Best Italian wines: A selection of the greatest
Italy is home to myriad wine styles and thousands of native grape varieties, as well as top estates that often produce several different bottlings. Below is a selection of the best Italian wines, based on reviews by our experts, with full tasting notes on each wine available exclusively to Premium members.
If you’ve ever wondered what the best Italian wines are then take a look at our list below, drawn from our ever-growing database of wine reviews.
This list of some of the greatest wines tasted and reviewed recently by Decanter’s experts includes top names from well-known regions as well wines from some less well known – but equally worthy – areas.
Predictably Tuscany and Piedmont feature heavily with all four 100-point wines coming from Tuscany – three Brunellos followed by a world-beating SuperTuscan. A smattering of Barolo and Langhe wines fly the flag for Piedmont, while the Veneto is in the mix too thanks to a single-vineyard Amarone della Valpolicella from one of the region’s best-known producers.
In total there are three SuperTuscans here – wines with the simple IGT designation but they are far from simple wines. Due to the grape varieties used, the location of the vineyards and/or the processes used to make the wine they cannot be labelled as DOC or DOGC wines but are among the most sought after and revered wines from Tuscany.
It’s not all red though, there are four white wines featured, including a ‘bracing and expansive’ Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc blend from the Cantina Terlano co-operative in Alto Adige, a ‘textured and creamy’ no-added sulphites Vernaccia di San Gimignano and a ‘focused and mineral’ Trebbiano d’Abruzzo.
There’s even an ‘exquisite’ dessert wine – again from the Alto Adige, and again from a co-op – that’s made from late-harvest Gewürztraminer which has been aged for four years in a cellar 4,ooo metres below ground.
We have kept it limited to just one wine from each producer featured, and all wines below have scored 98 points and above.
The best Italian wines:
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Il Poggiolo, Il Mio Brunello Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
Il Mio Brunello or 'My Brunello' is Rudi Cosimi's personal declaration of independence. 2004 - its first vintage - is a unique expression of Sangiovese....
2004
Il PoggioloBrunello di Montalcino
Franco Pacenti, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
A Franco Pacenti Brunello is like a master painting, the canvas angled perfectly for the Sangiovese to paint its full range of the season's nuances...
2004
Franco PacentiBrunello di Montalcino
Conti Costanti, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
Andrea Costanti's metronomic ability to deliver wines which reflect both his vineyards' terroir and the season has, in 2004, produced a classic Brunello whose suave...
2004
Conti CostantiBrunello di Montalcino
Bibi Graetz, Testamatta, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2018
The 2018 vintage resulted in elegant but relatively light wines, and cool nights kept them fresh. The subdued red fruit nose has finesse and poise,...
2018
Bibi GraetzToscana
Il Poggiolo, Beato Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
Rudi Cosimi is a restless creative who delivers bright, beautifully wrapped Sangiovese in compact Brunellos like this that spring to dazzling life once opened but...
2004
Il PoggioloBrunello di Montalcino
Bartolo Mascarello, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy, 2016
This legendary Barolo has traditionally been a blend of the estate’s plots in Canubbi, Ruè, Rocche dell’Annunziata and San Lorenzo. In 2015, the latter was...
2016
Bartolo MascarelloBarolo
Biondi-Santi, Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 1997
Little has changed at Biondi Santi in terms of their general approach to winemaking over the years. The Riserva is made from the estate's oldest...
1997
Biondi-SantiBrunello di Montalcino
Cantina Terlano, Primo Grande Cuvée, Alto Adige/Südtirol, Terlaner, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy, 2017
Mainly Pinot Bianco from 50-year-old vines, with 20-25% Chardonnay and a squeeze of Sauvignon. It’s bracingly fresh and expansive with an almost-bristling intensity of lime,...
2017
Cantina TerlanoAlto Adige/Südtirol
Tenuta le Calcinaie, Senza Solfiti, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
After achieving his boyhood dream of studying winemkaing, Simone Santini planted vines in 1986 and made his first wine (a red) in 1993. His Vernaccia's...
2020
Tenuta le CalcinaieVernaccia di San Gimignano
Tua Rita, Keir, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2019
2019 is for Stefano Frascolla an exceptional vintage - one of the best vintages of the last two decades. Bright magenta in colour with an...
2019
Tua RitaToscana
Frescobaldi, Castegiocondo Ripe al Convento Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
Castelgiocondo's Brunello Riserva comes from a balcony of higher vineyards with views southwest to the Tyrrhenian. Incoming sea breezes have a tempering effect, helping sugar,...
2004
FrescobaldiBrunello di Montalcino
Fuligni, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
Fuligni is one of those Montalcino estates that consistently delivers. Light-touch winemaking and a diverse array of sensibly farmed, disparate and thus diverse vineyards are...
2004
FuligniBrunello di Montalcino
Col d'Orcia, Poggio al Vento, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
The analytical data of this vintage harks back to the past when Sangiovese was harvested nervous and acidic. 'After some early-harvested vintages, in 2004 we...
2004
Col d'OrciaBrunello di Montalcino
Col d'Orcia, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
Col d'Orcia's flagship Brunello is made in a traditional style in the best sense, offering versatile, clear-fruited Sangiovese with the structure and brightness of fruit...
2004
Col d'OrciaBrunello di Montalcino
San Polino, Helichrysum, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
San Polino's Helichrysum is a blend of its best lots in any single vintage, rather than a site-specific wine. It consistently shows a richness of...
2004
San PolinoBrunello di Montalcino
Baricci Colombaio Montosoli, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
Nello Baricci (1921-2017) is one of Montalcino's favourite sons, an old school grower-winemaker working prized pieces of the Montosoli hill just north of the the...
2004
Baricci Colombaio MontosoliBrunello di Montalcino
Giuseppe Rinaldi, Barolo Brunate, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy, 2016
This is an evolution of Giuseppe’s Rinaldi’s Brunate Le Coste bottling. While the percentage of Brunate has increased to 85% to adhere to Barolo’s regulations...
2016
Giuseppe RinaldiBarolo Brunate
Allegrini, Fieramonte, Amarone della Valpolicella, Classico, Veneto, Italy, 2012
Very much a prestige bottling from one of Amarone's most famous producers, the Fieramonte is a single vineyard wine with grapes grown at an altitude...
2012
AllegriniAmarone della Valpolicella
Tenuta di Trinoro, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 1998
The second vintage of Trinoro, and showing incredibly well in this lineup. The summer was scorching and Andrea had to water the vines at night...
1998
Tenuta di TrinoroToscana
Gaja, Sperss, Langhe, Piedmont, Italy, 1996
Acquired in 1988, Gaja's Sperss vineyard straddles the Marenca and Rivette MEGA (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive or cru) of Serralunga d'Alba. 1996 is the first year...
1996
GajaLanghe
Vietti, Rocche di Castiglione, Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Piedmont, Italy, 2013
The venerated Rocche di Castiglione MGA is noted for its extremely steep slope, southeastern exposure and pure white limestone soil. Vietti has been bottling it...
2013
ViettiBarolo
Bruno Giacosa, Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba Riserva, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy, 1996
Crafted from choice parcels of old vines on the highest, south-facing area of the Falletto cru, this is designated as a riserva (indicated by the...
1996
Bruno GiacosaBarolo
Valentini, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo, Italy, 2015
2015 was cool and rainy in spring, warm and dry in July and August; the harvest was then postponed. The wine has its typical reductive...
2015
ValentiniTrebbiano d’Abruzzo
Biondi-Santi, Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2012
The 2012 Riserva is the last vintage produced by Franco Biondi Santi, and so this release is dedicated to him. Of the 39 Riservas the...
2012
Biondi-SantiBrunello di Montalcino
Cantina Tramin, Epokale Gewürztraminer Spätlese, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy, 2013
Once bottled, this is aged for a further four years at 4km below ground. Despite its depth of flavour, plus 45g/L residual sugar, it’s light...
2013
Cantina Tramin
