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Issue 603 – November 14th – 18th 2022 – Expressly created for 4.415 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world
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The United States and France, especially with Napa and Bordeaux, dominate the rankings, thanks to the 2019 vintage. Less Italy than usual, due to unlucky vintages on the market, especially due to hot weather. With Italy nevertheless present with 11 labels – 9 of which from Tuscany, and in particular with 5 “Igt Toscana” – signed by Paolo Scavino, Barone Ricasoli, Bertinga, Luce della Vite (Frescobaldi), Duemani, Tua Rita, Tenuta San Guido, Petrolo, Foradori, Fattoria Le Pupille and Mazzei. Here, in extreme summary (and complete in more detail), is the “Top 100 Wines of The World 2022” by James Suckling, one of the most followed wine critics, especially in Asia.
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One in five of the world’s top 100 wines is Italian, with the double wins of Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo and Chianti Classico. Tuscany leading region with 8 labels (of which all the top 7 are Italian) then Piedmont (with 5), Soave to carry high the flag of Veneto, and lots of South, from Puglia to Sicily, from Campania (two labels) to Basilicata. Here’s the 2022 “Top 100” by “Wine Spectator”, which, after making Italy shine in the “Top 10” with Fattoria dei Barbi’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 at No. 2, Antinori’s Tignanello 2019 at No. 5 and Fattoria Le Pupille’s Saffredi 2019 at No. 8, has revealed its entire ranking. For Italy, at No. 12 is Bolgheri Superiore 2019 from Grattamacco, one of the historic wineries in the Bolgheri area, now owned by Claudio Tipa’s ColleMassari group. Then two great expressions of Chianti Classico: the 2018 Riserva di Capraia from the Rocca di Castagnoli – Tenute Calì group, and the 2020 vintage from San Felice, from the Allianz insurance group. At No. 31, on the other hand, is another must-have from Tuscany, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2016 from the historic Boscarelli, ahead of the first wine from Piedmont, namely Barbaresco Muncagota Riserva 2017 from Produttori del Barbaresco, one of the diamonds of Italian wine cooperation. Again, at No. 44, another classic like the Pinot Grigio Collio 2022 from the Livio Felluga label, ahead of the Aglianico del Vulture 2019 from the D’Angelo winery. At No. 55, however, still Montalcino, with the Brunello di Montalcino 2017 from the historic Tenuta Col d’Orcia winery, ahead, at No. 58, of Suavia’s Soave Classico 2020. Again, position No. 61 for Piedmontese label Damilano, with Barbera d'Asti 2020, ahead of Puglia’s Masseria Li Veli, at No. 63 with Susumaniello Salento Askos 2020. At No. 73 again Piedmont, as Pecchenino, with Nebbiolo Langhe Botti 2021, ahead of Sicily with Zisola’s Noto 2020, and a piece of Langhe history, such as Fontanafredda’s Barolo Serralunga d’Alba 2018. Closing out the Italian list is Campania’s combo, with San Salvatore’s Falanghina 2021 at No. 80 and Mastroberardino’s Tauras Radici 2017 at No. 84, and then Langhe again, with Elvio Cogno’s Barolo Ravera Vigna Elena Riserva 2016 at No. 96.
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Vittorio Vallarino Gancia, the fourth generation of the family that invented Italian sparkling wine in the mid-19th century, passed away at age 90. The “king of sparkling wine” played a key role in the internationalization of the bubbles invented in 1850, in Canelli, by his great-grandfather Carlo. As CEO of the company (1984-1986), he made Italians discover dry bubbles, led both Federvini (1990-1993) and Uiv (1999-2001), and was among the first to focus on Alta Langa, after making Asti great.
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Italian wine shipments, in the first 8 months of 2022, still lose speed, but do not stop, continuing on the path of particularly solid double-digit growth in its target markets. It emerges from the WineNews analysis of the latest Istat data, the export of Italian wine production exceeds 5 billion euros – compared to 4.5 billion in the first 8 months of 2021 – marking a growth of +12.1%. The reference market, within the EU, is still Germany, which scores +6.5%, bringing it to 750 million euros in imports. France (+26.6%, to 178.6 million euros) and Switzerland (+4.8%, to 266.5 million euros). Belgium slows down, the Netherlands is better, but catching the eye is Great Britain, which imported 502.8 million euros of Italian wine (+16.2%). In Northern Europe, the immobility of Denmark and Norway is countered by Sweden: +12.5%, to 142.8 million euros. Curious is the figure for Russia: -10,1%. The world’s top wine market, also for Italy, that is the U.S., grows by +9.3%, to 1.27 billion euros, with Canada touching 300 million euros (+23.9%). In Asia, only Japan is saved: +27.7% to 137.5 million euros; South Korea, China and Hong Kong are holding back.
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The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino coming to the market, in the glass, confirms itself as a good vintage, as expected, but not a great one; the Riserva 2017, as well as the vintage, expresses characters of a hot vintage; on the Rosso di Montalcino, on the other hand, the 2020 vintage, tending to be cool and with the right rains, is more convincing than the 2021, warmer and with the tannic component still tight at times. Extreme summary of WineNews’ tastings (in more detail the best ones) at Benvenuto Brunello 2022.
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Sustainability, in all its dimensions, environmental, economic and social, “is part of the quality of wine”: with these words Monica Larner, correspondent in Italy for “The Wine Advocate”, explained to WineNews the meaning of the “Robert Parker Green Emblems”, the awards born in 2021 to reward the wineries in the world most committed, in their own way, to the issue. And after pioneering realities such as Tasca d’Almerita in Sicily, Alois Lageder in Alto Adige, and Michele Manelli’s Salcheto in Tuscany, the 2022 edition of the award will see the addition of three more outstanding Italian wineries. Such as Avignonesi, another Nobile di Montepulciano label, Chiara Boschis’ E. Pira & figli, in Barolo, and, again from the South, and again from Sicily, comes Arianna Occhipinti (in more detail).
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It is already very strong, the made-in-Italy technology sector in the vineyard and cellar. And it will grow even more, because if the 2021 turnover exceeded 3.1 billion euros, according to 9 out of 10 companies the 2022 closing will be even better. With a progression, according to most, of 20%. Thanks to excellences in machinery for the vineyard, for bottling, for the production of wine, in the production of corks, bottles, goblets and so on, protagonists, in recent days, at Simei, the International Enological and Bottling Machinery Exhibition by Unione Italiana Vini.
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