The new Super-Italians: 12 essential, new-wave Italian wines

Today, the wine landscape of Italy is reaping the benefits of change. A new generation of winemakers are bringing energy and innovation to complement the knowledge and experience of their forebears.

So we thought it was time to highlight this reinvigorated Italy. Loosely inspired by the SuperTuscans – those wines that side-stepped Tuscan traditions and regulations five decades ago to forge a new path for quality-minded producers – our concept of the ‘new Super-Italian’ is to group together wines from across Italy that merit attention for their forward-looking, even groundbreaking philosophies.

These new Super-Italians are not only excellent wines in their own right, they represent the best that the future of Italian winemaking has to offer.

Scroll down to see our experts’ tasting notes and scores for 12 fantastic ‘Super-Italian’ wines

We asked four of our Italy experts to nominate three wines each from their respective regions of speciality. And the wines they chose certainly reflect the new, progressive Italy.

High-altitude and morning sun-facing vineyards are becoming increasingly important as a way to combat the ever-warming climate – indeed, the Brunello di Montalcino authorities have removed the region’s upper altitude limit of 600m, effective from the 2016 vintage.

Fungus-resistant ‘PIWI’ hybrid varieties are gaining traction too, especially in the cool northeast, to reduce pesticide usage and provide a gateway to organic farming. Indigenous varieties are championing terroir and sympathetic winemaking on a scale not seen before. Meet the new Super-Italians.

Introduction by James Button. 

Northwest – Michaela Morris

Escalating land costs in Barolo and Barbaresco combined with the changing climate have drawn attention to Nebbiolo’s lesser-known, cool alpine zones. These stretch from Valtellina in Lombardy all the way to the border with France and Switzerland, where the Valle d’Aosta is located, abutting Piedmont’s minuscule appellation of Carema. After years of abandonment due to the gruelling mountainous terrain, a dynamic new generation is slowly reversing this.

The same can be said of Alto Piemonte’s multiple denominations. Among these, Gattinara was thriving as long ago as the 1500s but fell into decline after its 19th-century apogee. It is now on the path to its former glory – helped by one of Italy’s most revered names, Roberto Conterno.

Beyond Nebbiolo, rare native grapes are enjoying a booming revival in the northwest. Simmering with potential, the once almost-extinct Timorasso stands out for its complex, ageworthy whites as exemplified by one young gun who has returned to his roots. Northwest Italy’s new Super-Italian trio represents a safeguarding of native grapes and precious terrain. They ally respect for tradition with modern expertise. What is new is old; what is old is new. Michaela Morris

Veneto & Northeast – Richard Baudains

‘Super-wines’ have that wow factor that makes you sit up and take notice; that special character that makes them memorable. But more than that, they each have a story that makes them stand out. It might be to do with a terroir, a grape or an inspirational winemaker, or often a combination of all three. Here are three such stories.

Col del Vent is a unique plot of ancient vines in Valdobbiadene that Nino Franco has rescued in order to affirm the individuality of terroir in the context of a wine – in this case, Prosecco, which is often perceived as a standardised, commercial product.

Kristian Keber from Collio, meanwhile, is one of the rising stars of natural wine – a horrendously inadequate term, but one with undeniable currency. He has given an already highly respected family winery a new dimension.

Finally, Thomas Niedermayr from Alto Adige is a pioneer of PIWI varieties, which represent the new frontier in organic viticulture. He has won over sceptics of the genre with wines of class and character. Richard Baudains

Tuscany & central Italy – Aldo Fiordelli

A renewed mindfulness has washed over several Italian regions stimulated by the threat of global warming and a market that is relentless in its quest for biodiversity. In this context, one can interpret the role of Pievalta – which lays claim to being, since 2008, the first certified biodynamic estate in Marche on the Adriatic coast – as ‘Super-Italian’. Its San Paolo Riserva Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore has already demonstrated its elegance and ability to age, and the latest vintage is the first to be partially fermented in oak.

If Super-Italian to you means ‘super-premium’, then the wise collector should add Tenuta di Biserno’s Lodovico to their cellar. This Cabernet Franc-based blend from Bibbona, just above Bolgheri, is made by Lodovico Antinori, founder of Ornellaia and Masseto. In Montalcino, the warming climate is redrawing some of the best plots. San Filippo’s Le Lucére is an elegant, fresh Brunello made with flair by Roberto Giannelli. It has consistently been one of the best wines within the appellation for the past four or five vintages. Aldo Fiordelli

South & islands – Susan Hulme MW

The term ‘Super-Italian’ conjures up a wine that has an extra magical factor – an excitement that stops you in your tracks. Such wines are grounded in a rich Italian viticultural tradition but deliver something that lifts them above their peers.

Southern Italy and its islands have a great potential to develop wines in this vein, due to their incredible wealth of indigenous grape varieties and their many old-vine heritage vineyards.

My three nominations from southern Italy are all exciting not just because they taste great and are supremely well made, but also because each represents a new, surprising twist on a strong local tradition: Mastroberardino’s Stilèma is an innovative new wine in a range of three from Campania’s most historical producer; Sardinia’s Siddùra puts an intriguing spin on Vermentino di Gallura; and Idda is a new Sicilian collaboration between two wine-producing giants, Gaja from Piedmont and Graci on Etna. Susan Hulme MW

See tasting notes and scores for 12 top Super-Italian wines:

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