

These grapes were previously incorporated in the winery’s Langhe Bianco blend. Arbé is dedicated to Busso’s two nieces, Arianna and Beatrice.

He says that his main inspiration comes from France, particularly from the Loire valley. The winemaking is gentle, with soft, whole-cluster pressing and great care taken to avoid extracting green or vegetal components.

The wine ages for 12 months on the fine lees, without batonnage.

‘The goal is to produce a Sauvignon with a clear, precise expression, far from common stereotypes,' he explains.

'I want this wine to reflect the Busso philosophy, first and foremost, rather than a generic or classic interpretation of Sauvignon – elegance, purity of fruit and a strong sense of place are essential.’

Tuscany

The Tuscan coast, specifically Bolgheri, has become an important territory for Sauvignon Blanc.

At Ornellaia, technical director Marco Balsimelli produces two Sauvignon-based wines: 100% varietal Ornellaia Bianco; and Poggio alle Gazze – Sauvignon Blanc blended with smaller percentages of Vermentino, Viognier and Semillon.

Balsimelli explains that ‘aromatically, Sauvignon Blanc from Bolgheri offers many different shades’.

Harvesting of the Sauvignon Blanc fruit destined for Poggio alle Gazze generally begins relatively early, around mid-August.

Balsimelli notes that the sandy coastal soils naturally produce wines that are firm, aromatic and lively.

For Ornellaia Bianco, meanwhile, he works with soils rich in limestone, clay and stones. The grapes are typically picked towards the end of September, when the fruit is slightly riper, which results in a wine with greater complexity and a more elegant aromatic profile.

Fuller on the palate than Poggio alle Gazze, and also more structured, according to Balsimelli, the wine ‘finishes with a striking freshness and salinity typical of these soils’.

Comparing Sauvignon Blanc from Bolgheri with northern Italian versions, Balsimelli points out that the latter examples are sharper, with plenty of tension.

‘Our wines tend to show riper aromas and a fuller, more textured and structured mouthfeel,’ he says.

‘One trait we share, however, is the freshness and minerality on the finish. It seems to me our style of white wines is closer to French wines than to those from northern Italy.’

Perhaps the most positive aspect of Italian Sauvignon Blanc is its ability to display its greatest qualities with age.

The finest examples take on different identities after several years, with some showing a Riesling-like character, while others offer more distinct earthy, herbal notes after a decade.

Regardless of the style, Italian Sauvignon Blanc is the backbone of some of the nation’s finest white wines, deserving of greater respect on the world stage.

Italian Sauvignon Blancs

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My first visit to southern Italy didn’t start well. I was flying from Rome to Palermo in Sicily, and the air conditioning cut out as we ascended. I fell asleep, or passed out, and woke up drenched in sweat.

The airport was undergoing renovations and as I waited in the makeshift baggage-reclaim hall, my eye was caught by some activity.

Some locals had peeled back the flimsy metal of the improvised building to create a direct exit to the real world. They were crouching down and disappearing through it to stand outside, smoking in the hot air as they waited for their cases.

I was in a strange land – one that I didn’t understand and still don’t.

Palermo alone would be too much to grasp, a city where people spend more on their sunglasses than their scooters, where every bar is full at 2am on a Tuesday morning, where old women gather to drink Campari and soda in the afternoon in a way that’s inconceivable in England.

The problem of comparison

Wine is one way into southern Italy – a major success story, but a messy one.

The region makes everything you can think of, from oaked Chardonnay to orange wine, from Sardinia’s Vernaccia di Oristano, aged under a layer of flor yeasts in the barrel, to the lithe, sinewy reds of Nerello Mascalese from Etna.

To some, this looks like chaos; to others, it’s creativity.

Etna is the closest thing the south has to an ambassador, but even these wines tend to be positioned in relation to the north, the reds being frequently compared to Nebbiolo or called ‘the Barolo of the south’ – an epithet applied to various red wines from Italy’s islands and regions south of Rome (sometimes described as the Mezzogiorno) that prove they can play by northern rules.

The Roman writer Ovid tells us that Zeus imprisoned the titan Typhon under the island of Sicily because he couldn’t kill him. Etna is his mighty head, his splayed limbs reaching out to Messina and Noto, his legs pinned down under present-day Marsala.

The island’s earthquakes and eruptions are Typhon’s attempt to break free of his overlord. Etna, then and now, is chaos managed, destruction contained, catastrophe postponed.

Endlessly fertile despite the barren flows of lava, the ground is a rich, composty brown.

Visiting Ciro and Stef Biondi’s eponymous winery, it’s no surprise to see ancient phalluses unearthed and re-erected in their vineyards, which sit in the fertile tongues between the lava flows.

The misty ground here steams with what seems like Jurassic plenitude. Sicily doesn’t need Etna to justify it, but it has helped, even if the volcano is just one facet of wine here.

Across the island, increasingly brilliant wines are being produced from varieties such as Catarratto, Nero d’Avola and Frappato.

A reputation for greatness

Over the water, Campania (the ‘shin’ of mainland Italy) has been restoring its ancient reputation for greatness.

Falernian, a famed wine of the Roman era, was made here – the 121 BCE vintage was so famous it was still being talked about by Romans 200 years later.

And the vineyards of Pompeii, a town just south of Naples that had more wine bars than modern Hackney, are producing wine once again.

Away from the glittering Amalfi coast, Campania conceals one of Italian wine’s greatest surprises. Irpinia, the land of Taurasi, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino, is almost comically verdant.

It can get twice as much rain as London, and its fertile soils, rich in volcanic ash, sulphur and much else besides, produce world-class wines.

It’s the long-lived whites that command critical attention, but it’s with the Aglianico grape that southern Italy puts forth its most heroic red wine.

The death or glory grape

On the volcanic soils of Campania and Basilicata, Aglianico (in the form of Taurasi DOCG for the former and Aglianico del Vulture DOCG for the latter) delivers wines of Homeric scale: ambitious, grand and elemental.

A visit to Salvatore Molettieri in Taurasi isn’t for the faint-hearted.

He runs his estate with his four sons, who appear to have sprung from his thigh in his image. Aglianico isn’t a crop here, it’s a point of honour.

The purple pasta we eat over lunch is laced with it, and the wines seem to operate on some other timescale of evolution.

They are ferociously dark-fruited and muscular, pungent with coal dust and black carbon ink, spiked with resinous rosemary and medicinal juniper, encased in tannins, energised by acidity.

A great Taurasi or Vulture wine is often too far beyond wine’s polite points of reference, so there’s been an effort to make them more friendly.

I taste these wines and understand them, but they leave me conflicted, like hearing about a dilapidated old building with enormous renovation costs that’s now being torn down to make way for modern flats.

I don’t want to feel sympathy for Aglianico. At its best, it’s blood and glory, more like Islay whisky in sensibility than anything else.

Peated malts such as Lagavulin, once deemed too coarse to drink undiluted, are now one of Scotland’s most distinctive and valuable assets. Perhaps Aglianico will have a similar story.

Cirò reconsidered

If Aglianico is Achilles in a glass, Calabria’s Gaglioppo offers a radically different flavour.

The red grape of Cirò is everything Aglianico isn’t: early maturing, easily dominated by oak, pale in colour, with scents of dried flowers and grated nutmeg.

It has tannins, of course – we’re still in Italy – but it’s a variety that seems to draw on the dried spices of the bazaar and the aromatic woods of the sacristy.

Thanks to a small group of growers who have shown inspiring loyalty to Gaglioppo, Cirò is finding its way forward with remarkable conviction and authenticity, its small Classico zone promoted to DOCG as recently as July 2025.

Here you can find some of Italy’s most palate-expanding whites, reds and rosés: wines that stand on their own terms.

The grammar of granite

Over on the island of Sardinia, Cannonau has begun to shed the soft-focus cosiness that’s often expected of the variety (elsewhere known as Garnacha or Grenache).

The Mamoiada region in central-east Sardinia, a world away from the glamour of Porto Cervo on the northeastern coast, is craggy, wind-scoured and granite-bound, and the wines carry some of that gravitas with them.

The reds of Barbagia are still finding their voice, but they show that even when the grape is familiar, Italy’s south doesn’t want elocution lessons – its local accent is what makes it distinctive.

A blue-collar grape

And what of Puglia, on Italy’s heel, and its primitive Primitivo?

If you were to ask a wine professional what their favourite grape is, they would probably say Riesling, even if it’s not, but I’m certain that no one has ever said Primitivo.

Much like the Carignan shipped from Tangiers to beef up Burgundy in the 20th century, Primitivo travelled north to darken other regions’ wines.

There was no first-class ticket for this immigrant from Croatia (where it goes by the names Crljenak Kaštelanski or Tribidrag); Primitivo is a worker, somehow uncomfortable and pulling at its collar when served in a Zalto glass.

It doesn’t move easily in the aspirational wine world. At Fatalone in Gioia del Colle, Pasquale Petrera’s immaculately tended vineyard is idyllic.

The wine he makes from it is a real Primitivo: rugged, sturdy, heady, full of baked plums and fig jam.

Primitivo isn’t a perfectionist. Its bunches arrive with berries that are raisined, berries that are perfectly ripe, and berries that are green.

Far from being fruity filler for fattening up the deficient wines of the north, Primitivo is a scrappy, difficult variety, one that’s all too easy to stigmatise and ignore.

It’s a variety that’s had a hard life. It has travelled all over the globe on a third-class ticket, but it has seen things in the world that Pinot Noir can’t even imagine.

Changing perspectives

For those who want to tidy up, straighten out or pin down southern Italy, it will always be a frustration.

It has always resisted mastery – and it still does. But where there can’t be mastery, there can be something far better: discovery.

Every native grape variety, every twisted old vine and every family coming back to the land has something to tell us.

There’s no El Dorado here, no piles of gold for vinous Columbuses to quickly plunder and take home, but there are committed winemakers, passionate local cultures and much that’s waiting to be understood, rather than domineered.

You can’t start to rethink southern Italy if your frame of reference is northern Italy or France, or your goal is to bring the wines and places into step with more familiar names.

But if you love the thrill of great Vosne-Romanée, then you have it in you to love the great wines of southern Italy.

If you’ve found your way inside the soul of a great Brunello, you can do it again with Taurasi.

That’s what counts – and it’s all anyone needs in order to understand southern Italy and its wines.

Soul of the south: Southern Italy in a glass

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There is no doubt that Nebbiolo is responsible for some of Italy’s most extraordinary, complex and age-worthy wines.

In fact, Barolo and Barbaresco sit alongside the greats of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Yet unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo has only recently started emerging from the shadow of its loftiest denominations.

In true Nebbiolo form, it is doing so with grace and agility. This is a testament to producers who are emphasising its more lighthearted guises without denaturing its identity.

They align brilliantly with a growing demand for fresh, buoyant, immediately approachable reds.

Fresh batch

While not limited to Langhe Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo d’Alba, these DOCs offer a wealth of examples.

The freshest batch hails from 2023 and 2024, two challenging years. The former was marked by hail, heat and drought, the latter by incessant rainfall – though not cool temperature.

Quite surprisingly, they yielded a spate of charming, lithesome wines – particularly 2024.

The brightest even convey a joyfulness that contradicts what winegrowers must have felt when dealing with the vengeances of Mother Nature.

Alas, in others, the struggles of the vintages are all too apparent.

Both years required a lot of work in the vineyard and a strict selection. As such, it is difficult to find true quality at the lowest prices.

Grower-led value

Nonetheless, trusted producers like Produttori del Barbaresco, Massolino and GD Vajra still offer affordable worthwhile specimens.

What stands out is the intentionality behind the wines. At the Marrone estate, Langhe Nebbiolo is not simply a declassified Barolo.

Instead, winemaker Valentina Marrone set out specifically to produce one that represents her generation. The unoaked, ‘Che Vale’ bottling is chillable and ready to drink.

‘Making a Nebbiolo that isn’t aged in wood requires managing the vineyard differently,’ says Valentina. She also plays around with vinification to tease out the variety's perfume and flavour, as well as finer tannins.

Room for experimentation

That sense of experimentation pervades these non-DOCG Nebbiolo. They also provide rich hunting ground for the region’s up-and-comers.

Check out San Barnaba, Borgogno e Carbone and Vaira Aurelj. While the latter’s fuori zona (FZ) label is neither a Langhe Nebbiolo nor a Nebbiolo d’Alba, it is a 100% Nebbiolo simply designated as Vino Rosso.

The 2023 is the best wine I have had from this promising new estate.

‘We were brought up in Barolo and respect the area but as this comes from outside the zone, we wanted to do something different,’ explains Francesco Vaira, who uses a combination of whole clusters, whole berries and low sulphur to really bring out a perfumed fruit expression.

None of these should take away from the region’s more traditional, even historic labels.

Both Bruno Giacosa and Sandrone’s bottlings from Roero’s renowned Valmaggiore vineyard rise above the challenges of the 2023 vintage.

Similarly, Cavallotto and Giovanni Rosso’s Ester Canale are compelling representations of young vines in Barolo’s best sites.

Nebbiolo is finally having a moment – one that will hopefully have the longevity of its greatest examples.

Juicy and light-hearted Nebbiolo

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Ten Platinum-awarded (97 points and above) wines from last year’s World Wine Awards were selected by the Master of Wine and poured for a full-house during Vinitaly, one of the world’s largest wine trade fairs.

Of Belisario’s ‘Cambrugiano’ Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva 2021, Cherutti-Kowal noted that Verdicchio is ‘one of Italy’s great grapes…reflective of its terroir’, while Siddùra’s ‘Maia’ Vermentino di Gallura 2023 showcased ‘a special place for Vermentino’.

Moving on to the reds, the Schiava grape indigenous to Trentino-Alto Adige has found a new audience in recent years thanks to its lighter take on red wine.

Described by Cherutti-Kowal as ‘a fascinating grape’ related to other grapes in the region and believed to be a parent of Lagrein, the Schiava of Pfannenstielhof’s ‘Der Pfannenstiel’ 2019 draws its character from grapes grown in the UGA of Santa Maddalena/ St Magdalener: ‘We’re seeing more skin contact, more richness, more ageing’, she notes.

From Tuscany to Piedmont

Good quality Montepulciano can age for quite a long time,’ announces Cherutti-Kowal as she guides the room to the next wine. Zaccagnini’s ‘Tralcetto’ Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2020 undergoes a longer-than-average maceration, with ageing in oak for around 18 months. This late-ripening variety needs the heat of the south, but is capable of producing reasonable levels of acidity when grown at altitude.

Nebbiolo was first mentioned in records from the 13th century. Related to both Freisa and Vespolina, it’s capable of good structure. ‘Maceration – Nebbiolo needs that’, states Cherutti-Kowal, noting that Broccardo’s Barolo Bricco San Pietro 2021 comes from an MGA which emphasises structure and acidity.

Italy's noble reds

Sangiovese is the most widely grown red wine variety in Italy. ‘DNA has it related to Ciliegiolo and – believe it or not – Campania and the south,’ says Cherutti-Kowal, citing two of its relatives, Nerello Mascalese and Frappato. Tasting Capanna’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019, she states, ‘that seamlessness of acidity; that is Sangiovese.

The beauty of Aglianico, even in the south, is that it has quite high acidity,’ adds Cherutti-Kowal, pointing out that this helps with the longevity and freshness of the wines. Donnachiara’s Taurasi Riserva 2020 is an excellent example of this ancient variety.

The best of Veneto

Cantina Sabaini’s Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva 2015 is the first vintage of this wine, which has undergone long ageing in used barriques.

It’s made from a collection of varieties indigenous to Veneto, including Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta. Cherutti-Kowal invited winemaker, Alberto Sabaini, who was present during the masterclass, to speak about the wine, which he described as a ‘special project’ of the family.

‘Glera is a grape that’s been known about since the 1600s,’ announced Cherutti-Kowal as she introduced Ruggeri's Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze 2023.

Found in two distinct typologies, it’s the Glera Tondo version that’s most often used for the production of Prosecco Superiore in the hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Made rather unusually (for a Cartizze) in a Brut style with just 8g/l of residual sugar, she explains that ‘you get what I call the purity of the terroir of Cartizze’.

Sangiovese reimagined

The final wine, Torre a Cona’s ‘Fonti e Lecceta’ Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice 2016, is another Sangiovese, but ‘Sangiovese in a very different expression’, explains Cherutti-Kowal.

Made with dried grapes aged for five years in small barrels known as caratelli, it’s a wine full of dried citrus peel and nutty notes. ‘What do you think of this one?’ asked Cherutti-Kowal, and the reply was a murmur of approval and even a thumbs up from one of the guests!

See below to discover the 97-point wines tasted from the DWWA judges at the 2025 competition (in tasting order).

Cantine Belisario, Cambrugiano, Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva, Le Marche 2021

Platinum, 97 points

Exemplary aromas of honeyed nuts, lemon, lime and fennel with a supreme drive of freshness and purity which ebbs and flows alongside the stylish mineral structure and and zingy nettle acidity. Very long and accomplished. Alc 13.5%

Siddùra, Maìa, Vermentino di Gallura Superiore, Sardinia 2023

Platinum, 97 points

Beguiling granitic austerity meets sumptuous yellow stone fruit with a sultry citrus backing. Richly textured from the enhancing layers of creamy oak which melt into the salivating beam of acidity that surges towards the finish. Alc 13.5%

Pfannenstielhof, Der Pfannenstiel Classico, Santa Maddalena, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol 2019

Platinum, 97 points

An exceptional rose petal, wild flower and black tea fragrance encased in a wonderful sandalwood structure with an enticing red liquorice acidity and rounded, supple tannins. Flamboyant and long with a mocha, coffee bean finish. Alc 14%

Zaccagnini, Tralcetto, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva, Abruzzo 2020

Platinum, 97 points

Ardent black cherries, raspberries, violets and rose petals complemented by swirls of dark chocolate and dried blueberries are underpinned by fine-grained tannins and a bright acidity. Layers of complexity unfold on the long, luxurious finish. Alc 14 %

Broccardo, Bricco San Pietro, Barolo, Piedmont 2021

Platinum, 97 points

Multiple layers of black and red cherries, plums, roses and violets in a backdrop of toast and tar. The tannins are confident yet mellow, the acidity lifted and grippy and the finish is long and empowering. Alc 14.5%

Capanna, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Tuscany 2019

Platinum, 97 points

Glossy ripe red plums interweave delicately with floral, herbal and spicy tobacco notes. Gloriously concentrated and statuesque on the palate with a rippling texture, thriving tannins and an acidity perfectly in tune. In fine fettle. Alc 15%

Donnachiara, Taurasi Riserva, Campania 2020

Platinum, 97 points

The epitome of modern Taurasi displaying pristine notes of dark cherry fruit, vanilla and coffee. Polished and compact with a finely-tuned texture and lush, velvety tannins kept in check by a refreshing acidity. Plenty of ageing potential! Alc 13.5%

Cantina Sabaini, Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva, Veneto 2015

Platinum, 97 points

Spell-binding swathes of ripe red and black cherries, raspberries and plums encircle the deliciously complex palate. Velvety and smooth with flourish of sweet vanilla spice and dark chocolate that funnels towards the unwavering finish line. Alc 16.5%

Ruggeri, Brut, Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze, Veneto 2023

Platinum, 97 points

Exuberant lemon blossom, ripe pear and apple aromas glisten over the creamy mousse which ripples elegantly through the palate. A fine tension of acidity adds to the charm and culminates in a lush tropical fruit finale. Alc 11.5%

Torre a Cona, Fonti E Lecceta, Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice, Tuscany 2016

Platinum, 97 points

Glitzy flashes of orange pulp, dried apricot, peach and mango shimmer over the blissfully sweet palate with an undercurrent of nutty almonds and dark chocolate inhabiting the sumptuous texture. Beaming with citrus zest on the finish. Alc 14%

Search all DWWA 2025 winners

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Bari Vecchia: Like walking through a film set

Bari, capital of southern Italy’s Puglia region, is a seamless blend of ancient and contemporary, with a vibrant buzz.

The medieval old town, Bari Vecchia, is an astonishing maze of white stone alleys and arches, pristine and well lit.

Strolling around Bari Vecchia is like walking through a film set. At regular intervals, the narrow alleys open onto spacious piazzas with soaring monuments such as the Basilica di San Nicola and the Romanesque cathedral, which features a fascinating underground archaeological area including ancient mosaics that largely date as far back as the sixth century.

There are plenty of outdoor tables from which you can enjoy the atmosphere, along with local wines: perhaps a refreshing white Verdeca frizzante or the increasingly popular, aromatic Minutolo, accompanied by olives or crunchy taralli snacks (traditional Pugliese savoury bites).

The old town neatly fills a rounded peninsula, edged west and east by a 12th- to 13th-century castle and wide city walls that overlook the glittering Adriatic.

A short promenade stroll away is Molo San Nicola, a historic pier where fish is sold fresh from the boats each morning and Bari-style breakfasts of sea urchins and other raw seafood are prepared by the fishermen.

Local heroes: Food and wines to try

Bari is a gastronomic gem

Like the rest of Puglia, Bari is decidedly food-centric and there’s an abundance of street food spots and bakeries selling fragrant speciality focaccia drenched in luscious local olive oil.

On the celebrated Via delle Orecchiette, women make and sell orecchiette pasta outside their homes; try it with ragù or the winter classic, cime di rapa greens.

Bari’s most popular pasta, however, is spaghetti all’assassina, cooked until deliciously charred in a spicy tomato sauce; a local rosé pairs perfectly.

Bari's wines: Reds and rosés

Bari is one of Italy’s top rosé wine areas and all of Puglia’s favourite native red grapes (Primitivo, Negroamaro, Nero di Troia and Susumaniello) are used for fruit-filled rosatos, along with rich, velvety red wines.

Bombino Nero, a red variety here made only as rosé, has a dedicated DOCG around the striking Castel del Monte castle, west of Bari near Andria city, which is also home to creamy burrata.

Meanwhile, PDO-certified mozzarella is the star cheese of the town of Gioia del Colle, about 35km south of Bari, at the heart of Puglia’s vast Murgia plateau, where some of the city’s favourite Primitivo wines are made.

Bari wine tour: Two nearby wineries to visit

I Parieti estate

Matteo Santoiemma’s small I Parieti estate, named for the area’s characteristic dry-stone walls, lies at 400m with stony soils and constant breezes and stronger winds.

Coming from a commercial career with a number of top-tier wineries, Santoiemma has brought a fresh and experimental outlook to his wines. Tastings under the olive trees are memorable, surrounded by wild flowers, herbs and rocks, and overlooking trulli (distinctive, circular dry-stone dwellings typical of nearby Alberobello).

Along with skin-contact Minutolo, perfect with cheese, his wines include a mineral-infused rosé and an elegant red, both from 67-year-old alberello-trained Primitivo vines.

Tenute Chiaromonte

Nearby at Acquaviva delle Fonti, former equestrian pro Nicola Chiaromonte runs Tenute Chiaromonte, having picked up skills from his winemaker mother and olive oil-producing father.

Classical music plays all day at the gleaming white winery, where bedrooms, a restaurant, pool and labyrinthine underground cellars are due for completion in time for the 2026 bicentenary celebrations.

Chiaromonte’s diverse wines range from an exuberant Chardonnay-Minutolo spumante to intense Primitivos with soaring alcohol levels, including award-winning cru Muro Sant’Angelo Contrada Barbatto.

Bari address book: Where to eat, drink and stay in the city

Accommodation

Palazzo Calò

With contemporary design complemented by centuries-old stone, this stylish hotel has 12 spacious bedrooms. Coffee machines and kettles are standard, and some also feature kitchens and balconies. The stunning rooftop bistro is open to non-guests for drinks and dinner, with a menu that features Asian and local specialities.

Eat and drink

Deli delights

Visit Casa.Ro early to watch mozzarella and burrata being made, then book a cheesemaking workshop or enjoy a tasty lunchtime treat. In Bari Vecchia, Nicola Lapesara serves platters of charcuterie and cheeses at his historic Antica Salumeria deli.

Enoteca del Centro

Gianluca De Napoli favours small producers for the 700-plus labels at his wine bar-shop among the smart stores of Bari’s newer centre. The evening menu has gourmet bites such as seafood carpaccio and braised beef.

La Uascezze

An atmospheric corner of Bari Vecchia with stone arches outside and in; the name – dialect for ‘convivial cheer’ – sums up the vibe. The menu features pulses, stews and traditional classics such as potato, rice and mussels. Wines, all from Puglia, include a softly sweet Primitivo amabile – an ideal way to finish your meal.

Mostofiore

An enoteca with an appealing bottle-lined interior, specialising in natural wines. Order what’s available by the glass or ask to try something different. Food includes oysters and slow-cooked artichoke with fried basil.

PerBacco

A member of the Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance, so quality ingredients are fundamental here. Choose from a selection of olive oils and enjoy dishes including twice-cooked octopus and burnt-wheat pasta. The restaurant interior is charming, with doily settings on wooden tables designed by the owner, architect Beppe Schino, who also selects the wines.

Visit

Gioia del Colle

While transport or a guide (try Puglia To Be) is needed to reach the wineries, Gioia del Colle itself is well connected by train. Its castle has superb archaeological finds from nearby Monte Sannace. Bar-restaurant Trattoria Pugliese, opposite the castle, is run by Vittoria, sister of Matteo Santoiemma of I Parieti (see p107) and her chef husband.

Insider's tip: Visiting the beach

Although central Bari is located by the sea, the nearest beach, the oddly named Pane e Pomodoro (‘Bread and Tomato’), is a half-hour seafront stroll away. Facilities are scarce there, so pick up some focaccia from Panificio Fiore and wine to go with it from Enoteca Cucumazzo.

For picturesque seaside scenery, the town of Polignano a Mare is roughly 30 minutes by train.

Tradition reinvented

Cerasuolo embodies the most intimate soul and essence of Abruzzo: a wine that represents the mountainous and marine duality of the region.

It is the wine of tradition, the wine of Abruzzo’s yesteryear table, the wine of the family, the wine offered to distinguished guests; and yet, from being a supposedly outdated wine, it has become the new ‘avant-garde’.

The forze e gentile (‘strong and gentle’) Abruzzo region, as journalist and diplomat of the day Primo Levi (1853-1917) described it, is perfectly embodied in Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo’s characteristics: a rosé with the spirit of a red, and/or a light red with the fresh drinkability of a rosé.

It’s a multifaceted wine that can’t be pigeonholed.

Cerasuolo has the rare gift of substance and vigour, characteristics that come from the red Montepulciano grape (minimum 85% in the blend), but in a lighter, more slender and agile form thanks to cold macerations of 8-12 hours during production.

A versatile, highly fruity and very drinkable wine, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo’s ability to evolve in the bottle is surprising.

Being a rosé with greater structure, it offers plenty of nuance – attractive for consumers who look for wines that are full of expressiveness and invite them to take the next sip.

An everyday wine for all budgets, it corresponds to the contemporary trend for seeking wines that are authentic, work well at the table and are also suited to convivial sharing.

Versatile, approachable and gastronomic, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of meals: fish, meat, pasta, cheese, vegetables, or ethnic and fusion cuisine.

Special status

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo was the first Italian DOC formed exclusively for a rosé wine.

Changes to the production regulations effective as of 2023 now incorporate Superiore versions (minimum 90% Montepulciano) in the sub-zones of four Abruzzo provinces: Colline Teramane to the north, through Colline Pescaresi, to Terre di Chieti in the south and Terre Aquilane inland.

In cooler areas with a larger temperature range – the high hills inland – Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo tends towards a more subtle and incisive profile, greater freshness and modest body.

Contrastingly, the vineyards in warmer areas, often closer to the Adriatic coast, tend to produce more structured and mellow wines with intense, pulpy fruitiness.

The genuine frankness and softness of this grape are expressed both in its austere complexity and its pleasant appeal, reflecting its distinctive and naturally energetic character.

Extremely contemporary and versatile, it’s often much more than a ‘simple’ rosé, and sometimes even indistinguishable from a light red wine.

The name Cerasuolo derives from cerasa, ‘cherry’ in the local dialect, which immediately evokes both its rather intense colour and the particular chewy texture that make it easily recognisable.

Authentic Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo does indeed taste of cherries, and its slightly rustic fruitiness and texture can’t be found in other Italian rosés.

It can be drunk chilled in summer to accentuate its crisp fruitiness, and exemplifies the joy of sharing at the table.

18 distinctive Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo

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Perpetual quest for success

What’s the difference between talented grape farmers and visionary entrepreneurs?

The ‘what next?’ question comes once a winery has reached the pinnacle of success – unanimous critical praise, financially thriving and widely considered a benchmark for its region – and it’s then that the differences show.

The former prefers to stand still and consolidate their hard-won legacy, while the latter feels the urge to embark on new adventures.

Italian wine superstars typically have a strong tie to a specific place, which means they can’t replicate their winning formula elsewhere as easily as wine producers in other countries might.

Yet that doesn’t always prevent them from investing beyond the boundaries of their home appellations, or creating second projects from scratch; they’re simply accustomed to doing it differently.

Logics of scale go out the window and instead, the focus is on terroir – these boutique side gigs are frequently tiny but endowed with a groundbreaking vision.

While these ventures may never become as renowned or prized as the ‘mother’ estates, they enable the cult figures at the helm to continue moving forward, taking risks and seeking new solutions rather than simply resting on past achievements.

And from a wine lover’s perspective, they can offer an opportunity to experience a taste of the premier estate’s signature style, but perhaps with an innovative twist – and occasionally at a lower price point.

Idda, Sicily

Gaja & Graci

One of the great visionaries of Italian wine, Angelo Gaja was also among the first wine producers in the country to expand beyond the family estate.

After gaining renown for his Barolo and Barbaresco, he anticipated a bright future for Tuscan wine, establishing two new wineries: Pieve Santa Restituta in Montalcino in 1994 and Ca’ Marcanda in Bolgheri two years later.

These investments proved trailblazing, as both appellations subsequently soared in popularity and prestige.

In 2017, Gaja turned to Etna, another area undergoing a significant upheaval. ‘We as a family – and especially my father – are optimistic by nature yet deeply concerned about global warming,’ explains Gaia Gaja. ‘Hence we chose a mountainous area that can defy climatic challenges for our next adventure.’

Aware of the complexity of Etna’s patchwork of old vines and lava flows, they set aside their usual highly personal, brand-driven approach, opting instead for a joint venture with renowned local producer Alberto Aiello Graci.

For Idda (Sicilian for ‘her’ – the volcano is attributed a feminine, maternal nature by the locals), they selected vineyards on Etna’s southwestern flank, a largely untravelled area.

‘There was no point in investing in the north, where most top sites had already been taken,’ Gaja explains.

‘So we chose an untouched area, partly outside the appellation and including some of the volcano’s highest reaches. There, the harvest often begins just as Nebbiolo picking [in Piedmont] is finishing.’

It’s a prime spot for the Carricante grape, which accounts for 80% of the roughly 50,000 bottles produced annually.

‘Carricante is an exceptional variety, so no wonder Etna’s vineyard surface went from 80% red and 20% white when we founded Idda to roughly 50-50 today.’

Tasted alongside Gaja’s Piedmontese wines, Idda Bianco and Idda Rosso both share the same surgical precision and weightless complexity.

‘What unites Etna and the Langhe is the almost mysterious nature of the wines,’ Gaja says. ‘They are deep rather than show

Tenuta del Nicchio, Tuscany

Lodovico Antinori

Unlike many Italian aristocrats in wine, who devote their careers to preserving a fixed legacy, Lodovico Antinori has consistently embraced reinvention.

After bringing Ornellaia to international prominence, he sold his stake and shifted his focus to Bolgheri’s outer reaches, co-founding Tenuta di Biserno with his brother Piero and nephew Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi in 2001.

‘I am not really fond of constant expansion,’ Antinori explains. ‘When projects become too large and structured, I prefer to pass the baton.’

Today, Antinori is honorary president at Biserno, but the day-to-day running is in the capable hands of CEO Marzichi Lenzi, allowing time for Antinori to focus on two new ventures: Lodovico, a high-end Cabernet Franc-based wine, formerly labelled under the Biserno banner but now technically separate – although still vinified at Tenuta di Biserno; and Tenuta del Nicchio, a new estate with its own winery and stylistic identity, centred on the same grape.

‘Cabernet Franc is demanding, but delivers wines of unparalleled purity,’ Antinori says. ‘That’s why it’s soaring in popularity.’

Tenuta del Nicchio is a long-term legacy for his daughter Sophia. ‘It must be small enough for her to manage it smoothly. We currently make only a few thousand bottles, and production will be capped at 33,000, even when all 12 hectares are in production,’ Antinori explains.

While Sophia takes care of sales and marketing, winemaking is entrusted to 27-year-old Andreas Fuchsberger, with the late superstar consultant Michel Rolland previously advising at the final blending stage.

‘The evolution of taste has taken a strong drift, and we need to give space to young professionals to stay on track,’ says Antinori.

‘While Lodovico remains classic, Il Nicchio must be fully contemporary, focused on finesse and delicacy.’

That philosophy begins in the vineyard, with early harvesting and meticulous parcel-by-parcel work.

‘The Lodovico vineyard, also giving grapes for Il Nicchio, faces north, while the other plot is steep and terraced.’

In the cellar, refinements are underway, including shorter macerations from 2025.

Though stylistically still embryonic, Il Nicchio already proves considerably slimmer and more restrained than most equally ambitious SuperTuscans.

The same style also defines the estate’s entry-level wine, Le 2 Ville, blending Cabernet Franc and Merlot with Ciliegiolo.

‘Who says we must always stick to Bordeaux varieties in Bolgheri and its surroundings?’ Antinori asks, another convention quietly set aside.

Serra Ferdinandea, Sicily

Planeta

The Planeta family has been driving the Sicilian wine renaissance since the early 1990s.

From its historic base in Menfi, it expanded across the island, establishing estates in Vittoria, Mamertino and Noto, and on Etna.

Yet Serra Ferdinandea – an estate founded in 2021 and managed together with the Oddo family, owners of several estates across France and South Africa – is entirely different from any other branch.

Though adjacent to Planeta’s core Menfi property, it conveys an impression of seclusion, the winding access road creating a separate microcosm.

‘This project isn’t merely productive, but also cultural,’ affirms Costante Planeta. ‘It’s an open-air laboratory where agronomic experimentation, sustainability and Mediterranean identity engage in dialogue.’

Much of the land – forsaken in the centuries before its acquisition – rises above 400m, offering a steeper, rockier landscape than the rest of Menfi, one of Sicily’s major viticultural hubs with 3,600ha under vine.

The name derives from Isola Ferdinandea, a volcanic island that briefly emerged in front of Menfi’s coast after a submarine eruption in 1831 before vanishing just months later.

During its short life, it became a geopolitical curiosity and was even claimed by several European powers.

International grape varieties sit alongside indigenous ones – a typical choice in this part of Sicily – while viticulture is guided by the island’s SOStain sustainability protocol and a strict biodynamic regime, including livestock integration and on-site composting.

‘Biodynamic agriculture is a response to climate change: it safeguards biodiversity, regenerates soils and yields wines that express place with greater precision,’ says Planeta.

Only part of the estate’s 17ha under vine is in use, producing around 40,000 bottles annually.

Its three wines remain a work in progress, with Serra Ferdinandea Bianco standing out in this early phase.

Grillo’s natural salinity and aromatic lift are sharpened by Sauvignon’s brightness, resulting in a white that favours clarity and precision over density.

Cascina Penna-Currado, Piedmont

Elena Penna & Luca Currado Vietti

Elena Penna and Luca Currado (pictured, top) spent most of their careers transforming Vietti into one of the Langhe’s most influential estates.

After selling their stake in the winery in 2016, they remained at the helm until 2023, ensuring stylistic continuity.

‘At that time we were still too young and energetic to retire,’ Penna explains. ‘Plus, our children, Giulia and Michele, showed a deep interest in wine.’

So instead of retiring, they established Cascina Penna-Currado, a project rooted in a restored 16th-century farmhouse overlooking Serralunga d’Alba.

Rather than replicate past success, the family questioned assumptions about the Langhe amid rapid climatic change.

Central to that vision is San Sebastiano in Monforte d’Alba, where they acquired 7ha just outside the Barolo appellation.

Sitting at 470m, the site was once deemed unsuitable for quality production. ‘Yet in these torrid vintages, it benefits from constant winds and surrounding woodland – a rarity in the area,’ Penna says.

Through long-term leases, they also manage Barolo vineyards, including in the historic Monvigliero site, with first releases expected over the coming years.

Right now, they focus on strikingly delicate, cool-climate expressions of Langhe’s entry-level wines.

‘We want to exploit the freedom that comes with lower volumes,’ Penna concludes.

‘Annual production is limited to roughly 40,000 bottles, allowing customisation that wasn’t feasible at greater scale. For instance, we use a relevant proportion of whole clusters for most reds.’

That same spirit of experimentation carries through to their only white, which is made from Timorasso, a grape that they had already championed at Vietti.

Vinified and matured in a mixture of Clayver ceramic vats, stainless steel and acacia barrels, EP (mirroring Elena’s initials) shows the same emphasis on finesse as the reds.

‘We harvest our 2.5ha rented plot in Colli Tortonesi slightly early,’ Penna says, ‘to keep alcohol around 13% and enhance longevity – so the typical gasoline notes emerge slowly with cellaring, rather than dominating from the start.'

Andriano/Andrian, Alto Adige

Cantina Terlano

Terlano is Italy’s – if not the world’s – most critically acclaimed wine cooperative.

Under Sebastian Stocker, head winemaker from 1955 to 1993, this revered winery put Alto Adige on the fine wine map, especially after the launch of the 1979 Rarity in 1991 – the country’s first late-release white wine.

His successors, Rudi Kofler and Klaus Gasser, have since carried that legacy forward, refining a style built on finesse, precision and uncanny ageworthiness even beyond top-shelf offerings.

In 2008, that philosophy found a new testing ground with the formation of an alliance with Cantina Andriano, Alto Adige’s oldest cooperative.

Founded in 1893, by the mid-2000s it was struggling to define its identity amid a period of radical transformation in the region.

Though quite a bit smaller than Terlano (its members farm roughly 100ha, compared to Terlano’s 190ha), Andriano still represented a substantial commitment rather than a marginal add-on.

The township’s growers remained independent, but all winemaking operations were transferred to Terlano’s main facility and viticulture was progressively aligned with its famously strict standards.

Eighteen years later, Andriano offers a distinct reading of a different – if geographically adjacent – terroir through the same lens.

‘The vineyards of Andriano lie across the valley from Terlano on its east-facing flank, falling into shade by the afternoon. The soils are predominantly limestone- rather than quartz-rich, and the more direct influence of the Dolomites creates a cooler environment,’ explains Manuel Maderle, hospitality manager for both estates.

These variations dictate the core differences: while Terlano’s production is defined by the textural richness and understated complexity of Pinot Bianco, Andriano commits to higher-pitched grapes that benefit from slower ripening, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

The resulting wines are more perfumed than their cross-valley counterparts, yet share the same precision and mineral-driven restraint.

This approach culminates in the Doran Riserva, an unequivocally alpine Chardonnay that eschews opulence for delicacy.

Conti Marone Cinzano, Tuscany

Santiago Marone Cinzano (Col d’Orcia)

Santiago Marone Cinzano isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo.

Shortly after joining Col d’Orcia in 2017 – one of Montalcino’s most classical and largest estates, which his father Francesco had brought to fame following the sale of the family’s Cinzano beverage empire in 1993 – he launched his own parallel project: Conti Marone Cinzano.

‘One of the things I wondered before working full time at Col d’Orcia,’ he recalls, ‘was why we couldn’t make Poggio al Vento, our flagship single-vineyard Brunello, from a different plot instead of skipping lesser vintages.’

While he later understood the importance of preserving the link with that site, the question became the foundation for his new venture: each year, a parcel is selected from Col d’Orcia’s 108ha of Sangiovese based on factors such as skin to juice ratio in the berries.

Despite being a single-vineyard Brunello at heart, labelled as Lot 1 across six vintages – only two released so far – the same vineyard has only been chosen twice.

‘Paradoxically,’ he explains, ‘this method turned out to be the most reliable way to maintain consistency in times of climatic uncertainty.

Just to give an example, in 2020 – a hot but also humid vintage – the sandier, wind-exposed Fontillatro vineyard performed best, while in 2021, the highest one just below the village of Sant’Angelo in Colle avoided frost and fared best.’

The innovation is as much in site selection as it is in the process.

‘Younger wine lovers tend to dislike excessive tannin, so we focus on the plot where the grapes have the analytically most polymerised tannins,’ Marone Cinzano explains.

Macerations are slightly shorter and extraction very gentle, with minimal pumpovers.

The two vintages released so far show subtle differences: 2019 quite reserved, 2020 more immediate. Both, however, stand apart from Col d’Orcia’s more classically styled core offerings.

‘There’s a younger generation of producers driving change in Montalcino,’ Marone Cinzano remarks.

It’s their duty to ensure the appellation, especially its southern reaches long known for muscular Brunello, keeps pace with evolving tastes.

Lot 1 points out a guiding path, emphasising precision over sheer power.

Six brilliant, new-project wines from Italy's finest

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Last year, six wineries in Sonoma County, California, announced that they had folded their labels into the Overshine Collective.

In an industry built on the romantic ideal of the solo founder, the news turned heads.

Rather than sell to a corporation or struggle alone amid market and climate volatility, the winemakers now share back-office work, logistics and major investments while retaining their own brand and stylistic independence.

For those familiar with American ‘founder culture’, this sounds radical, but in the wider historical context, it’s familiar terrain.

Progress has rarely come from working in isolation; agriculture, trade and political stability have all depended on collaboration.

Sharing is caring

‘Sharing is in vogue,’ says Letizia Pasini, export manager at Cantina Colterenzio in Italy’s Alto Adige.

There, cooperatives arose from different problems, but their structures force environmental, economic and social issues to be confronted simultaneously.

What happened in Alto Adige was part of a wider pattern. In the early 20th century, and particularly in the wake of the two world wars, wine cooperatives began to emerge across Italy.

From Alto Adige’s mountain terraces to Piedmont’s Nebbiolo vineyards and the bush vines of Sardinia’s Sulcis, smallholders facing low grape prices or the lure of city work joined forces, which helped keep them in their homelands and preserve physical and cultural landscapes.

For example, after World War II, Cantina Bolzano (or Kellerei Bozen in the Germanic) grew from the union of two historic co-ops: those of Gries and Santa Maddalena.

Faced with the choice of abandoning winemaking altogether following the Allied bombing of the Santa Maddalena winery, Gries and Santa Maddalena chose to join forces, eventually leading to a full merger in 2001.

Recent wine history, notably in high-cost New World regions, has rewarded the opposite model: estate vineyards, showpiece wineries and the founder as the face of the brand.

Yet that world has grown more fragile. From inflation and tariffs to currency shifts, the cost of doing business has risen, while in many regions, consumption has dropped.

Small wineries looking to scale often can’t jump the next financial hurdle once logistics, marketing, environmental upgrades and all the other costs outside farming and fermenting are factored in.

Human sustainability – the ability to provide a work-life balance – now belongs in the same conversation as soil health and water management.

From Pasini’s perspective, cooperation belongs to the future as much as the past. ‘This model is very modern and will be more relevant than ever in 2050,’ she says.

As proof of concept, today’s co-ops, once seen as volume table-wine producers, now stand behind some of Italy’s most exciting whites and reds.

Standing together against the climate crisis

As the wine industry enters uncharted climate territory, a collective approach allows the many to tackle a large-scale environmental project as one.

In 2018, Cantina Bolzano (pictured above) opened a striking new architectural winery on the northern edge of Bolzano city. Certified by regional energy agency CasaClima for its energy efficiency, thanks to heat pumps, solar panels, pellet-fired heating and passive cooling, it became one of Italy’s most advanced, low-impact winery projects.

Bolzano managing director Matthias Messner points out the advantages. ‘The model demonstrates that one plus one does not equal two, but far more,’ he says.

‘Pooling raw materials, resources and expertise creates added value that would be difficult to achieve individually.’

At Cantina Girlan, located just outside Bolzano, the 2025 vintage marked the shortest growing season and the fastest harvest in its history.

‘Because of unusual weather, early-ripening varieties matured later than usual, while late-ripening varieties ripened earlier,’ according to marketing manager Marc Pfitscher.

‘In this situation, being part of a cooperative was a considerable advantage, providing us with logistical resilience and security that would have been challenging for independent estates to cope with.’

Pooling resources

The foundations of Italy’s co-ops are intertwined with its singular landscape and history.

Yet the cooperative model isn’t a universal cure. Grapegrowers and winemakers in regions where land has grown expensive, and ownership concentrated, can’t and won’t copy these models exactly.

Sonoma’s Overshine remains a founder-led company rather than a formal co-op, although the rationale behind collaboration stems from what cooperatives have long understood.

‘As a group, we have more resources and reach,’ says Sam Bilbro of Idlewild Wines, part of the collective. ‘So, in the event of climate-driven needs for help, we have a greater pool to pull from.’

In a warmer, less predictable and more expensive world, that pool may be the point. Cooperatives prove that mutual support can be a viable working method – and, for many producers, a credible blueprint for a more sustainable wine future.

Six great Italian wine co-ops to know

Cantina Bolzano, Alto Adige

Formed in 2001 through the merger of Cantina Gries (established 1908) and Cantina Santa Maddalena (established 1930), Cantina Bolzano is one of Alto Adige’s most historically significant cooperatives, representing growers farming steep vineyards on the hillsides surrounding Bolzano.

The Santa Maddalena cooperative was a key player in formalising the Alto Adige DOC sub-zone of Santa Maddalena and promoting its autochthonous red grapes, including Schiava and Lagrein.

Cantina Bolzano has created a reputation around these reds, such as the Taber Riserva Lagrein, from old vines on the valley floor, and Huck am Bach St Magdalener Classico.

Today, the Tal line represents the co-op’s flagship expressions, with Tal 1908 (a Lagrein-led red blend) and Tal 1930 (a Chardonnay-led white blend).

Environmental leadership has shaped the cantina’s identity, and is most visible at the cellar level: a design-forward winery completed in 2018 was built to CasaClima energy efficiency standards, reducing operational energy demand through building design.

Cantina Colterenzio, Alto Adige

Cantina Colterenzio was founded in 1960 by Alto Adige growers determined to set their own course on grape pricing and quality, while keeping family farming viable around Appiano.

Today, about 300 members cultivate mostly small hillside parcels. From the 1980s, under director Luis Raifer, Colterenzio led a quality revolution through the introduction of lower yields, Guyot vine training and better site selection for white grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco – varieties that now underpin the Lafóa and Gran Lafóa ranges.

Environmental investment has also been central to the group. Photovoltaic and thermal solar panels installed in 2010 now generate all of Colterenzio’s electricity and most of its heat, while rainwater is captured for use around the property.

In the vineyards, regional sustainability goals are nudging a gradual shift towards practices that prioritise living soils over chemical fixes.

Cantina Girlan, Alto Adige

Founded in 1923 in the village of Cornaiano, Cantina Girlan occupies a 16th-century farmstead, with an original labyrinthine network of cellars beneath the village now forming part of the modern winery.

What began with a small group of growers seeking to control their future has grown to about 200 member families farming a little more than 230ha across nearby hills and valleys.

Grapes are harvested and vinified by individual parcel, with picking decisions made in coordination between the cellar team and growers throughout the season.

Girlan has built a reputation for Schiava and Pinot Noir, drawing on old vines and carefully selected sites to make finely etched, site-driven wines.

Its Pinot Noir Riserva programme – including Vigna Ganger from the Mazon monopole – shows that this climate-sensitive grape can achieve depth and finesse in Alto Adige, and that the region’s cooler, high-elevation vineyards are increasingly relevant for Pinot in a warming world.

Cantina Santadi, Sardinia

Located in Sulcis, in the southwest corner of Sardinia, Cantina Santadi was founded in 1960 by local growers seeking higher prices for their fruit.

While the early days of the cantina focused on bulk wine production, the co-op changed course during the mid-1970s under chairman Antonello Pilloni, along with the guidance of consultant Giacomo Tachis.

Between lower yields, judicious site selection and greater ambition in the cellar, the effort transformed Santadi into a leading name for Carignano del Sulcis – and big Italian reds in general.

Top grapes often come from a cache of old, ungrafted bush vines near the coast. For growers in such a hot, increasingly dry region, the shared structure spreads risk across the group.

Wines such as Terre Brune show how collective effort can indeed create powerful, ageworthy reds.

Cantina Tramin, Alto Adige

Founded in 1898 by local priest and politician Christian Schrott, Cantina Tramin is Alto Adige’s third-oldest cooperative and today is a union of 160 families farming roughly 270ha.

Tramin was one of the first co-ops in the region to treat sustainability as a core part of its identity, supporting growers through strict yield management and education on organic viticulture, even if only a minority are certified.

The cellar is best known for Gewürztraminer, with benchmark wines such as Nussbaumer and the late-release Epokale showing how intense, structured and ageworthy the variety can be. Both are among the most highly awarded Gewürztraminers in the world.

The range is organised into ‘classic’ and ‘selection’ tiers, including Stoan, a textured white blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Bianco, grown on clay and limestone soil; and Troy, a brisk, chiselled interpretation of Alpine Chardonnay.

Both reinforce Tramin’s credentials as a serious white wine producer.

Produttori del Barbaresco, Piedmont

Founded in 1958, Produttori del Barbaresco has become the reference cooperative for Nebbiolo in Barbaresco.

Member growers tend their own vineyards but collectively vinify in the village cellar, focusing solely on this single variety.

The range includes a Langhe Nebbiolo, a classic Barbaresco and, in top years, nine single-vineyard Riserva wines that are aged for extended periods in large casks.

For many drinkers, Produttori offers one of the best examples of how a co-op can produce structured, long-lived wines that comfortably compete with private estates – and often for better value.

Six wines from Italian cooperatives

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Top Super Tuscans – Sassicaia, Tignanello, Solaia, Ornellaia and Masseto – dominate Italian wine trading at Bordeaux Index and its LiveTrade online trading platform (see table), though demand is below a 2022 peak.

‘People continue to like the story [of these wines],’ said Geraint Carter, of Bordeaux Index, noting particular interest in top-rated vintages.

Some prices appeared to have stabilised after rising steeply up to 2022 and falling relatively modestly in the recent market downturn.

Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, said its Italy 100 index dropped 7.2% in value in 24 months to 28 February 2026, but was up 9% over five years.

Tuscany outperformed Piedmont, said Tom Burchfield, head of market intelligence at Liv-ex.

‘Prices for top-end Tuscan wines rose further than Piedmont wines in the upmarket, have been more resilient in the downmarket and early indications are that they might recover more quickly.’

He added, ‘Since August [2025], Tuscan components [of the Italy 100] are up 1.7%, while Piedmont components are up 0.9%.’

No longer overlooked

Carter suggested that further significant price rises for Super Tuscans in the short-term were unlikely, given the ongoing market uncertainty and prior gains. These wines ‘have gone through their transition of being overlooked’, he added.

Burchfield said trading on Italy was ‘quite inconsistent’ in 2026 so far. ‘While there is generally more price stability, we are not seeing buyers really rise up to offers with any haste.’

Tenuta San Guido released Sassicaia 2023 in February. Anna Hickson, brand manager for Tenuta San Guido at UK agent Armit Wines reported high trade interest.

‘Despite the challenging market conditions, Sassicaia continues to be viewed as offering strong value at the premium end of the fine wine market.’

In New York, Lauren McPhate, partner at Tribeca Wine Merchants, described demand for top Italian wines as robust, helped by top vintages, Super Tuscan brand power and also Piedmont.

‘Barolo [and] Barbaresco are always drivers, especially older, harderto-find vintages: 2010, 2016 and bottles reaching back to the 1960s and ’70s are moving with confidence.’

The Bordeaux Index view

Fine wine & spirits specialist Bordeaux Index kindly sponsors this section of Decanter, and provides its view on the market here every issue. It can be found at bordeauxindex.com

Tuscany joins the top table

The transformation of Tuscany’s position in the fine-wine market over the past two decades has been truly impressive.

Once a relative bit-part player in a trade dominated by Bordeaux and, to a lesser extent, Burgundy and Champagne, Tuscany is now a consistent mainstay.

This rise has been driven largely by the region’s aristocrats, whose wines have evolved into luxury brands with broad global demand and strong liquidity – a standing built on critical acclaim, improvements in quality and, crucially, a perception of value relative to Bordeaux.

Performance has matched the narrative. Italian icons such as Sassicaia and Tignanello were leading participants in the bull market of the late 2010s and early 2020s, and have proved resilient during the subsequent correction.

Altogether, this represents a striking repositioning, achieved in no small part as Bordeaux spent much of the decade after 2007 eroding its own competitive advantage.

That said, the dominance of the Super Tuscans is unfortunate given the wealth of authentic quality elsewhere across Tuscany and Italy’s other wine regions, much of which remains criminally under-appreciated.

Recent releases suggest producers are aiming to capture a greater share of the upside.

That is understandable, but the lesson from Bordeaux is clear: push too far, too quickly, and the consumer has a habit of pushing back.

Hospices de Nuits-St-Georges ‘100% sold’

In France, auctioneer iDealwine reported signs of ‘strong early confidence’ in Burgundy’s 2025 vintage after all lots sold in the 65th Hospices de Nuits-St-Georges charity auction on 8 March, raising €1.526m in total.

However, only 80.5 barrels were offered in this year’s sale, versus 100-150 in a typical year, said iDealwine.

This reflected limited yields in 2025 – albeit more generous than in the 2024 vintage.

Fine wine diary: Upcoming releases

Bordeaux 2025 en primeur: Critics and journalists will descend on Bordeaux in mid-April to taste barrel samples of the 2025 vintage. The first en primeur releases normally follow shortly afterwards, and the broader campaign can run across May and June. Stay tuned for analysis on quality and prices.

Judgement of Paris collection: In an ‘almost unheard of’ offering for collectors on 1 May, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art said it will auction a single lot featuring 10 red wines from the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting. The lot includes overall champion wine Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars SLV Cabernet Sauvignon 1973, plus Mouton Rothschild 1970.

Auction Napa Valley: Tickets have been made available for this year’s Auction Napa Valley weekend in early June. Three new packages for the traditional ‘Napa Valley Barrel Auction’ include a VIP tier that offers a winemaker dinner on the prior evening, said trade body Napa Valley Vintners.

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If 2022 was a paradox, Barbaresco’s 2023 vintage was a rollercoaster. The unexpected twists and switches left winegrowers as exhausted as perplexed. ‘Every month brought a different challenge’, recalls Roberta Ceretto.

The drought of 2022 carried over into 2023, and by March, the Tanaro River had almost dried out (see lead image). When the rain finally returned at the end of April, it didn’t let up until mid-June.

In another hairpin turn, summer arrived suddenly with soaring temperatures and barely another drop of rain until the end of August. And rather than droplets, the intense water bomb didn’t let up for two days. Temperatures somewhat abated afterward but remained above average throughout September.

While the wet spring meant peronospora (downy mildew) was a constant threat, wineries were quite happy to see water reserves replenished.

‘All the nutrition in the soil that the plant couldn't absorb in 2022 and 2021, it sucked up with the rain in 2023,’ explains Gaia Gaja.

Much more worrisome was the heatwave, bringing unprecedented temperature spikes in the second half of August. ‘It reached 42℃,” asserts Pierguido Busso, who noted issues not just with dehydration but also sunburn.

At Gaja, girapoggio – or horizontally planted rows – suffered the most damage. ‘Bunches on the west side had to be dropped,’ Gaia states. She admits that she didn’t like the wines immediately after fermentation. ‘I was concerned about unripe, green notes but they improved in the barrel’.

Besides using protective measures such as kaolin on the bunches and hail nets for shade, the estate recently started planting native trees in key vineyards like Sorì San Lorenzo. ‘Maybe in 10 years they will provide enough shade and we won’t need nets’, Gaia posits.

Unsurprisingly, the vines shut down in the summer of 2023, and unlike 2022, harvest ended up being quite late.

Deciding when to pick proved difficult. ‘The grapes went from green to overripe quickly’, says David Fletcher, adding that southern exposures struggled the most. At Poderi Colla, Federica Colla describes the difficult harvest: ‘We had to make three passages in the same vineyard as bunches ripened at different times’.

End of an era

Choosing a favourite at Produttori del Barbaresco is like splitting hairs. All nine bottlings are cellarworthy, with clearly defined personalities.

Perhaps the most surprising this year was the Montefico, which showed more vigour than usual without sacrificing its signature mineral nuance.

My tasting at this historic cooperative was bittersweet, as it was the last with Aldo Vacca: after more than 30 years as managing director, he is retiring.

Besides being a steadfast leader at the winery, he was a tireless ambassador for Barbaresco, and I am personally indebted to him for much of what I have learned about the region.

Vacca leaves big shoes to fill, but his long-time right-hand, Luca Cravanzola has stepped confidently into the position – yet another changing of the guard that is shaping Barbaresco’s bright future.

The vintage comparison

After skipping 2022 altogether, Sottimano returns with a complete lineup of single-MGA bottlings. ‘2023 is 10 steps beyond 2022,’ declares Andrea Sottimano.

Conversely, Lena Oddero at Luigi Oddero favours 2022, referring to the 2023 Barbaresco as ‘Nebbiolino’ – little Nebbiolo.

‘The wines are ripe but not structured’, adds the estate’s winemaker, Francesco Versio. He describes 2023 as fresher and more vertical than 2022, because lower potassium levels resulted in more stable acidities.

Indeed, the 2023s tend to be markedly pale in colour, midweight and delicate in structure. Yet they are charming and balanced in their proportions, with ripe but not rich or confected flavours.

Some veer towards Langhe Nebbiolo in style, but with a bit more heft. My preference is for those wines not weighed down by overt wood, and I am pleased to see fewer faulty wines than in 2022.

Barbaresco: Top value picks

Bosio, Boschi dei Signori, Barbaresco 2023

When you have a midweek craving for Barbaresco, Boschi dei Signori offers an accessibly priced example.

Cà del Baio, Barbaresco Asili 2023

From one of Barbaresco’s most prestigious MGAs, Cà del Baio’s represents an excellent price-quality rapport.

Marchesi di Barolo, Barbaresco Serragrilli 2023

This pulls off both ripeness and restraint in one elegant, ready to drink package.

Produttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco 2022

One of the best deals in Barbaresco year after year, with the 2022 no exception.

Massimo Rivetti, Barbaresco 2022

Not just well priced, this Barbaresco is packed with flavour – and certified organic to boot.

Barbaresco 2023: A commune by commune analysis

My wine of the vintage

Which Barbaresco to drink when?

Barbaresco releases: Tasted & rated

92 points and under

Barbaresco Riserva 2021

This year also marks the release of the 2021 vintage of Barbaresco Riserva, and the 30 or so wines I tasted underscore the great success of this highly touted vintage.

Along with Marchesi di Grésy’s delicious duo from Martinenga, Rizzi’s elegantly restrained Vigna Boito and Vietti’s perfumed Rabajà came out on top in blind tastings. These can all be tucked away and enjoyed leisurely over the next 15-plus years.

Other special mentions go to Montaribaldi, whose first-ever Marcarini bottling marks the estate’s foray into the Riserva category. Similarly, the up-and-coming Piercarlo Culasso estate has upgraded its single-parcel Faset label as of the 2021 vintage.

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As notoriously difficult as Italian wine is to decipher, the term ‘Riserva’ seems straightforward – it’s widely, and simply, interpreted as ‘better’.

Intrinsic to the history of Italian wine, Riserva is deeply entrenched in the country’s psyche.

As Andrea Farinetti (pictured, below), owner of Borgogno in Barolo, says: ‘It means something rare, limited and set-aside because it’s unique.’

Equally, cautions Brunello di Montalcino producer Biondi-Santi CEO Giampiero Bertolini: ‘Whether this is the case or not is another question.’

The term is also tied to a legal definition controlled by both EU and Italian wine law, which stipulates longer ageing prior to release compared to non-Riserva counterparts (often referred to as annata).

This translates to a minimum total ageing of two years for reds and one for whites.

Convolutions ensue, because exact regulations differ from one denomination to the next.

Mixed messages

The rationale behind the Riserva classification is sound – that the best wines should endure and benefit from extended refinement.

By tradition, rather than ordinance, Riservas have typically corresponded to a special selection, whether it be from old vines, choice vineyard plots or superior barrels singled out during ageing for their greater concentration and structure.

Among Italy’s iconic examples, Giacomo Conterno’s Monfortino Barolo Riserva, Bruno Giacosa’s ‘red label’ Barolo and Barbaresco Riservas, and Biondi-Santi’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva were historically made only in vintages deemed of the highest quality by the respective estates.

And they still are today. ‘It is very important that the difference between an annata wine and the Riserva is clearly perceivable in sensorial terms as well as in the cultivation and making of the wine,’ Bertolini explains. ‘It can’t just be a wine with longer maturation.’

But theory and practice aren’t always aligned.

At its best, Riserva encompasses some of Italy’s greatest wines, yet the category equally includes its share of disappointing, lacklustre examples.

‘Wines that weren’t selling, that were also not particularly fine, became Riserva just because of the fact they remained in storage,’ says Marchesi Frescobaldi’s president Lamberto Frescobaldi.

Superstar Piedmont consultant Gian Luca Colombo bemoans the tendency of some producers to release a Riserva every year. ‘It misses the meaning of the very concept of Riserva,’ he states.

At Cupano in Montalcino, Tuscany, Andrea Polidoro is even more disillusioned: ‘It is the only option for producers to double the price for the same wine.’

Quality sweet spot

Coming under such criticism, Riserva is faced with an inevitable reckoning.

Eroding its once-exalted status, the denominations of Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano in Tuscany have both introduced a higher tier: respectively, Gran Selezione and Pieve, relegating Riserva to the middle rung of the quality pyramid (above annata) of these DOCGs.

In Chianti Classico, many wineries argue, conversely, that Gran Selezione has given Riserva a new lease of life.

‘Our historic clientele, as well as new enthusiasts, continue to seek out the Riserva,’ asserts Castello di Monsanto’s Laura Bianchi (pictured, above), who identifies the desirable combination of immediate accessibility with cellaring capacity, as well as an excellent price-quality ratio.

Indeed, Chianti Classico’s Riservas offer a sweet spot for savvy, budget-conscious cellaring.

Nevertheless, the category is somewhat blurred as several of the denomination’s most prominent wineries, including Castell’in Villa and San Giusto a Rentennano, continue to bottle their top Chianti Classico as Riserva rather than Gran Selezione.

Place and time

New categories are indicative of a general evolution in Italian wine labelling.

Most prominent in this regard is the rise of UGAs – geographical subdivisions within an existing denomination.

The trend underscores a shift of emphasis towards identifying a more specific place of origin. In Piedmont, both Barolo and Barbaresco have well-entrenched systems of this type.

Sixth-generation Davide Abbona at Marchesi di Barolo distinguishes these bottlings with respect to Riserva. ‘They are two different yet complementary interpretations within the same denomination,’ he says.

The idea behind UGAs is to highlight diversity of territory at the regional level, whereas Riserva is typically an individual estate’s stylistic expression linked to time. ‘It requires patience and attention to reach its maximum expression,’ Abbona says of the latter.

Crucially, UGAs aren’t an indication of a higher level of quality, although some estates do choose to bottle their top site’s wine as a Riserva; essentially one denomination or categorisation reinforcing the other.

Expanded offerings

In Tuscany, Montalcino has resisted carving up its territory into smaller official sub-zones.

Nevertheless, it has seen a boom in site-specific Brunello, such as Cortonesi’s La Mannella and Poggiarelli bottlings, or San Polo’s Podernovi.

This route offers an opportunity for wineries to expand their offerings beyond Riserva, as well as another channel for those who have misgivings about it.

‘It makes sense for historical wineries to make a Riserva, but for a young winery it is hard to speak about tradition,’ says up-and-comer Tommaso Squarcia at Castello Tricerchi.

He favours the single-vineyard approach ‘because you can justify making the wine every year’.

The two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.

Frescobaldi-owned estate CastelGiocondo’s Ripe al Convento is among the Brunello Riserva that come from a single site. ‘Abroad, the indication of the vineyard is more important than the term Riserva,’ asserts Lamberto Frescobaldi.

In Italy, however, he notes that having both elements in the name reinforces the prestige of a wine such as Brunello.

Giles Burke-Gaffney, fine wine director at London-based merchant Justerini & Brooks, echoes Frescobaldi’s sentiments: ‘The term Riserva resonates very little with our customers.’

He points instead to region, commune, producer and vintage all having more significant influences on purchasing decisions.

For Winetraders UK owner Michael Palij MW, the allure depends on the specific denomination. ‘I have never seen any demand for Riserva outside Chianti Classico, Brunello and Barolo,’ he asserts. ‘Taurasi? Even Amarone? Not a chance!’

Level of achievement

But it isn’t all bad news for Riserva. At Berry Bros & Rudd, Barbara Drew MW identifies the sway of brand loyalty.

‘Passionate fans of a particular producer will generally buy that producer’s Riserva wines along with the rest of their range,’ she says, adding that they’ll happily pay the premium to do so.

Herein lies the crux of the matter.

A Riserva is only as reliable as the producer that makes it. Above all, for a Riserva to be truly relevant, it must embody the spirit, not just the letter, of the law.

Those that do may find their way to the upper echelons of Italian wine; however, they don’t stand alone at the top.

Rather, they are joined by UGA and single-vineyard bottlings that eschew the designation, as well as the more broadly defined IGT category, the best of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione and the like.

True to Italian form, it’s complex to say the least.

The Morris pick: Four definitive Italian Riserva wines

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Villa d'Este: From boat rides to rare wines

You can’t help but feel glamorous slicing through the water on Lake Como in a gleaming Riva speedboat with a glass of Ca’ Del Bosco Franciacorta fizz in hand.

‘That’s George Clooney’s house,’ the skipper says, whizzing by a large 18^th century cream-painted mansion set in manicured grounds on the edge of the lake.

With the foothills of the Alps looming beyond, and picturesque villages scattered along its shores, it’s no wonder the area has attracted poets, artists and musicians for centuries.

The boat ride is one of the most popular activities offered by what is one of Italy’s grandest hotels, Villa d’Este, with a roll call of guests that would make any jaw drop, among them Clark Gable and Bette Davis, José Carerras and Madonna - Alfred Hitchcock even made his first film here, The Pleasure Garden.

Italy’s largest private wine collection

For wine lovers, Villa d’Este has become a particular draw of late. It now boasts the largest private wine collection in Italy, with over 12,000 labels and 160,000 bottles, with rarities such as 1893 Château d’Yquem and 1935 Romanée-Conti, plus a line-up of starry

Super-Tuscans, Piedmont heavyweights, and lesser-known gems from around Italy and beyond.

How it all began

Commissioned in 1586 by the Cardinal of Como, the palatial building and its surrounding 25 acres of lush, sculpture-filled gardens (a National Monument since 2013) has been owned since by bankers and barons, counts and marquises – even a future Queen of England, Caroline of Brunswick.

Transformed into a hotel in 1873, it now belongs to a family of Italian entrepreneurs, who also own other luxury hotels, including Villa La Massa in Florence, and the legendary Harry’s Bar in Cernobbio (no relation to the Venice institution), the well-heeled village in which Villa d’Este is located.

Checking in: Rooms at Villa d'Este

Ornate crested cast iron gates swing open as a liveried doorman waves guests through onto a regal tree-lined driveway.

With the lake glittering to one side, all enter through the grand foyer, with its imposing columns and seductive signature scent.

There are 151 rooms in all, divided between The Cardinal’s Building and the Queen’s Pavilion, decorated with period furniture and paintings, with large marble bathrooms de rigueur – even the pillowcases have personalised monograms.

Plus, there are four private villas for those who want their privacy, a beauty centre and sizeable spa, with a golf course nearby.

Best are the rooms overlooking the lake, where the sound of church bells carries across the water as small passenger ferries chug rhythmically to and fro.

Dining at Villa d'Este

There are several dining options offered at Villa d’Este throughout the year (the hotel is the only luxury hotel on the lake to open during the winter – with Christmas a highlight), with the fine dining Veranda its flagship.

Here, long-serving executive chef Michele Zambanini expertly works his refined take on classic Italian cooking, where a team of six sommeliers will pair wines to match led by group wine director Alex Bartoli, the brains behind the newly transformed list.

A treasure-filled wine cellar

Bartoli joined the team in 2022, fresh from winning awards at three-Michelin starred Milan restaurant Cracco.

‘I’ve been on a bit of a spending spree,’ he first confesses before explaining how he built up the list from just 300 labels.

With large format bottles his passion (‘I love the way the wine evolves,’ he says), Bartoli shows off his cavernous, treasure-filled cellar to any guest who is interested, plus offers private tasting experiences which both inform and delight, sprinkled throughout with winemaker anecdotes.

While his winemaker dinners, held between October and December, have become a big draw for both guests and locals.

One last ride

On Bartoli’s recommendation, we jump on the ferry for the 10-minute ride to Como, weaving through the atmospheric old town to arrive at swanky wine shop-cum-wine bar Vineria Vitani, where we savour rich, spicy 2007 Gravner Rosso Breg, before taking one last ride across the breathtaking lake.

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Barolo’s latest Riserva releases hail from the warm and docile 2020 vintage.

Like their annata counterparts, the wines exude a supple graciousness: even when they are backed with greater structure, the tannins generally remain sumptuous and velvety.

Overall, I found immediate harmony and instant enjoyment. Most should show their best over the next 10 to 15 years, doling out their generous pleasures steadily throughout this window. The choice is personal, of course, whether you prefer youthful charm or tertiary intricacies.

Most gratifying of all is the sense of intention behind these wines in 2020. While the Riserva category has become somewhat diluted throughout Italy, Barolo still manages to convey its original intent.

And even in this more approachable vintage, top bottlings like Bruno Giacosa’s Vigna Le Rocche Falletto, Massolino’s Vignarionda, and Palladino’s San Berardino encapsulate longevity and completeness.

With a trio of new Riserva, the historic Borgogno estate embraces the prevailing approach, which highlights single MGAs. Specifically, they are made from old-vine plots in Annunziata, Cannubi and Liste. The latter gets my top vote in 2020.

Standing the test of time

Beyond the 2020s, there are several late-release Riservas worth seeking out.

Always a year behind, Cavallotto proposes an excellent ageworthy duo from 2019 with the Vignolo and Vigna San Giuseppe bottlings.

From the same vintage, Pecchenino comes out with its first Riserva since 2011.

‘Riserva is not a shortcut to raise prices,’ declares Giacomo Conterno at Aldo Conterno. ‘Instead, it must be a flagship that evokes place – a message in a bottle.’

Some wineries, including Aldo Conterno, Parusso and Vite Colte, choose to wait a full 10 years from harvest before releasing their Riserva, and these latest offerings revisit the exceptional 2016 vintage.

Aldo Conterno’s 2016 Gran Bussia is not an inexpensive missive to say the least, but it is certainly a Riserva that will stand the test of time.

Which Riserva to drink when?

Barolo Riserva 2020: Tasted & rated

In vintage order, highest score first

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Barolo’s best value in 2022 is found among its blends.

Whether a region-wide or a village blend (as opposed to the single-MGA and even single-vineyard bottlings), these so-called ‘classic’ Barolos represent a sweet spot for the vintage.

The majority of wines in 2022 are round in shape with harmonising acidity and well managed tannins, and less complexity than in the best years.

This more approachable style works to the advantage of those after well priced Barolo, with a number of well performing wines to highlight below.

Barolo 2022's top value picks

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When I visited Barolo in early May of 2022, scrawny plants on dusty, arid soil were barely noticeable amid the equally scraggly cover crop.

By the end of the season, many vines hadn’t even reached the top of the trellis, which is almost inconceivable for the notoriously vigorous Nebbiolo.

Drought reached hyperbolic levels and the summer heat was relentless. For a region that is well versed in dealing with rain, the severe lack of it was disconcerting.

‘It forced me to rethink my farming,’ recalls Gianluca Colombo, who abandoned the region’s traditional viticultural practices and adopted the farming approaches of more southern, Mediterranean climes.

‘2022 was an exception in the worst possible way,’ says Carlotta Rinaldi. Yet the vines’ resilience was astounding: ‘From the beginning, they tried to preserve energy and limit production’, she continues.

Tools in the armoury

Drawing on lessons learned in vintages such as 2003, 2007 and 2017, green harvesting was minimal at most. Likewise, many estates avoided de-leafing and hedging, and allowed lateral shoots to grow for additional shade.

‘We left the vines in peace’, concludes Chiara Boschis.

Beyond managing the canopy to shade the grapes, producers such as Poderi e Cantine Oddero and Brovia applied kaolin (a powdery white clay) to act as a natural sunscreen for the bunches.

Anti-hail nets were also credited with curbing sunburn, providing much-needed shade. Paolo Scavino launched the first trials with automated nets developed specifically for sun protection.

Among the few estates with access to water, the family also experimented with irrigation since special permission had been granted for emergency use; a hot and divisive topic to say the least.

And in many cases, inter-row cover crops were left in situ, helping to prevent the soils from losing precious moisture, and to keep the ground as cool as possible.

Yet, inevitably, vines shut down due to heat stress in 2022, particularly those on sandier soils. ‘The heat and drought actually slowed down phenolic ripening, but not sugar levels,’ notes Alberto Cordero di Montezemolo.

Nevertheless, harvest was still early across the board – while some picked long before the rain which arrived at the end of September, others, including Alan Maley at Margherita Otto waited.

‘Those days of rain made all the difference. It was like putting gas in the car.’ Maley also noted a reduction in potential alcohol from 15.2% before to 14.2% after.

Throwing out the rule book

Yields were down anywhere from 20% to 45% but grapes were healthy. Despite small, concentrated berries with thick skins, tannin ripeness was a niggling concern.

The challenge, therefore, was to fine-tune the concentration and avoid over- or under-extraction.

‘It made it difficult to colour inside the lines’, describes Giacomo Conterno.

So again, wineries threw out the rules they were weaned on. Lower fermentation temperatures, gentler pump overs, shorter time on the skins, and avoiding submerged cap macerations were some of the ways winemakers sought to achieve balance.

Several reduced the time in wood, too, in order ‘to preserve freshness’, as Colombo puts it.

As extreme as the 2022 vintage in Barolo was, this does not translate into the wines and I am pleasantly surprised by their fragrance and fruit expression.

Heterogenous in quality, some veer towards confection, though are rarely stewed. Those that fall short are washed out and lacking through the mid-palate.

Conversely, the best wines defy the vintage without disassociating from it, offering depth and definition.

The majority of wines are round in body with harmonising rather than bracing acidity. The tannins are well managed, if less complex and intricate than in great years. And when a bit of dryness does poke through, I appreciate the reminder that I am drinking Nebbiolo!

‘We worried they would be heavy and cloying, but they have much more spunk than we expected,’ remarks Alessandro Olocco at Palladino.

Many found it impossible to single out a comparable vintage, though 2020 was repeatedly cited in terms of the wines’ generous and open nature. ‘There is richness, power and warmth – but not like 2003, which is already dead,’ notes Silvia Altare.

Martina Fiorino at Bruna Grimaldi describes the tannins in 2022 as ‘more resolved and integrated’, compared to 2017.

To blend or not to blend

While 2022 isn’t a vintage to seek out definitive site-specific examples, it does present a compelling case for the time-honoured tradition of blending. But the underlying rationale is different from the cooler climate of yesteryear.

‘In hot years, the vineyards start to resemble one another’, asserts Fabio Alessandria at GB Burlotto. As such, he opted to forego his single-MGA bottlings to produce just one Barolo that incorporates all.

‘Splitting it into three labels would have left too little wine,’ adds Cordero di Montezemolo, explaining that they excluded lots that didn’t meet their usual high standards.

‘Not every vintage is suited for expressing the individual MGAs,’ he continues, ‘but that does not mean the vintage is bad or of lower quality.’

In general, the ‘classic’ Barolos represent a sweet spot for the vintage. Bartolo Mascarello’s remains the standard-bearer but I was also duly impressed with Chiara Boschis’ Via Nuova, Margherita Otto, Pio Cesare and Vietti among others.

There are many successes among the MGA bottlings too. Both Lorenzo Scavino at Azelia and Milena Viara at GD Vajra attribute the quality of theirs in 2022 to the old vines: ‘Even in a difficult vintage, they still speak of where they are from,’ Vaira argues.

My wine of the vintage

2022 vintage conclusions

In 2022 there are plenty of very good wines, but few truly outstanding and distinctive ones. The best convey a visceral connection to the against-all odds vintage.

Most are ready or nearly ready to drink, with an ageing potential between 10 to 12 years. Some will be even longer lived, but only a very few bottles will require extended cellaring.

At the risk of distracting from 2022, my recommendations also include several late-release 2021s.

Missing out on these would be a shame. Topping my list is Guido Porro’s Vignarionda MGA, with the estate’s Vigna Lazzairasco making for a shrewd sidestep.

Also pulling a solid one-two punch is Aurelio Settimo with the striking Rocche dell'Annunziata MGA and excellent value classic Barolo.

Beyond these, Marcarini’s Brunate is a testament to this prestigious MGA, and Le Strette’s Bergera-Pezzole MGA gives insight into Novello beyond Ravera.

I just hope your appetite – or rather thirst – for Barolo in all its variations is as big as mine!

Barolo 2022: A commune by commune analysis

Barolo 2022: Tasted & rated

Score table: 94 points and under

Barolo 2021 late releases

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Tenuta San Leonardo occupies the site of a medieval monastery on the floor of the Trentino valley, the corridor which links Veneto with Alto Adige.

Known for its flagship red, which, unusually, includes Carmenere alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, San Leonardo's estate has been home to the Guerrieri Gonzaga family for the last 300 years.

Surrounded by woodland and dotted with vineyards, the jewel in the crown of the estate is the impressive garden maintained by the family and attached to the 19th century Villa Gresti, which serves as the family home.

It was at the recent launch of the new 2021 vintage of San Leonardo in Palazzo Taverna in Rome, that the link between nature and wine, light and shade, became apparent.

As the evening unfolded beneath gilded chandeliers, Caravaggio-esque paintings and Flemish tapestries, leading Italian artist Chiara Camoni presented Spiritelli di Terra e Vegetazione (‘Sprites of Earth and Vegetation’) as part of the estate's ‘Arte a San Leonardo’ project (see boxout below).

Light and shade

Situated at the southern reaches of the mountainous Trentino region, San Leonardo is defined by its alpine energy.

Even in the scorching vintages of the past decade, it has retained a sleek, finesse-driven style.

In Rome, Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga commented: ‘2021 was an outstanding, eagerly anticipated vintage across Italy. At San Leonardo, it was a year of extraordinary light – and that matters, because we are in a narrow valley where the sunlight isn’t always direct.

‘Looking back over 40 years of records, we recognise that light – distinct from heat – is the foundation of great vintages.’

Already fairly expressive, this newly released 2021 vintage will please those drawn to fresher styles straight out of the gate, yet Anselmo maintains it has a long life ahead.

‘The 2021 is a marathon runner,’ he explains. ‘Perhaps it will last a little less than legendary vintages like 1988 but we expect it to drink well for forty years or more.’

The highly acclaimed 2019 is 2021’s most natural benchmark: similar in depth, though even tighter and aromatically more reserved, reflecting a slightly cooler season.

Only time will tell which of these two great vintages will ultimately prove superior, yet there is little reason to doubt that 2021 ranks among the most complete and cellar-worthy San Leonardo releases in recent years.

A taste of San Leonardo: The new 2021 vintage

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For any wine region to be great, it needs a simple name. Just look at Bordeaux. Given its 65 appellations, having this one name is quite convenient as trying to remember all of them, save for a few of the most famous, is a tedious proposition.

The same can be said for Burgundy, the Rhône, Napa or a multitude of famous regions the world over. This is what makes the proposition of the ‘North Adriatic’ so appealing.

It’s a convenient shorthand for not just a very wide group of appellations, but also parts of three different countries, including northeast Italy and the western parts of Slovenia and Croatia.

When Paul Balke, author of the book North Adriatic, contacted me about a trip he was planning that grouped all of these regions into one much more digestible whole, I thought it a splendid idea.

I’ve been tasting them individually for nearly two decades and hadn’t really considered the fact that they are, to any wine drinker, far more comprehensible via this collective nomenclature.

While at first glance it may appear that this spaghetti of borders, rivers and small mountains has no cohesion, there are several aspects that bind it all together.

And, given that Croatia entered into the Schengen and Eurozone at the start of 2023, imagining that there is any kind of separation at all seems more artificial than the separation that was.

First and most important is the Italianate nature to everything. In ancient history this was all Roman, and in later history it was all Venetian.

It’s only during the last century that things have become a great deal more complicated, especially after World War II.

Despite this, almost everyone who isn’t Italian (namely Slovenes and Croats) does also speak Italian.

While this shared language and history is what we see on the surface, below there’s a vast stretch of flysch (charmingly known locally as ponca/opoka in Italian/Slovenian), a sedimentary mix of sandstone and marl that links the geology of the region.

Linked by separation

This novel new way to look at the region essentially has Trieste in Italy’s far northeast as its focus point and city, with Venice serving as the western flank and Rijeka, Croatia, as the eastern.

It would be easy to get bogged down in finite details across these various lands, of which there are 15 zones.

However, there are two core regions to the north and south that are the most important, as they both produce some of the most exciting wines: Colli Orientali/Collio/Goriška Brda straddling Italy and Slovenia; and Istria, which is mostly in Croatia, with a smaller northern segment in Slovenia and the smallest scrap just to the south of Trieste.

These two North Adriatic sub-regions perfectly embody a spirit of being ‘apart yet together’.

Prior to the imposition of the new border in 1947, Collio and Brda formed a single, coherent wine region, with the same flysch soils extending west into Colli Orientali.

Anyone wandering through these hills today could potentially cross the remnants of old, now-obsolete borders several times in a single day without noticing any real difference – aside from the reversed order of the bilingual village signs and the shared tourism branding of Collio Brda, marked by small shelters dotted across the region, ready for a selfie.

Split identities

Along these hills, one will find undulating waves of vines and, while both red and white varieties are planted, what’s most notable are the vines of Ribolla Gialla/Rebula.

While not planted as much as in the past, there has been a renewal in the last 20 years, with the wines ranging from a fresher style to full-on skin-contact orange, to sparkling wines that are really pleasing these days, such as the Kristalvin, Rebula Extra Brut.

The still wine producers – such as Movia or newcomers such as Ferdinand, both in Brda – are also excellent locales to visit.

Movia especially seems to have a steady stream of visitors, which should come as no surprise given the view from the terrace of the cellar.

While there is plenty of Ribolla Gialla in Collio, the Italian part of this common area, it’s with Friulano where producers seem to be excelling, especially from the likes of Renato Keber or Castello di Spessa.

There’s something of a branding issue with this white grape, however, given that it can be found labelled as Tocai (a name that had to be changed under EU regulations, due to its confusion with Hungary’s Tokaji – the luxurious sweet wine made mostly from the Furmint grape), as well as Friulano, Sauvignonasse and the particularly confusing Zeleni Sauvignon.

To the point of Istria

It’s difficult to leave the hills of Collio/Goriška Brda (a feeling I know well from many trips), but there’s much more to see in the North Adriatic region.

One can go west to regions that are much more plaindriven, especially in Friuli – the zones of Grave, Isonzo or Colli Orientali. In Friuli Grave, Udine is a lovely Italian city to visit, too; and, 10km to its east, the very historic town of Cividale del Friuli is a necessary stop.

Or you can head east, deep into Slovenia, winding along the 70km of the Vipava valley, with grapevines on the valley floor, castles high above on the hills and, higher still, the rocky Karst plateau, which is shared by Italy and Slovenia.

But once you pass through Vipava and follow the rear side of Trieste – a wooded world away from the busy Italian city and port – you arrive at the Istrian peninsula, which, like Collio and Brda, was a single contiguous region prior to World War II.

Wherever you are in Istria – from its Italian sliver at the northern end to Slovenia’s 43km of coastline and the vast bulk of land in modern Croatia – you’re far better off pulling back from the coast by some 10km or so.

The historic presence of Venice is clear in the lovely towns of Piran in Slovenia and Rovinj in Croatia, while the unmistakable imprint of the Romans is apparent in Pula at the tip of the peninsula.

Large-scale tourism, too, has left its mark along the entire coastline. This, however, is nothing new and, as such, the interior was long developed as a destination for boutique hotels, fine food and, of course, very, very good wines.

Both the flysch soils from the north and the Italian language continue into Istria.

In fact, schools in Croatia are bilingual, as are the street signs, and the local Croatian language is markedly different – more sing-song and melodic when compared with that spoken in the country’s capital Zagreb.

Heart of the peninsula

While roughly half of Istria is planted with vines, the most serious production and winery focus lies in the northwestern areas of Croatian Istria and, at slightly lower altitudes, in neighbouring parts of Slovenia.

Conveniently, this overlaps perfectly with the most scenic, postcard-ready parts of Istria, including the villages of Brtonigla, Buje, Grožnjan, Oprtalj and, perhaps most famously of all, Motovun.

Running around the bases of the hilltops these villages call home is an endless parade of vines. Istria is also refreshingly easy to understand from a grape variety point of view.

There are, broadly speaking, two principal grapes: the white Malvazija Istarska, and the red Teran (Terrano in Italy, Refošk in Slovenia – though the latter may be a close relative, rather than exactly the same variety).

Despite this shared varietal base, the resulting wines can show significant stylistic differences. This is worth noting, as in recent years, producers in Slovenian Istria have leaned more towards natural and low-intervention approaches, as seen at Korenika & Moškon.

This isn’t to say such practices don’t exist further south, but Croatian Istria retains a strong, studied Italian core of winemaking that has a tendency to keep things more tightly controlled.

Teran-based wines from producers such as Coronica and Cattunar rank among the stars of the region’s reds. On the white side, Coronica’s Gran Malvazija, Kozlović’s Santa Lucia and Clai’s Baracija Malvazija are all genuinely world class.

Of course, it would be remiss to focus solely on the wines. Truffles should also be high on the agenda – ideally grated generously over a steak at a fine konoba (a traditional tavern or small restaurant serving regional cuisine) enjoyed with an unparalleled view from the top of Motovun village.

A delicious slice of the Adriatic

Paul Balke proposes that the North Adriatic concept stretches as far as Rijeka and the nearby island of Krk.

There is indeed a shared history across these areas, but they lack the rolling, vineyard-covered hills that seem to define much of the rest of the region.

That said, it remains a sound concept. The core elements of wine, history and, for lack of a better word, an ‘Italian’ style feel broadly contiguous throughout.

Given how difficult it can be for neighbouring wine regions – let alone different countries – to work together in pursuit of a common goal, it may be some time before there’s greater alignment.

Still, for wine lovers who enjoy one part of this region, there is a great deal more to explore and enjoy across the North Adriatic as a whole.

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Vermentino, the quintessential coastal grape, thrives on the shores of Tuscany, through Liguria to southern France, Corsica and Sardinia. At the heart of this triangle is the Colli di Luni zone, a land of castles and stone-built villages, hillside wineries and stunning sea views.

Here, some of the most harmonious and expressive Vermentino is made, enticingly savoury and sometimes surprisingly ageworthy.

For fans of authentic Italian white wines, stunning scenery and ancient history, Colli di Luni is like nowhere else.

Colli di Luni's stunning landscape

The Colli di Luni occupies a crescent of wooded hills extending like an embrace towards the sea and the ancient Roman site of Luni. It's the easternmost corner of Liguria, spilling over into north-west Tuscany, where the Alpi Apuane mountains sparkle with white Carrara marble, creating a spectacular backdrop and mild microclimate ventilated by sea breezes.

The scenic Bocca di Magra estuary and celebrated coastal spots like Portovenere and Cinque Terre are nearby.

Where to eat and drink in Colli di Luni

Wineries to visit

Just outside charming Sarzana, Il Monticello winery (www.ilmonticello.it) is run by brothers Davide and Alessandro Neri. The latter is an engineer whose inventions include vine disease monitoring and fermentation control systems. ‘We have lots of fun!’ he says.

Like most here, vines are split between numerous small plots. One has two distinct soils, giving rise to sibling Vermentino crus: minerally ‘Argille Grigie’ from chalky grey clay, and complex ‘Argille Rosse’ from iron-rich red clay. Try too their fresh, contemporary red Vermentino Nero – unrelated to white Vermentino – and increasingly grown hereabouts.

Near Luni is the area’s flagship winery, Cantine Lunae (www.cantinelunae.com), based between historic Ca' Lunae (below) and the contemporary winery where sustainability goes hand-in-hand with design. As latest generation owner-winemaker Diego Bosoni points out: ‘our aim is to create harmony with nature and wine through art and architecture’.

With 65 hectares of vines plus a network of growers, they're the denomination's largest wine estate. While Bosoni experiments with minor native varieties like Pollera Nera (‘International varieties have never taken root here’), Vermentino dominates in the area's three bands of land: sandy lowlands (currently outside the denomination), clay-soiled foothills, and rocky higher plots where the vibrant ‘Etichetta Nera’ (DWWA 2025 Silver medal) originates.

Bosoni also makes an apple-fresh 48-month aged Vermentino-Albarola traditional method brut.

Nearby Andrea Marcesini of La Felce winery (www.facebook.com/marcesini.andrea) works with just 6ha under vine, and although he was the consortium's first president, his wines are no longer labelled as Colli di Luni DOC: ‘I'm not against the denomination, I just wanted to go my own way’, he says.

With Triple A certification for his low-intervention wines – including a perpetual blend – he is doing just that. He's also involved in a vineyard therapy project with psychiatric hospital residents.

High in the hills at 550 metres above sea level, Fosdinovo stands out for its magnificent castle, vineyards with superb sea views, and schist soil bringing minerality and complexity to wines.

While Ivan Giuliani at Terenzuola (www.terenzuola.it) experiments extensively with lesser-known varieties, his star wines are ageworthy Vermentino crus from vines overlooked by two statuesque pines: ‘I Pini di Corsano’ (DWWA 2025 Silver medal) is remarkable. Tastings include old vintages, showing exciting evolution and freshness after even a decade.

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There is a group of DOC/Gs in the far northeast corner of Piedmont producing Nebbiolo wines against the dramatic backdrop of the Alps.

Gattinara and Ghemme (both DOCGs) are the best known, while Bramaterra along with the microscopic Lessona, Sizzano, Boca and Fara are the others.

Nebbiolo has been grown here for centuries, but in the sub-alpine climate with extreme temperature variations which slow down the vegetative cycle, the variety often struggled to get to full ripeness.

The wines were typically lean, with nervy acidity and bone-dry tannins; intense but rigid.

With time, they acquired complex tertiary aromas – it’s no coincidence that the production regulations impose extended wood and bottle ageing – but they were wines of another era.

The wines of today, meanwhile, present a very different profile. They drink earlier than in the past, with immediate fruit, ripe tannins, and the full spectrum of the wonderful floral-herb-spice aromas of Nebbiolo.

Despite the extra ripeness, they maintain the tangy mineral quality, the acidity, and the moderate alcohol which are all key notes of the terroir.

In an age when 15% abv Barolo is becoming commonplace, these northern Nebbiolos typically reach 13-13.5%, and even in the hottest vintages will rarely go over 14% alcohol

What makes the difference is the climate. The combination of drier summers with increased solar radiation, higher average temperatures, and more frequent temperature peaks creates the risk of accelerated but uneven ripening and wines with lower acidity, unwieldy high alcohol and baked fruit aromas.

But it is not all negative. While some traditional growing areas are feeling the heat, others are enjoying the benefits of a changing climate

Federico Rinolfi, winemaker at the La Piemontina estate in Ghemme explains: ‘Climate zones in Piemonte are shifting north. We now have the meso-climate of the Langhe of the past.’

The result is a shorter vegetative cycle but better, earlier ripening.

‘Nebbiolo used to need more time to ripen’, says Rinolfi. ‘Historically, the harvest went on until late October, now we finish in September.’

It's all in the soil

Local climate variations are minimal, but soil differences are significant – they are one of the historical reasons for the division of an area with just a handful of hectares under vine into no fewer than seven sub-zones.

For instance, Gattinara is the only place in Piedmont, and probably in the world for that matter, where Nebbiolo grows on soils of volcanic origin. It’s a terroir which gives the wines a distinctive minerally twist.

Ghemme and Bramaterra, on the other hand, have glacial-alluvial soils with more clay, giving the wines a rounder, softer character, while the sandy soils of Lessona make for very fine textures and intense floral aromas.

If there is a downside to all this sub-division, it is the scale of production. aAccording to the latest official figures, Gattinara has 94ha of vineyard with a production of fewer than 500,000 bottles. Ghemme has 50ha; Bramaterra 41ha; and Lessona – where production is in effect concentrated in a single estate, just 21ha.

The consequence is that you might have to hunt around for a bottle – but your efforts will be repaid.

A taste of Alto Piemonte: Richard Baudains' top picks

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Italy is a treasure trove of cellarworthy wines that often provide great value for their high quality, and a host of top medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025 showcased gems to seek out in several regions.

In northern Italy, Piedmont is a melting pot of wine styles, not to mention its gastronomic delights, and winemakers’ skill with the Nebbiolo grape variety in the Barolo region’s patchwork quilt of vineyards delivers wonderful wines that display characteristics ranging from red berry fruit to rose, black tea and truffle.

Strong recent vintages only enhance the picture. Italy’s best-known styles can combine superb, ageworthy wines with compelling relative value, too, from Barolo to the Sangiovese strongholds of Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico in Tuscany.

Discover 14 top awarded Italian DWWA winners worth having in your cellar

This also applies to Amarone della Valpolicella in the Veneto region, which is known for long-lived styles that combine intensity with harmony.

Meanwhile, Italy’s fine wine dynamism is evident in several regions, such as modern takes on Aglianico-powered Taurasi – sometimes dubbed the ‘Barolo of the south’ – and on the Tuscan coast, thanks to producers’ prowess with ‘Bordeaux’ grape varieties such as Cabernet Franc.

All collectors should explore Italy’s rich vinous landscape, and DWWA’s rigorous judging process, overseen by leading experts, is the ideal treasure map.

Explore the full results from DWWA 2025 at awards.decanter.com

Best in Show

Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno, Cannubi Riserva, Barolo, Piedmont 2019

Best in Show, 97 points

£66.95 Uncorked, US$60-$65 Rye Brook, The Cellar d’Or, Wine Exchange

Are the extra ageing stipulations for the Riserva categories of classic Italian reds such as Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino truly necessary? It can often seem as if younger versions have the edge on older, ‘grander’ wines, since they show brighter fruit structures. This 2019 Riserva shows the benefits of extra age. It’s pale, now, with some gentle bricking; the aromas are refined, packed with red fruits, autumnal warmth and oak-copse charm, as if the wine was evoking the landscape in which it came into being. It’s still quite grandly structured and has further development ahead; look behind those succulent if ample tannins, though, and you’ll find beautifully articulated fruit supported by deft redcurrant acidity. Grand Barolo from this outstanding vintage. Alcohol 14.5%

Tenuta Meraviglia, Maestro di Cava, Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany 2020

Best in Show, 97 points

£89.99 92 Or More

The adventure of Cabernet Franc in Bolgheri is an exciting one, since this is one of relatively few zones around the world where this much-courted variety not only flourishes and gives wine with greater poise than Cabernet Sauvignon and more freshness and lift than Merlot, but more importantly retains flesh and succulence as it does so. This opaque, black-red wine from 2020 tells the vintage story well: brisk and alluring on the nose, with soft leather poise behind the svelte fruits; then intense, deep and long on the palate, with mellow tannins, watchful acidity and ample inner energy. It’s a luxurious glassful of red, but it contrives to be fresh and appetising, too. This formerly despised and mosquito-ridden coastal zone of Tuscany continues to surprise. Alc 14%

Campania

Donnachiara, Taurasi Riserva 2020

Platinum, 97 points

£55 Alivini

Pristine dark cherry fruit, vanilla and coffee notes. Polished and compact, with a finely tuned texture and lush, velvety tannins kept in check by refreshing acidity. Plenty of ageing potential. Alc 13.5%

Piedmont

Casa E di Mirafiore, Lazzarito, Barolo 2021

Platinum, 97 points

£75 Bancroft

Immediate and engaging, with intense purity setting the tone: lively red cherry and raspberry fill nose and palate. A stately structure and finely etched tannins. Bears the distinct hallmarks of the 2021 vintage. Alc 15%

Fontanafredda, Vigna La Rosa, Barolo 2021

Gold, 95 points

£92 The Great Wine Co

Appetising red forest berry, black tea and mint blossom aromas pervade the nose and palate, sustained by a unifying acidity and finely tuned tannins. Long and tactile. Alc 14.5%

Luigi Baudana, Cerretta, Barolo 2021

Gold, 95 points

£88.99 Berry Bros & Rudd

Powerful yet well-honed notes of black and red cherry, black tea and eucalyptus surround the smoky tannins and streamlined acidity. Long, savoury and spicy. Alc 14%

Paolo Manzone, Riserva, Barolo 2019

Gold, 95 points

£70.50 Amathus Drinks

Charming red floral and violet aromas lead to a solid core of succulent red and black fruit that coats the palate, along with herbal tannins and lipsmacking acidity. Alc 14.5%

Scarpa, Tettimorra, Barolo 2020

Gold, 95 points

£61 Lloyd’s Wines

Evocative floral and forest berry characters punctuated by a savoury truffle note. Firm and mineral, with chewy tannins and bracing acidity. Svelte and delicious. Alc 14.5%

Tuscany

Capanna, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019

Platinum, 97 points

£126.70 Friarwood

Glossy ripe red plum interweaved with floral, herbal and spicy tobacco notes. Gloriously concentrated and statuesque on the palate with a rippling texture, fine tannins and acidity perfectly in tune. In fine fettle. Alc 15%

Mastrojanni, Vigna Schiena d’Asino, Brunello di Montalcino 2019

Platinum, 97 points

£148 Lay & Wheeler

Enticing notes of blueberry, black cherry and cassis meet the charred oak backbone on the palate and meld around the firm, fine structure. All rounded off by a white pepper finish. Alc 14.5%

Terre del Marchesato, Maurizio Fuselli, Toscana 2022

Platinum, 97 points

terredelmarchesato.com

Heady violets, blackberry and mint chocolate. A bewitching density of structure and tannins. Smoky and complex with cleansing acidity tapering to a tingle of dried herbs on the finish. Alc 14.5%

Banfi, Poggio alle Mura, Brunello di Montalcino 2020

Gold, 96 points

£59.20 Millésima

Luxurious smoky vanilla, espresso and earthy clove aromas swell over an opulent frame of peppery, mouthcoating tannins and ripe cherry acidity. Intensely long and elegant. Alc 15%

Poggiotondo, Vigna delle Conchiglie, Chianti Riserva 2021

Gold, 96 points

£54.99 Hedonism, The Fine Wine Co, Vinvm

Lavender and rosemary aromas enlivened by a juicy red berry succulence. Firm and smooth with a long chocolate, vanilla finish. Alc 14%

Veneto

Monte Tondo, Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva 2017

Gold, 95 points

£59-£71.50 Astrum Wine Cellars, Bowland Forest Vintners, Hackney Essentials, North & South, Phoenix Wines, Sociovino

Crammed with ripe Morello cherry, plum and raspberry. Mouthcoating and rich, with striking acidity. Alc 16.5%

See all DWWA 2025 winners

Barbera may never be as highly regarded as Nebbiolo (the grape that makes Barolo and Barbaresco), but in the Asti province of Piedmont it is the lifeblood of local vintners.

For the past five decades, winemakers here have laboured to improve both the quality and reputation of the grape, with the most ambitious and successful enterprise being the creation of the Nizza DOC – originally a subzone of Barbera d’Asti Superiore – in 2000.

Along with well defined boundaries, what makes the wines of Nizza stand out is that the production regulations stipulate low yields – lower even than for Barbaresco.

‘This means that you typically need an old vineyard that produces less quantity’, explains Stefano Chiarlo, director of the Nizza consorzio.

Compared with Barbera d’Asti, which originates from a much broader area, Stefano Gagliardo of Tenuta Garetto explains that: ‘Nizza tends to show a more consistent profile, with greater structure, density and capacity to evolve, expressing a deeper and more complete interpretation of the Barbera grape.’

Mosaic of soils

While Nizza is still in its adolescent stage, communal differences have emerged.

Gagliardo notes that sandy marl soils are typical in Agliano Terme; these tend to produce wines with ‘aromatic precision, freshness and energy’.

Nizza Monferrato, at the centre of the appellation, shows ‘greater diversity in soils and exposure’, resulting in wines that display greater stylistic differences.

The mosaic of soils from Castelnuovo Calcea combine calcareous marls, clays and sandy components.

Gagliardo says that, ‘the balance between these elements often determines whether a wine leans toward power or elegance'.

A matter of wood

While many Nizza producers formerly matured their wines in barrique for a spicier and more vigorous wine, that approach has largely changed.

At Frasca in Agliano Terme, winemaker Matteo Gerbi uses large oak casks of between 2,500 and 4,500 litres.

He says that these casks are, ‘functional in maturing the tannins and smoothing out the edges, without adding too many tertiary notes that are not in line with my idea of Nizza’.

At Marenco, Andrea Costa uses 500 litre French oak tonneaux for his Zana Riserva; among the most refined of all Nizza wines.

‘We thought this size was the optimum compromise for our Zana wine to fix the tannins and still grant the expression of the fruit,’ he says.

However, there are some Nizza producers that still vinify with smaller oak, most notably Prunotto.

Gianluca Torrengo, oenologist and estate director, explains that the estate’s Nizza Riserva ‘Costamiòle’ – named for the eponymous hill in Agliano Terme – was conceived in 1996 with the idea of ageing the wine in barrique.

‘And that vision remains central to its identity’, he says.

For the 2020 vintage, the wine was aged for approximately 12 months in new French barriques.

Torrengo views the role of barriques as contributing structure, complexity and textural depth, while at the same time preserving the freshness and character of Barbera and allowing the wine’s terroir to remain clearly expressed.

‘In short,’ he explains, ‘barriques for Costamiòle are not a stylistic choice dictated by fashion, but a coherent part of the wine’s history, interpreted today with greater sensitivity and precision.’

How does Nizza compare to Piedmont's other Barbera wines?

Noting the difference between a Barbera d’Asti (or even a Barbera d’Asti Superiore) and a Nizza, Torrengo explains that for the latter, yields are lower, ripening is more complete, and the regulations require longer ageing periods.

These are all factors that he believes provide for greater substance, balance and the ability to evolve over time.

‘While Barbera d’Asti is often defined by immediacy and approachability, Nizza aims for a more ambitious, terroir-driven interpretation, combining the natural energy of the variety with the structure of a serious, ageworthy red wine.’

While the most successful markets for Nizza have been Italy and northern Europe, the wine’s identity is not commonplace in other countries.

‘Unfortunately, it is a relatively young denomination and is not yet very well known’, admits Giovanna Garesio of the eponymous winery.

Chiarlo however, has witnessed impressive growth since 2016, when the 2014 Nizza DOCG wines were first released.

He says: ‘Since it was decided to use the Nizza appellation, starting from 30 producers with 30 labels accounting for less than 300,000 bottles sold, we now have more than 100 producers with more than 200 labels, with just over one million bottles sold, of which 60% are in 40 different markets.

'But there is still much more to do in order to create more confidence and familiarity among wine lovers.’

Tom's six Nizza wines to try:

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Friulano (once referred to as Tocai Friulano) is not the most planted grape in Collio.

In terms of surface area, it has long since been overtaken by Pinot Grigio, which according to the latest figures represents a 25% share of the grapes grown in the DOC.

Friulano, on the other hand, accounts for only 15% of the total, and with its 185 hectares ranks only third in the DOC hierarchy.

However, while it might not stack up the numbers in terms of total surface area, it is the most widely diffused variety – it is the one that every producer has, and the one with which Collio has always identified most closely.

While the Pinot Grigio from Collio travels the world, Friulano is a classic example of what used to be known as a ‘vino tipico’, a wine from a native variety with a long tradition and a distinctive character, but often with the commercial handicap of a predominantly local consumption.

You will find it chalked up on the board of every osteria in the province of Gorizia, but you are less likely to see it on wine lists outside the region.

Market research commissioned by the Collio consorzio in 2025 revealed that 40% of the Italians interviewed had never heard of Friulano, and a further 25% said they recognised the name but were not aware that the wine was produced in the Collio.

Friulano deserves better, because it has all the positives of a ‘vino tipico’: great personality, great sense of place, and producers who make it with passion and commitment.

Friulano's origins

The Italian origins of Friulano are shrouded in mystery, but they are relatively recent.

Little was written about this variety, commonly referred to as ‘Tokaj’ or ‘Tokay’, until the early- to mid-20th century, when it was found growing in the eastern plains of the Veneto and later in the hills of Friuli.

It was only in 1933 that the ampelographer Giovanni Dalmasso proposed the name, ‘Tocai Friulano’, to distinguish it from the Tokaj/Tokay (Friulano) grown in the near-by Veneto (where it is also still grown).

All the texts of the period refer to it as a foreign variety, but none hazard a guess at its origins.

That part of the mystery was resolved in the 1980s by the researchers Antonio Calò and Angelo Costacurta, who discovered that Friulano was none other than the Sauvignonasse or Sauvignon Vert once grown in Bordeaux, but long since abandoned in France.

How it got to Italy, perhaps nobody will ever know.

Style and character

Friulano is a vigorous variety, fairly resistant to most vine diseases, but due to its thin skins is terribly susceptible to harvest-time botrytis in rainy vintages.

It is potentially generous in its yields, and needs to be contained by short pruning and planting on lean hillside sites.

Picked at full ripeness and vinified conventionally, it makes a wine with delicate fruit, floral aromas which recall acacia and lime blossom, and a fingerprint note of bitter almonds.

It tends to have relatively low total acidity and high pH, with medium to high alcohol, all of which combine to give a glossy texture which is balanced by the minerally finish typical of the wines of the Collio.

The variety is very sensitive to location and harvest timing: higher, cooler slopes and earlier picking bring out the fresher, more Sauvignon-like side of its character, while warmer sites favour wines with more richness on the palate.

For the former style, look to producers from villages such as Ruttars and Dolegna; and for the riper, fuller-bodied wines, Capriva and Cormons.

And the perfect balance of the two? Perhaps the hilltop village of San Floriano.

Evolution

Collio is evolving, and Friulano with it. A young generation of producers is coming to the fore, (the newly-elected president of the producers’ consortium, Luca Raccaro, is the youngest ever in the role at 34) bringing with it new ideas.

Some of this change is seen in the new approach to vinification. The use of maceration for shorter or longer periods is increasing and this has prompted the recent decision to introduce the wording ‘Vino da Uve Macerate’ on the label.

The naturally gentle tannins of Friulano make it an ideal candidate for the style.

In another direction, there are producers who are moving to align with contemporary trends, aiming for a more reductive less aromatic style that’s drier, tighter, more mineral, and lower in alcohol.

These examples make a break from the rich and fleshy Friulano of local traditions.

Friulano and friends

But what if Friulano’s true vocation was not as a monovarietal at all, but as a component in a blend of local grapes? In the original DOC of 1968, headline billing was given to Collio Bianco – or simply Collio – a blend of Friulano with fellow native varieties Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia Istriana.

This time-honoured combination saw Friulano contribute the body, Ribolla the acidity, and Malvasia the structure and aroma.

The production norms were liberalised in the 1990s to allow producers to use any blend of non-aromatic grapes in a personalised estate wine, which had a logic in the international super-wine context of the period, but sacrificed any sense of place.

Those same norms remain in place today, but there are moves to find a path back to the original formula.

The impetus has come largely from a group of young producers who have agreed a protocol for a traditional blend consisting of a minimum 50% Friulano, complemented by Ribolla and Malvasia, aged for at least 18 months, and labelled with the phrase ‘Da Uve Autoctone’ (From Local Grapes).

The project currently has a dozen adherents, who between them produce between 110,000 and 120,00 bottles, a number which is beginning to give visibility to the group’s instantly recognisable labels.

Whether as a monovarietal or in a blend that highlights the terroir of the Collio, recent tastings confirm that Friulano has the quality and the character to play a leading role in the future of the DOC, not only at local level, but in much wider contexts.

Get a taste for Friulano with these 20 wines

2026 is a great opportunity to venture beyond Montalcino’s best-known names and take a chance on lesser-known properties.

Well stacked with fleshy fruit, ripe girdling tannins and bolstering acidity, the newly released 2021 Brunellos deliver across the entire gamut of price points – you really don’t need to pay top dollar to experience the true pleasure of the vintage.

But if you do want to spend a little bit more, the superstar estates’ classic bottlings are well worth considering too, as many rise to the quality level of their higher-priced vineyard-selection stablemates.

Those from Le Ragnaie, Casanova di Neri and Canalicchio di Sopra over-deliver to such an extent that they more than merit the extra splurge.

‘You really don’t need to pay top dollar to experience the true pleasure of the vintage’.

Perennial picks

Perennial value picks from the region’s southwest include Castelgiocondo and Il Poggione, with Col d’Orcia boasting a particularly impressive showing. Other trusty houses like Talenti and Val di Suga show the elegant side of the vintage.

Castelgiocondo

One of the most widely available Brunellos out there, Castelgiocondo is as satisfying as it is dependable.

Col d’Orcia

Not just a perennial value but a serial over-achiever, with 2021 upping the ante on complexity and ageability. My top value pick.

Il Poggione

Emblematic of the vintage, Il Poggione turns up the volume with heady scents, sumptuous fruit and plush, layered tannins.

Emerging talents

Off the beaten track, I can highly recommend buying the Brunello 2021s from emerging talents like Caprili, La Palazzetta and Patrizia Cencioni – before they become the next icons.

Caprili

With no AdAlberto Riserva on the cards for 2021, this annata bottling incorporates the best of Caprili in 2021.

La Palazzetta

An up-and-coming property, La Palezzetta’s star continues to rise. Best to check it out before prices follow.

Patrizia Cencioni

With equal parts zest, chew and personality, this should charm on any occasion during its decade-plus lifespan.

More smart picks

Canalicchio di Sopra

Once again, Canalicchio’s ‘classic’ Brunello stands shoulder-to-shoulder in quality with the estate’s cru bottlings, while being easier on the wallet.

Carpineto

Possesses plenty of structure and stuffing for ageing – and for the price – making it a smart buy for the cellar.

Talenti

Poised to satiate those seeking elegance, fragrance and immediate gratification.

Val di Suga

One of the vintage’s lighter, finer-framed examples, while still delivering Brunello depth and tension.

Brunello di Montalcino 2021: Michaela’s top value picks

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With its 14th century fortress and landmark clock tower, the walled medieval town of Montalcino has altered little over the two decades I’ve been roaming its cobblestone streets. Its wine scene, on the other hand, continues to evolve.

Recent changes include an increased allowance for Rosso di Montalcino production and the abolishment of the consorzio’s five-star rating system for Brunello. Most exciting, though, is the rise of a new generation at both historic and younger estates.

These fresh faces are crucial for keeping one of Italy’s benchmark red wines relevant, and they are behind some of my favourite picks from the just-released 2021 vintage.

I visited Montalcino in early September that year. By then, the figurative dust and anxiety surrounding the spring frost had long since settled. The vines had survived the dry, hot summer thanks to a couple of downpours late in the season.

As the sun beat down during my vineyard visits, it still felt like the height of summer – that is, until dusk fell. Those chilly nights fuelled the palpable sense of optimism for the imminent harvest.

2021: Vintage character

Three key elements of the growing season shaped the character of the wines in 2021. First, early April frost resulted in losses upwards of 50% in some pockets. For luckier growers, it simply served as a ‘natural green harvest’.

Next, the summer was hot though not torrid, but more significantly, the lack of precipitation was second only to 2003. Yet as vines were carrying a lighter load, water stress was curbed, particularly with rain arriving just in the nick of time.

The resulting grapes were small and concentrated. Finally, marked diurnal temperatures differences leading up to harvest helped to preserve beautiful acidity and encouraged complex aroma and flavour development.

Over four years later, with wines now in bottle and set for release, producers’ early enthusiasm has developed into widespread appreciation. ‘2021 has the precision of 2016 with the concentration of 2019,’ declares Argiano’s Bernardino Sani. ‘The only risk was to over-concentrate.’

Le Chiuse’s Lorenzo Magnelli concurs. ‘With small berries and lots of skins, it was important to have a light hand to preserve elegance’. For the first time ever, he trialled a ‘reverse saignée’, essentially removing the top 10-centimetre layer of the cap to balance out the ratio with the juice.

2021 was a particularly difficult year for Cupano. Shortly after its vineyards were decimated by frost, owner Lionel Cousin passed away. Nevertheless, his right hand, Andrea Polidoro called it a beautiful vintage. ‘It shows how Sangiovese can taste in a warm, dry year with lots of fruit and energy – which was lacking in 2020.’

He likens it to 2013 but with more layers.

Divergent opinions

At the neighbouring Camigliano estate, winemaker Sergio Cantini recalls a similar frost in 2001, but describes the wines’ character as comparable to 2015. ‘2021 has more finesse of structure though’, he specifies. I tend to agree.

Rising star Tommaso Squarcia at Castello Tricerchi is less bullish. ‘I have to be honest, everyone thinks 2021 is a legendary vintage,’ he states. ‘It is good, but not legendary.’ Between the frost and drought, he points out the similarities with 2017, though admits that 2021 wasn’t as hot.

‘I am happy with our 2021s because they are fresh’, he says, adding that he believes 2022 will be better.

As always, the divergent opinions and experiences reflect Montalcino’s diversity. This has finally been captured by the first-ever vineyard map depicting the heterogenous altitude, exposure and situation of every plot.

The consorzio-led initiative is accompanied by a significant increase of weather stations to give a more comprehensive overview of the growing year while generating more precise data about each specific pocket of vineyards. It should also provide a useful tool for producers as they continue to confront the vagaries of climate.

New faces; New challenges

Movers and shakers

Overall, estates’ classic Brunellos are almost every bit as good as their ‘selection’ counterparts in 2021, even while the latter continues to increase in number. An alternative to Riserva, these selection bottlings typically come from single vineyards, offering a site-specific expression.

Campogiovanni takes this concept to its extreme with its micro-parcel P#327 label. The second release, its 2021 is notable for its energy and tension.

In the case of Lisini’s promising new wine, Poggio Severo is a direct response to the changing climate. ‘After witnessing vines at lower elevations suffering in the increasingly hot and dry summers, we wanted to explore higher elevations,’ explains Ludovica Lisini.

The tiny estate of L’Aietta is an exciting new discovery for me. Here, Francesco Mulinari’s miniscule ‘Alberelli’ bottling (first made in 2019) hails from his original plot of bush vines.

Once traditional in the region, bush vines (also known as alberello) are making a minor comeback. While prized for their resilience in drought conditions, Mulinari points out the drawback: ‘Low hanging fruit makes it easier for even the smallest wild boar to eat’.

Addressing both climate and younger drinkers, Santiago Cinzano Marone from Col d’Orcia unveiled his CMC Lot 1 with the 2019 vintage last year. With the unpredictable weather, he observed that the same single plot does not necessarily excel each vintage.

As such, he defines the project as an itinerant cru. As for the style, ‘it is round rather than austere, made for my generation’, he describes. The 2020 is among a handful of solid late releases included in my recommendations.

Similarly, Giodo has introduced a new label called Prètto. Thirty-five-year-old Bianca Ferrini works with her father Carlo to select lots that exhibit the most immediacy, approachability and vibrancy. It will sell for approximately half the price of the winery’s flagship Brunello.

New labels

Finally, Montalcino also welcomes a couple of new brands. With the 2020 vintage, the Cecchi family launched Aminta, featuring the young Giulia Cecchi at the helm. There has also been much hype around the boutique JG Benda label. 2021 represents the first vintage of Brunello, though the estate declined to provide samples to journalists given the limited quantity.

The vintage reveals no shortage of up and comers. Besides Castello Tricerchi, I was charmed by Valeria Vittori’s lovely wines at Molino di Sant’Antimo in Montalcino’s southeastern extreme.

And nearby La Palazzetta continues to show promise with second-generation winemaker Luca Fanti. I am also keeping an eye on Ruffino’s Greppone Mazzi estate, under the guidance of Alberto Stella since 2024, and Mastrojanni, where Giulia Harri has presided since 2022 – the same year she was awarded Best Young Italian Winemaker by Italian magazine Vinoway.

On the outgoing side, longtime winemaker Cecilia Leoneschi recently announced her departure from Castiglion del Bosco. And after over two decades managing Castello Banfi, Enrico Viglierchio has left for a similar role with Alejandro Bulgheroni Family Vineyards, whose Montalcino properties include Podere Brizio and Poggio Landi.

Brunello 2021: Who is it for?

While some examples will be ready to divulge their charms immediately, others will require more time for simmering nuances to bubble to the surface – or in some cases for their power and exuberance to temper. I am more confident in the ageing potential of 2021 than I was with 2020 and currently suggest a window of 10 to 15-plus years.

Top names like Canalicchio di Sopra, Le Chiuse, Le Potazzine, Poggio di Sotto and Salvioni shine in 2021. Le Ragnaie’s Casanovina Montosoli and Pieve Santa Restituta’s Sugarille vie for the vintage’s top wine along with Il Marroneto’s classic Brunello. The latter is the absolute epitome of 2021’s elegant side.

Other wines built along graceful lines are Castello Romitorio, Tassi’s Giuseppe Tassi, Talenti and Val di Suga. For more opulent examples, seek out Camgliano’s Paesaggio Inatteso, Fattoi, La Fiorita, and Argiano’s Vigna del Suolo. Meanwhile, Pietroso and Uccelliera are among the vintage’s brawnier specimens.

As such, 2021 is a vintage that will satisfy the hedonist looking to dive right in as well as the collector who revels in future rewards. In either case, the wines will deliver plenty of bang for the buck.

However – as always – buyers are well advised to read the fine print (aka the reviews), rather than react recklessly to the scores to ensure that their purchases correspond to personal tastes.

Brunello di Montalcino 2021: Michaela’s top picks

All the scores