Fine wines: Piedmont at the very top in price growth, Tuscany in popularity

The “Wine-Lister Leagues 2021” report signed by the famous English portal, revealed the top performers. Over the past 10 years, Burgundy has seen 207% growth in the prices of its best wines, followed by Piedmont, at + 138%, while Bordeaux + 32% and Spain + 42%. In the last 12 months, price growth has ranged between 3% and 14%. In terms of popularity, however, Bordeaux and Tuscany are solidly at the top, ahead of the wines from Burgundy, California, Spain and Piedmont, which even though there as been a rise in prices, seem to have lost in popularity. The English portal (purchased in 2020 by Groupe Figaro, publisher of one of the most important newspapers in France, “Le Figaro”, and of one of the most successful French sites dedicated to wine, “Figaro Vin”), through its algorithm, takes into consideration the quality and value of a wine within its vintage and its denomination, as well as the latest information on the sector from the main players in the global trade of fine wines.
According to the Wine-Lister “Quality Score” category (based on reviews and scores of brands such as Jancis Robinson, Antonio Galloni and Neal Martin of Vinous, Bettane + Desseauve, Jeannie Cho Lee), among the 20 wines in the world that have grown the most over the last 2 years there are the Italian wines, Chianti Classico from Isole and Olena, which is number 1 in the world for growth (more than 20%, ahead of Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Especial Gr), and Brunello di Montalcino di Capanna. In third place for growth in the “top 20”, there is also Brunello di Montalcino of Valdicava, Barolo Brunate of Ceretto and Brunello di Montalcino of Casanova di Neri.
Further, there are Italian brands also among the “wines to watch”, that is, the most “convincing” wine suggestions, or rather wine producers, over the last few years, such as the Tuscan winery Bibi Graetz and the famous Barolo wine, Roberto Voerzio. Taking into consideration what makes a wine or a producer “convincing” and attractive on the investment wine market, in absolute first place for importance, according to the “Wine-Lister” members is the quality of the wine, followed by the uniqueness of the story behind the wine or winery, the terroir, charisma of the company’s key people, demand on the market and price. The fact that “we are talking about it” amongst professionals, in person, online and on social media, on the other hand, are less important factors for this market niche.
The “Wine-Lister” report also suggested “Hidden Gems”; that is, the wine world’s hidden gems, which include Bòggìna C di Petrolo, from the Valdarno di Sopra territory, and “Value Picks”, or wines with the best value for money, which for Italy are Fontalloro from Fèlsina, Il Carbonaione from Podere Poggio Scalette, Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione de Marchi from Isole e Olena, and Guardiola Rosso from Tenuta delle Terre Nere. While among the “buzz brands”, instead; that is, the most popular and most frequently sought-after wines, and whose popularity is growing, Giuseppe Rinaldi’s Barolo Brunate stands out.
In the “Investment Staple” category, or rather the most “exciting” brands to invest in, “Wine-Lister” has indicated two legendary wines such as Tignanello by Antinori and Soldera Casa Basse, one of the iconic wineries in Montalcino, for Italy, together with Dom Pérignon among the Champagnes or Cheval Blanc and Lafite from Bordeaux, just to name a few.
Further, according to Wine-Lister, in general, the most “convincing” Italian producers and wines are names such as, Bartolo Mascarello, Bruno Giacosa, Bruno Rocca, Ceretto, Chiara Boschis, Claudio Fenocchio, Elio Grasso, Fratelli Brovia, Gaja, Giacomo Conterno, Giovanni Rosso, Giuseppe Rinaldi, Lalù, Mauro Molino, Nervi Gattinara, Poderi and Cantine Oddero, Producers Barbaresco, Prunotto, Roagna, Roberto Voerzio, Rocche di Castiglione, Sori della Sorba and Vietti, from Piedmont, Antinori, Bibi Graetz, Biondi Santi, Cantine Ravazzi, Castello di Romitorio, Gianni Brunelli, Il Marroneto, Ipsus Il Caggio, Istine, Le Pergole Torte di Montevertine, Masseto, Ornellaia, Querciabella, Ridolfi, Sassicaia (Tenuta San Guido), Solaia, Soldera Case Basse and Tenuta di Valgiano from Tuscany, as well as Schiopetto, from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Baron Longo, from Alto Adige.
Finally, let’s take a look at the current “Must Buys”, or the wines to buy right now. Among the Italian wines, and at the very top, receiving 100 points (together with Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Saint-Jacques 1964), there is Alceo 2013 of Castello dei Rampolla, in front of Flaccianello della Pieve 2015 of Fontodi, Barolo Cascina Francia 2006 by Giacomo Conterno, the 2016 and 2015 vintages of Tignanello by Antinori, and Sammarco 2006 of Castello dei Rampolla, Percarlo 2013 of San Giusto a Rentennano, at Masseto 2007, L'Apparita 2013 of Castello di Ama and the Collezione de Marchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 by Isole and Olena, to name the top 10.
“After more than a year interrupted by the global health crisis”, the Wine-Lister commented, “the fine wine market is flourishing. Collectors took refuge in their cellars during the lockdown, and are showing no sign of slowing down their craving for wine as we begin to return to normal. Since 2021 is quickly approaching the end, Wine Lister wants to celebrate these wines and producers who are the ambassadors of a new and especially varied winemaking era of fine wines”.