Fine wines: Giacomo Conterno, Fontodi and Gaja “save” Italy, which loses the least, on the Liv-Ex

Italy does best of all, in the sense that it limits its losses, but as widely expected, the last month of 2023 does not reverse the negative trend of the fine wines market monitored by the Liv-Ex. For the Liv-Ex 100, the bar stops at -14.1% in the figure updated to December 2023, while the Liv-Ex 1000 says -13.6%, Bordeaux Legends 40 -12.4%, Burgundy 150 -16.2%, and Champagne 50 -18.3%. The Italy 100, the only one to record at least a slightly up December (-0.4%), ends the year at -6%, which given the general trend can be considered a success. With a less negative performance than the others, it must be said, thanks to a few samples.
Such as Barolo Monfortino Riserva 2001, which is the Italian wine that revalued the most during the year (+40.1%, touching £12,600 per case of 12 bottles), and third overall (behind Chateau Climens’ Barsac Premier Cru Classè 2010 (+49.5%,at £598 per case), and Joseph Drouhin’s Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet Grand Cru 2018 (+44.7%, at £8. 730 pounds per case), followed, No. 2 Italian and in the overall “top 10”, by Fontodi’s Flaccianello della Pieve 2011 (+28.4%, at 895 pounds per case, while the 2012 vintage made +18.3%, the 2017 +7.6%, and the 2014 +3.8%).
Among the Italian wines in the Liv-Ex 100 that grew the most, Gaja’s Barbaresco 2010 is also on the podium (+20.6%, but double-digit growth is also seen in the 2015 vintage, at +18.1%, the 2011, at +13.2% and the 2012, at +12.1%, while the 2019 makes +6.9% and the 2016 +2.7%). On positive ground again is Conterno’s Barolo Monfortino Riserva, with several vintages (2010, 2013, 2005 and 2006) and increases between +6% and +7%. Nor are Antinori’s Solaia, with 2012, 2011 and 2018 vintages, Tenuta San Guido’s Sassicaia 2016 and Bruno Giacosa’s Barolo Falletto Vigna le Rocche Riserva 2012.
Among the curiosities, looking at Liv-Ex data analyzed by WineNews, it emerges that Conterno’s Barolo Monfortino Riserva 2007 is the only Italian wine present, and one of only 6 in the index, to grow, by +6.7%, behind Domaine Jean Louis Chave’s Hermitage Rouge 2019, at +41%.