THE TOP THREE POSITIONS ON GENTLEMAN MAGAZINE’S 2018 TOP 100 SPECIAL RANKING THAT COMPARES SCORES OF ITALIAN WINE GUIDES WENT TO: SAN LEONARDO 2013, TORGIANO ROSSO RISERVA 2012 LUNGAROTTI, MONTIANO 2015 FALESCO AND PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA ES 2015 FINO

The top three on the special ranking of the best Italian red wines that the magazine Gentleman, monthly publication of Class Editori (www.classlife.it) compiles each year comparing scores of the main Italian wine guides are: San Leonardo 2013, Torgiano Rosso Rubesco Vigna Monticchio Riserva 2012 di Lungarotti tied with Montiano 2015 di Falesco and Primitivo di Manduria Es 2015 di Gianfranco Fino. This year Gentleman included “Veronelli's wines” from the Veronelli Seminary, the “Essential Guide to Italian Wines” by Daniele Cernilli, the “Annuario of the best Italian wines” by Luca Maroni, “Vitae” of the Association Italian Sommelier, “Bibenda” by the Italian Sommelier Foundation, “Wines of Italy” by Gambero Rosso and Slow Food by Slow Food, analyzed to standardize the different rating scales used.
There is also a ranking dedicated to sparkling wines, whites and sweet wines. The top positions of the three selections are Trento Extra Brut sparkling wine Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore 2006, Alto Adige Terlano Sauvignon Quarz 2015 of Cantina Terlano and Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Terminum 2014 of Cantina Tramin, which, rather surprisingly, together with San Leonardo 2013, consecrate Trentino Alto Adige as the best wine region for 2018, this year ousting the most celebrated and well-known Piedmont and Tuscany.
Analyzing the result in detail, in the classification of red wines there were only 28 international varieties, while among the 72 native Barolo (13), followed by Amarone (12) and finally by Brunellos (5); moreover Tuscany beat Piedmont 25 wines to 19. As for the whites, Friuli is the most represented region (20 wines compared to 14 South Tyrol). “The total absence of Sicily is surprising”, commented the monthly, “one must reflect on the fact that among the first 50, there were only 18 native wines. Among sparkling wines Trentino and Franciacorta equally divided the first 6 positions, letting in only one South Tyrolean, two Prosecco and one Oltrepò Pavese.
Top of Form
The comparison with the most important international wine critics, however, is quite different. Comparing Italian guides with the ratings of Wine Spectator, The Wine Advocate, James Suckling and, this year also Vinous.com, the top five is almost totally Tuscan, with the exception of Barolo. Position number 1 goes to I Sodi di San Niccolò 2013 in Castellare di Castellina, followed by Solaia Toscana 2014 by Marchesi Antinori, Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Vento Reserve 2010 by Col D'Orcia, Barolo Ornato 2013 by Pio Cesare and finally Chianti Classico Grand Selection Sergio Zingarelli 2013 of Rocca delle Macie.