PLANETA’S SICILIAN WINES AT THE TOP OF THE CLASSIFICATION BY THE “GRAND JURY EUROPEEN”, ONE OF THE MOST EXCLUSIVE AND INFLUENTIAL WINE TASTING TEAMS IN THE WORLD…

Planeta’s Sicily is at the top of the classification by the “Grand Jury Europeen”, one of the most exclusive and influential wine tasting teams world wide. In fact, the winery’s blend Cometa 2001 took first place, while its Chardonnay 2006 came in at third.

The verdict of the annual “Great Wines” classification is made by the Grand Jury Europeen, which includes some of the most important wine critics in the world (from the French Michel Bettane, Olivier Poussier, Philippe Bourguignon, Bernard Burtschy, Laurent Vialette, Bernard Hervet, Jean-Pierre Giraud, François Wilhelm, Guillaume de Pracomtal, to the Germans Joël Payne, Markus del Moneto, Otto Geisel, the Italians Ernesto Gentili, Enzo Vizzari, Marco Reitano, the Luxemburg Abi Duhr, Portuguese Dirk van der Niepoort, Scot Neil Beckett, Spanish Victor de la Serna, the Swede Andreas Larsson, Swiss Jacques Perrin and Patrick Regamey and the Americans, Wilfred van Gorp, Kevin Shin e Kelly Walzer).

And it was a clear success for the Menfi winery, today run by Francesca, Santi and Alessio Planeta, but originally created by Diego Planeta, who is now president of the Settesoli winery, one of the most important cooperatives in Italy, with a great quality-price relation for its wines.

The recognition is particularly important considering the comment by the Grand Jury Europeen, a team that is of historically French inspiration: “28 high profile tasters, in a blind tasting, cannot all make a mistake, at the same time and with the same wine”.

The blind tasting took place in November at Villa d’Este di Cernobbio, on Lake Como, with three specific tasting groups: the best white wines from Italy, a comparison between the best Cabernet and Merlot around the world from the 2001 harvest, and the best Syrahs world wide for 2001.

The Sicilian wines of Planeta not only received top recognition for their white wines, but also placed favorably for the Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet category which included wines from all over the world (Châteaux from Bordeaux and Super Tuscans), with a 20th place ranking for its Syrah 2001, and 58th for its Merlot 2001.

The Top Italian White Wines

1 - Planeta, Cometa 2001 (86.63)

2 - Hofstätter, Gewürztraminer Kolbenhof 2001 (86.50)

3 - Planeta, Chardonnay 2006 (86,16)

4 - Antinori, Cervaro della Sala 2005 (86.08)

5 - ColleMassari, Irisse 2005 (85.73)

6 - Negri-Cantine di Chiuro, Ca’ Brione 2006 (85.52)

7 - Luretta, Boccadirosa Malvasia 2006 (85.31)

8 - Vie di Romans, Piere Sauvignon 2005 (85.07)

9 - Marco Felluga, Russiz Superiore 2005 (84.88)

10 - Cà dei Frati, I Fratti 2006 (84.79)

11 - Panizzi, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna Santa

Margherita 2004 (84.49)

12 - Ragnedda, Capichera 2004 (84.41)

13 - Les Crêtes, Chardonnay Bois 2004 (84.38)

14 - Villa Bucci, Verdicchio di Jesi Classico Riserva 2001 (84.33)

15 - Costantini Piero, Frascati 2006 (84.31)

16 - Le Fracce, Riesling 2006 (84.11)

17 - Di Majo Norante, Rami di Majo 2006 (84.10)

18 - Livio Felluga, Terre Alte 2004 (84.03)

19 - Cascina Feipu, Feipu dei Massaretti 2006 (83.21)

20 - Mastroberardino, Radici Fiano 2006 (83.09)

21 - Valentini, Trebbiano 2002 (82.83)

22 - Pixcitelli, Morgassi Superiore di Marino (82.72)

23 - La Castellada, La Castellada di Bensa 2003 (82.63)

24 - Anselmi, Capitel Foscarino 2006 (81.68)

25 - Tre Monti, Albana 2005 (80.47)

26 - Cervino, Donata Maria 2005 (80.26)

27 - Radikon, Oslavje 2001 (79.66)

28 - Ronchi di Cialla, Ribolla 2004 (79.27)

29 - Ronco del Gelso, Friulani 2005 (79.07)

30 - Gravner 2002 (79.07)

The Top 10 Cabernet/Merlot 2001 world wide

1 - Château Pavie (90.60)

2 - Merus (90.29)

3 - Château Lafite-Rothschild (90.29)

4 - Château Pape-Clément (89.96)

5 - Reignac (89.75)

6 - Shafer Hillside Select (89.50)

7 - Ridge Montebello (89.20)

8 - Le Dôme (89.04)

9 - Insignia (89.00)

10 - Harlan Estate (89.00)

and the Italians…

17 - Monti, Merlot (88.51)

19 - Castello del Terriccio, Lupicaia (88.31)

25 - Tenuta San Leonardo, San Leonardo (87.96)

27 - Tenuta di Ghizzano, Nambrot (87.56)

28 - Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia (87.26)

30 - Castello di Ama, L’Apparita (87.08)

31 - Tenuta di Trinoro, Tenuta di Trinoro (87.06)

35 - Antinori, Solaia (86.83)

38 - Montepeloso, Gabbro (86.60)

39 - Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri Sassicaia (86.33)

44 - Poliziano, Le Stanze (86.08)

52 - Isole Olena, Collezione de Marchi Cabernet Sauvignon (84.11)

53 - Isole Olena, Cepparello (83.79)

55 - Fattoria Petrolo, Galatrona (83.40)

56 - Castello di Gabbiano, Alleanza (83.35)

57 - Lamborghini, Campoleone (83.22)

58 - Planeta, Merlot (82.92)

59 - Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove (82.64)

60 - Tenuta di Trinoro, Le Cupole di Trinoro (82.39)

The Top 10 Syrahs 2001 world wide

1 - Simon Maye et fils (92.05)

2 - Claudy Clavien (90.48)

3 - Grognuz (89.67)

4 - Benoît Dorsaz, Quintessence (89.34)

5 - Graillot-Crozes, Guiraude (89.12)


6 - Combier-Crozes, Clos des Grives (88.97)

7 - Denis Mercier-M (88.75)

8 - Krankl-Midnight Oil (88.53)

9 - Didier Joris-Pré des Pierres (88.16)

10 - Jp et Jl Jamet (87.74)

and the Italians…

17 - Fontodi, Syrah Case Via (86.50)

20 - Planeta, Syrah (86.40)

28 - Isole Olena, Collezione de Marchi Syrah (84.63)

33 - Tenimenti Luigi d’Alessandro, Syrah Il Bosco (83.98)