Sartarelli, Vie di Romans, Ornellaia, Fazi Battaglia and Siddurà: at the top for “Decanter”

Not only the negative long wave of the pandemic: for Italian wine, fortunately, important international awards continue to arrive. Like those dedicated to the wines of the year by the English magazine “Decanter”, which, after the best red wines (where Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Fieramonte Riserva 2012 of the Allegrini brand stood out as red wine of the year), and bubbles, published the list of the 43 best white, rosé and sweet or fortified wines of the planet. Among which stands out the recognition to Balciana 2017 by Sartarelli, historical version of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, from late harvest, already awarded with the “Italian Trophy” by the International Wine Challenge (Iwc) 2020 in London, and no. 6 in the selection dedicated to white, rosé and sweet wines of “Decanter”, one of the most important magazines in the world of wine.
A great standard bearer of the most important white wine from Marche, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, which also sees another historical name of the appellation among those selected by Decanter, that is San Sisto Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Classico Riserva 2016 by Fazi Battaglia, from Bertani Domains group (at no. 33). Again, according to Decanter, one of the best white wines in the world comes from Friuli Venezia Giulia, that is Flors di Uis Friuli Isonzo 2018 from the Vie di Romans label (at no. 6) and there is no lack of Tuscany with one of its most important names, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia of the Frescobaldi family, with Poggio alle Gazze dell'Ornellaia 2018, (at no.19). It comes from Sardinia, instead, the only Italian sweet wine selected among the best in the world, which is Nùali Moscato di Sardegna Passito (at no.41), produced by the historical Siddùra winery, in the heart of Gallura.
“An important award because Decanter remains a reference in the evaluation of wines - comments Siddùra’s managing director, Massimo Ruggero - and then an award for a different wine, a sweet wine, and this also tells about a change in consumers’ tastes, with wines of this kind that are still appreciated not only as end-of-meal wines, but also in combination with savory dishes such as cheeses and not only, suitable for the game of contrasts that many chefs and gourmets like. Moreover, such recognitions are still very important in the market, it is a kind of critics that orients the choices of wine lovers and consumers, and it is an important help for wineries”.
And so, the five standard bearers of white and sweet Italy (in a selection that sees at the absolute top the Chardonnay Margaret River 2019 by Flametree Wines, from Australia, and the Dorado Rueda by Bodegas de Alberto from Spain), join the other “wines of the year” of Decanter already published: in the selection of 64, among red wines and bubbles, in addition to the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Fieramonte Riserva 2012 cru by Allegrini, at n. 11, for example, there is Rosanna Rosè Extra Brut by Ettore Germano from Piedmont, in front of an icon of Prosecco Docg, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Vecchie Viti 2019 by Ruggeri at no. 12. At no. 13 there is the Riserva Blanc de Blancs Pas Dosè 2012 by Fattoria Montellori, from Tuscany, while at no. 15 there is another Italian bubbly, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature Rive San Pietro di Barbozza Gran Cuvée del Fondatore Motus Vitae 2018 by Bortolomiol, one of the historical and qualitative benchmarks of the denomination. At no. 16, from Langhe, with Cigliut’'s 2016 Barbaresco Serraboella, followed by Isole e Olena’s 2016 Cepparello, in Tuscany at no. 25, and the 2016 Chianti Classico of Marchesi Frescobaldi's Tenuta di Perano at no. 29, a wine from one of the most beautiful estates, which represented Frescobaldi’s official landing in the Black Rooster territory. Position n. 31, instead, for the Brunello di Montalcino 2015 of Il Poggione, among the names that have made the history of Montalcino, a company owned by the Franceschi family and run by Fabrizio Bindocci (also head of the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino, ed.), and one of the landmarks of the territory for quality and old vintages. At no. 44 going to Bolgheri, with the Campo al Fico Bolgheri Superiore 2016 by I Luoghi, while at no. 46 from Etna, with the Contrada Rampante Terre Siciliane 2014 by Tenuta di Passopisciaro, and then back to the Dolomites, with a great classic of Italian wine such as the San Leonardo 2015 by Tenuta San Leonardo of the Guerrieri Gonzaga family, born from the genius of Giacomo Tachis in the early eighties of the twentieth century, at no. 47, while closing the group of Italians is La Tunella’s 2017 Pinot Nero dei Colli Orientali del Friuli, at no. 59.