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Issue 707 - November 11th - 15th 2024 - Expressly created for 4866 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | It is the Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Puente Alto Vineyard 2021 by Viña Don Melchor, an independent reality but related to the Concha y Toro galaxy, the “Wine of The Year”, the No. 1 in the world according to Wine Spectator’s “Top 100”, the most influential ranking on the market, which therefore crowned the Chilean wine as the “successor” of Brunello di Montalcino 2018 by Argiano, at the top in 2023. Two, then, the Italians in the “top 10”, namely a legend of Italian wine such as Antinori’s Tignanello 2021, at No. 3 (and already at No. 5 in 2022, with the 2019 vintage), and a great standard bearer of Langhe such as G.D. Vajra’s Barolo Albe 2020, at No. 9. | |
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| | Over 55, with no more dependent children at home and, often (6 times out of 10) with an income above the national average. A universe of 11.3 million Italian families that is at the same time the identikit of the home wine consumer along Italy, with 59% of the category's total spending in Italian large-scale retail. Protagonists of a wine expenditure of 1.83 billion euros a year, these Boomers (with a tail of Gen X), leave almost the crumbs to the other 2 large clusters identified: families with children (7.8 million) do not reach 24% of the total expenditure, while families under 55 without dependent children stop at less than 18%. This is the cross-section that comes from the analysis presented by the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) Observatory and Niq (Nielsen Iq) Italy, at Simei, the world's leading international exhibition for the wine-making and bottling machinery sector. “We are witnessing a trend that is taking hold”, points out Eleonora Formisano of Niq Italy, “the first tribe is growing more and more evident, while the others are struggling, particularly the low-income segments. A polarization of wine consumption based on discriminants that have become structural, such as age and affordability”. A retail area, dedicated to home consumption, is contrasted with an away-from-home channel with as many increasingly sharp trends. According to the panel surveyed by Niq Italia for Simei, today, more consumers of sparkling wine (63.4%) than still wine (61%). A hitherto unthinkable overtaking, if we consider that still and sparkling wines have always been the backbone of the Italian vineyard with about 4/5 of production. A mirror of the times that is also reflected in the changed occasions of use: today, aperitifs have become - to the detriment of meals - the dominus of alcohol consumption not only for young Gen Z or Millennials, but have moved to the top of habits even among 45-54 year olds (aperitifs and meals both at 31%) and are getting closer and closer to conquering the scepter among the over-55s. A cocktail trend, finally, which is evidenced plastically in the statement that 37% of its consumers (not only young people) choose the type based on social photogenicity. | |
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| | Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s top wines, which sees its success sanctioned mainly by exports, with the stars and stripes market playing the main driving role. And in a general context of shrinking wine sales - global performances in volume and value show negative signs at -8% and -7% respectively - Brunello closes the first nine months of 2024 with a growing trend of 5% in volume and 1% in value (UIV Observatory data based on SipSource). In this situation, comes the presentation of Brunello di Montalcino 2020, which draws to some extent a comforting scenario. At least judging by the result in the glass, with intriguing wines, characterized by finesse and drinkability (in more detail the best tastings by WineNews staff). | |
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| | | “The wine world needs to give more recognition to classic wines that embody the greatness of time and place. That’s one of the reasons JamesSuckling.com has chosen Bertani’s 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico as “Wine of the Year” for 2024”. James Suckling, one of the most established international wine critics, in his “Top 100 World Wines 2024”, crowns no. 1 in the world the wine produced by Bertani, one of the pearls in the mosaic of Angelini Wines & Estates, led by Ceo Alberto Lusini (and which also includes the estates Val di Suga, in Montalcino, Tenuta Trerose, in Montepulciano, and San Leonino, in Chianti Classico, all in Tuscany, and also the Friulian Puiatti and the Marche-based Fazi Battaglia, ed.) But Bertani’s is not the only Italian wine in the “Top 100” by James Suckling, with Italy, indeed, taking the lion’share, with 26 wines, followed by France (18) and the United States (15). With wines from producers such as Petrolo, Terlano, Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Castello di Ama, Tenuta Sette Ponti, Rosset, Fattoria Le Pupille, Travaglini, Girolamo Russo, Pio Cesare, Castello della Sala (Antinori), Isole and Olena, Bibi Graetz, Duemani, San Leonardo, Vietti, Tua Rita, Monte dall’Ora, Poderi Aldo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, Roberto Voerzio Manincor, Il Caggio (Mazzei), Schiopetto and Tenuta San Guido.
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| | | Sandro Boscaini, at the head of Masi Agricola, one of the entrepreneurs who have made the Valpolicella territory great in the world, and not only, among the pioneers who made the quality of Italian wine known in the world, when this was not taken for granted, is the “Lifetime Achievement of the Year” in the prestigious “Wine Star Awards” 2024 by “Wine Enthusiast” (whose signatures from Italy are Danielle Callegari and Jeff Porter), who have already crowned, in this edition, Franciacorta as “International Wine Region of the Year” 2024. | |
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| | Italian wine exports in the first 8 months of 2024 reach 5.17 billion euros, up 4.6% on the same period in 2023 and actually improving on the last monthly figure, reported in July (+4.1%). The figure referring to volumes is also positive, with 1.41 billion liters, almost 3% more than twelve months ago. This is according to Istat data, analyzed by WineNews, demonstrating a sector that, despite the well-known critical issues, continues to maintain a positive sign. The U.S., the most important market, continues to grow, as does Germany, the leader in Europe. And if in the Old Continent some negative signs have arrived (Uk) or continue to arrive (Switzerland, France, Belgium), markets such as Austria and the Netherlands are becoming increasingly interesting, and the continued rise of Russia appears vital and, in perspective, increasingly interesting. | |
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| | Marchesi Antinori’s Tignanello is one of Italy's iconic wines around the world. The first of the “Super Tuscans”, celebrating 50 years since the first vintage, 1971, presented in 1974, with an auction featuring, among other things, the most complete vertical of wine ever provided directly by an Italian producer, “ex-cellar”, directly from Tenuta Tignanello’s cellar, with all vintages, from 1971 to 2024 (the latter in an entire barrique, with an estimate between £25,000 and £50,000, in more detail), being auctioned at Christie’s, in London, on November 26-27. | |
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