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Issue 653 - October 30th - November 3rd 2023 - Expressly created for 4631 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | 811,000 euros is the result of the auction of “Barolo en primeur 2023”, by value the most important “wine & charity” event in Italy, auctioned from the Castle of Grinzane Cavour between Alba, New York and London. A sum that testifies to the strength of the formula combining the king of Langhe wines and charity and surpassed the 769,800 euros of the 2022 edition. Up for grabs are 1,336 bottles of Barolo and Barbaresco from the 2022 vintage, assembled in 10 lots that add up to the Vigna Gustava barrels, whose vinification is overseen by winemaker Donato Lanati’s Enosis Meraviglia Center. | |
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| | Brunello di Montalcino Poggio di Sotto 2018 is No. 1 in the “Top 100 Cellar Selections” 2023 by “Wine Enthusiast”. Thus the ranking of the famous American magazine, dedicated to those wines coming out on the market now, but to be kept in the cellar, to be evolved to express their full potential. And so, the Brunello from the winery that is part of Claudio Tipa’s Collemassari Group, is at the top ahead of such a sacred monster as Vega Sicilia’s Unico 2012, from Spain, and in particular from Ribera del Duero, and Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin’s Côte-Rôtie Les Grand Places 2020, from France. But many Italian labels were selected, as is often the case, confirming the greatness of the Tuscany-Piedmont-Veneto triptych when it comes to wines for long aging in Italy. In the top 10, right at No. 10, in fact, is Masi’s Amarone della Valpolicella Campolongo di Torbe 2013, one of the most important names in the area, as is Allegrini, which comes in at No. 23 with its Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Fieramonte 2016. Then, looking at the Italian selection, a trio of great Piedmontese wines, namely Barolo Mosconi 2019 from the Pio Cesare label, at No. 24, Gaia & Rey 2020, the great white from Gaja, the symbolic winery of the Langhe, at No. 25, and then, at No. 35, another great classic such as Elvio Cogno’s Barolo Vigna Elena Riserva 2017. Again, an all-Tuscan, and largely Bolgheri poker follows: at No. 41, in fact, there is the Paleo 2020 from Le Macchiole, one of the great bishops of the territory produced by the winery led by Cinzia Merli, just as the Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso 2020 from Marchesi Antinori is a symbol, at No. 48. Again, position No. 52 for one of Tuscany’s great Merlots, Tua Rita’s Redigaffi 2020, while at No. 70 is another label now firmly in the ranks of the most celebrated, such as Fattoria Le Pupille’s Saffredi 2019. Closing out the Italian selection is another great classic of the white wines of Veneto, namely Soave, with Pieropan’s Soave Classico La Rocca 2021. | |
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| | “Today the world can observe and admire the amazing landscape made up of vineyards that embellish kilometers and kilometers of hills, while instead, in 1853 there was only one small producing vineyard. Now, instead, there are more than 9.000 hectares on those hills cultivated with the Glera grape vine - the basis of Prosecco Superiore DOCG. And, the key element that earned them UNESCO recognition is the care with which they are managed”. Starting from this story, the Prosecco DOCG and the UNESCO territory of the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene hills, are back in the chair at the prestigious Columbia University in New York, thanks to Carpenè-Malvolti, winery which, thanks to Antonio Carpenè, gave birth to what would become the most famous Italian sparkling wine in the world. Thanks to the lectio magistralis held by the CEO of the winery, Domenico Scimone (in more detail). | |
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| | | This year has definitely been a challenge to the wine sector, especially on international markets, considering the substantial drop in sales. But it is wrong to say that “it is all bad”. Italian wine has all the right cards to make a comeback, so a negative year must not make us forget the trend over recent years that showed a plus sign. The wine sector needs to reflect on the situation, look to the future optimistically and dynamically considering how rapidly markets change. The 10th edition of the Wine Monitor Forum by the research and consulting company, Nomisma, entitled appropriately, “Finding the key to the problem”, revealed numbers for wine that went right to the heart of the issue (in more detail). Speakers included Federico Zanella, president & CEO of Vias Imports, one of the main wine import companies in the USA, as well as two of the top managers and entrepreneurs in the Italian wine world, Ettore Nicoletto, president & CEO of Angelini Wines & Estates, and Lamberto Frescobaldi, at the helm of Frescobaldi. | |
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| | | It is Oscar-winning director James Ivory, internationally famous, to sign the artistic label of the wine-symbol of Nittardi, a well-known Chianti estate owned by the Canali-Femfert family. A project combining wine and art, now in its 41st edition: Nittardi has involved an internationally renowned artist every year since 1981 to have him or her create a work for the label and one for the silk paper that wraps each bottle. In the past, the labels have boasted other distinguished authors, including Yoko Ono, Günter Grass, Igor Mitoraj, Dario Fo, Mimmo Paladino and Fabrizio Plessi. | |
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| | From great classics such as Gaja’s Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 2020, Ca’ del Bosco’s Curtefranca Chardonnay 2019, Castello della Sala’s (Antinori) Cervaro della Sala 2021, Argiolas’ Turriga 2019 and Fattoria Le Pupille’s Saffredi 2020, to gems such as Di Majo Norante’s Molise Rosso Don Luigi Riserva 2019, Castello del Terriccio’s Gian Annibale 2019, Cantine Due Palme’s 1943 Del Fondatore 2020 and Colline San Biagio’s Quattordicisei 2018, to absolute surprises like Al Bano’s Primitivo di Manduria La Riserva to singer and producer Albano Carrisi’s 1973 2018: these are the 10 “Wines of the Year” of Bibenda 2024, the guide of the Fondazione Italiana Sommelier (Fis), led by Franco Ricci, which, as of this year, in addition to its focus on wines (in more detail) , oils and grappas, has introduced a section dedicated specifically to winery resorts. | |
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| | After giving birth to Franciacorta, thanks to the genius of Franco Ziliani, the family that has made Guido Berlucchi one of the pillars of Lombardy’s bubbly territory, continues to invest in another top territory of Italy. That is Bolgheri, where in 2003, following Franco Ziliani’s dream, the family acquired Tenuta Caccia al Piano, that continues to grow, with new investments. Like the 5 hectares just acquired, in the “Le Bozze” area, “contiguous to the vineyards already owned by us”, explains Paolo Ziliani. | |
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