In order not to get lost among the vintages of Italy’s top wines, the “Vintage Chart” by Wine Lister

Remembering the quality of past vintages of great Italian wines is not always easy, because every territory experiences different seasonal trends, and it is often difficult even to give a homogeneous judgment on a regional basis. It is, however, fundamental, especially in a country such as Italy, capable of producing great wines practically everywhere, but not always, precisely, in the same year. In order to distinguish between appellations and vintage, a guide does exist, and it is the “Vintage Chart” by Wine Lister, which gives a score, in cents, to every vintage, backward, to 1970. An evaluation which is the result of the average of the ratings given by some of the main wine critics of the world - from Jancis Robinson to Antonio Galloni and Neal Martin (Vinous), from Bettane+Desseauve to Jeannie Cho Lee - to the wines of the main territories of the world and, of course, of Italy.
In a brief review of the wineries of Italy, 1990 and 2004 of Barbaresco stand out, with an average score of 96/100, as well as 2004, 2007 and 2010 of Barolo, rated 97/100. Leaving Piedmont, in Tuscany, lucky is the one who has in his cellar the Brunello di Montalcino 1997, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2010, vintages rated 95/100 by international critics. In the nearby Chianti Classico, instead, Sangiovese gave its best in 2016, vintage rated 94/100. Super Tuscans did even better, with a long series of top vintages, among which stand out the 2010 and 2016, rated 97/100. There were many Amarone vintages rated 93/100, such as 2011, 2009, 2008, 2006 and 2001, just to mention the most recent ones.
In the “Vintage Chart” of Wine Lister, the reds of Campania also find their place, with vintage wines such as 2004, 2007 and 2010 rated 94/100, equal to the great wine territories. Simplifying and putting in a system the huge amount of data and the thousands of votes of wine critics, it is even possible to give a summary vote to the whole Italian vineyard. There are two exceptional vintages for Italy, 1989 and 1990, both rated 96/100. An average score decidedly higher than that of neighboring France, which, however, boasts a much wider range of constantly reviewed terroirs, from the reds of Bordeaux and Barolo to the whites of Alsace.