“Wine Enthusiast’s” Top 100. The American cult magazine recognizes Italian wine: Barolo Cannubi Boschis 2001 of Luciano Sandrone takes sixth place, while three Brunello di Montalcino also place well.

After the “Wine Spectator” success, in which the world’s “bible” of enological review (the magazine capable of orienting the market like few other publications) chose the Italian Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2001 di Casanova di Neri as the number one wine in the world for 2006, there have also been good results for “Made in Italy” wine in another very important enological publication, “Wine Enthusiast”.
The selection of the top 100 wines of the year that was made by “Wine Enthusiast” (over 12,000 samples were tasted in 2006) follows, apart from the intrinsic quality of the wines, a strategic criteria in regards to price, availability on the market, and the “X-Factors”, or rather, the “excitement and buzz”. And within the top ten of this list the Italian Barolo Cannubi Boschis 2001 di Luciano Sandrone placed an impressive sixth. Not far behind this excellent classification came several other Italian wines like the Brunello di Montalcino 2001 di Donatella Cinelli Colombini (14th place), Brunello di Montalcino Pian delle Vigne 2001 Antinori (49th), Brunello di Montalcino Castiglion del Bosco 2001 (84th), and the Barolo Brunate 2001 by the producer Marcarini (98th). In short, a confirmation of the significance the two regional denominations, and in general, of the special attention that Italian winemakers give to their territorial and traditional wines.
Looking through the “Wine Enthusiast” classification list, there are other Italian wines that have also been included, like Isola dei Nuraghi Mantenghja 2001 di Capichera, Venezia Giulia Pinot Grigio 2003 Bressan, Cabernet Sauvignon Akronte 2001 di Boccadigabbia, Moscato Reale Apianae 2002 Di Majo Norante, Ferrari NV Brut by the Lunelli brothers, the sweet wine Ben Ryé 2004 by Sicilian, Donnafugata. All receiving scores in tasting sessions by the prestigious American wine writers that surpassed the 90/100 mark.
Wine Enthusiast – Top 100 wines of the world
(www.winemag.com/top2006/top_wines.asp)
1) De Loach 2004 30th Anniversary Cuvée Pinot Noir - California, Russian River Valley
2) Chateau St. Jean 2003 Reserve Chardonnay - California, Sonora County
3) Charles Heidsieck NV Réserve Brut - Francia, Champagne
4) Sloan 2002 Red Wine - California Rutherford
5) Warwick 2004 Estate Riserve - South Africa, Stellenbosch
6) Sandrone 2001 Cannubi Boschis - Barolo, Italia
7) Château Lagrange 2003 - Saint Julien, France
8) Château Ste. Michelle 2003 Ethos Syrah - Washington, Columbia Valley
9) Punto Final 2004 Reserva Malbec - Argentina, Perdriel
10) St. Urbans-Hof 2004 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese - Germania

Wine Enthusiast – Top 100 Italian wines
(position, wine, vintage, producer, score, grape variety, price)
6 - Sandrone 2001 Cannubi Boschis 97, Barolo - $135
14 - Donatella Cinelli Colombini 2001 Brunello 95, Brunello di Montalcino - $55 Red
41 - Capichera 2001 Mantenghja 94, Isola dei Nuraghi - $91
47 - Bressan 2003 Pinot Grigio 93, Venezia Giulia - $40
49 - Antinori 2001 Pian delle Vigne 94, Brunello di Montalcino - $65
52 - Boccadigabbia 2001 Akronte Cabernet Sauvignon 93, Marche - $52
65 - Di Majo Norante 2002 Apianae 93, Molise - $19/500 ml
79 - Ferrari NV Brut 92 Italy, Trentino - $28
84 - Castiglion del Bosco 2001 93, Brunello di Montalcino - $45
86 - Donnafugata 2004 Ben Ryé 95, Passito di Pantelleria - $38
98 - Marcarini 2001 Brunate 93 Italy, Barolo / $54

Wine Enthusiast - "Best Buys"
(position, wine, vintage, producer, score, region, price)
Italy also scored particularly well in the “best buys” classification list with 17 wines included:
18 - Feudo Arancio 2004 Nero d'Avola 88, Sicilia - $8
36 - Canella Prosecco di Conegliano 89, Veneto - $11
38 - Vigne Regali 2003 L'Ardi 88, Piemonte - $9
44 - Castello del Poggio 2003 Dolcetto di Monferrato 89, Piemonte - $12
47 - Villa Pillo 2003 Borgoforte 89, Toscana - $12
54 - Cesari 2004 Due Torri Pinot Grigio 88, Veneto - $10
70 - Tolloy 2005 Pinot Grigio 88, Alto Adige - $10
76 - Calatrasi 2003 D'Istinto Shiraz 89 , Sicilia - $13
80 - Bollini 2004 Pinot Grigio 89, Trentino - $13
83 - Mezzacorona 2004 Riserva Pinot Grigio 89, Trentino - $13
88 - Tenuta Sant'Antonio 2004 Soave 88, Soave - $11
89 - Toscolo 2004 Chianti 88, Toscana - $11
90 - Rotari 2001 Riserva 89, Trentino - $13
91 - Quadri 2005 Mátraalja Pinot Grigio 87, Trentino - $8
97 - Bolla 2004 Nero d'Avola 87, Sicilia - $9
98 - Mandrarossa 2004 Shiraz 87, Sicilia - $9
99 - Querceto 2004 Chianti 87, Toscana - $8