Lugana white wines: Panel tasting results

Susan Hulme MW, Vincenzo Arnese and Sara Bachiorri tasted 46 wines with 16 Highly recommended and 26 recommended.

Lugana white wines: Panel tasting scores

46 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 0

Highly recommended 16

Recommended 26

Commended 4

Fair 0

Poor 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their Lugana DOC dry white wines, either from the 2022 vintage or, if a Riserva, from the most recent vintage

Lugana is a white wine from the southern shores of Lake Garda. Cradled in a beautiful spot in the hills around the town of Sirmione, between the towns of Peschiera del Garda and Desenzano, Lugana DOC is one of the few Italian wine denominations that crosses two regions: Lombardy and Veneto.

The DOC was set up in 1967 and covers 2,600 hectares. It permits five different designations – annata (the regular wine of the vintage), Superiore, Riserva, late harvest and spumante (sparkling) – although most wines produced are dry whites.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Lugana white wines panel tasting

Wines must be made from 90% Trebbiano di Soave or Trebbiano di Lugana (known locally as Turbiana). Recent DNA analysis has found that Turbiana is almost identical to Verdicchio, the white variety found in the Marche, but there are enough small differences to suggest it is a biotype of this variety rather than a clone.

Dry Lugana wines can be crisp and refreshing, with a range of delicate aromas and flavours ranging from citrus and green apple to peach. The acidity is fresh but gentle, and there is often a pleasant bitter almond taste on the finish. Some examples also feature a savoury and salty minerality.

This panel tasting of Lugana dry whites presented us with many pleasant and enjoyable wines, without any extreme highs or lows. We tasted 46 wines, 32 of which were the entry-level annata wines, along with 12 Riserva and two Superiore. Seven of the Riserva wines had seen some kind of oak, but the other five were made only in stainless steel.

See all the wines from the Lugana white wines panel tasting

The category showed well, with half of the Riserva wines earning a Highly recommended score (‘silver’ medal equivalent) and five Recommended (‘high bronze’). And the panel was very consistent in its judgements. Based on the average of all three judges’ scores, 16 wines were scored at 90 points or more, 16 scored 88-89pts and 14 scored 85-87pts.

Vincenzo Arnese commented: ‘The first impression is that, overall, the appellation produces good-quality wines at all levels, yet it is difficult for individual wines to stand out. The main reason is [because of] what Trebbiano di Lugana is capable of achieving as a grape itself.’

Sara Bachiorri agreed that ‘overall quality was very good’, explaining: ‘We encountered a range of flavour profiles from the crisp and salty wines to the more tropical ones, with various degrees of oak influence. Most wines also had a lovely texture; they were more persistent than expected. It is easy to imagine enjoying a glass or two on the lake shores in spring and summer!’

These wines are not overly complex, but they are charming, fruity and easy to drink, and they pair well with a wide range of dishes. My personal preference is for the unoaked, citrus-focused, leesy, mineral examples, which showcase a deliciously taut and lively character: it’s easy to see why these wines are becoming so popular.

Lugana white wines panel tasting scores

Wines were tasted blind

The judges

Susan Hulme MW is a wine writer, editor, educator and presenter specialising in Italy. She runs her own wine training and consultancy company Vintuition and travels regularly to Italy’s wine regions. Now focusing more on her writing, she is Italian editor for The Wine Independent.

Vincenzo Arnese is director of wine at Raffles London at the OWO. Born in Naples, he worked at top hotels in Italy, Switzerland and Australia, and later Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. A DWWA judge, in 2022 he won the coveted title of Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year

Sara Bachiorri is in the buying team at merchant WoodWinters. A DWWA judge, she was formerly head sommelier at The Glasshouse in Kew then Chez Bruce in London, followed by a stint at Italian specialist merchant FortyFive10°.

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