Italian wines from Alto Adige to Sicily on Decanter’s “Wines of The Year” 2023 ranking

The innumerable end-of-year rankings dedicated to wine, of course include the “Decanter” ranking, the top wine magazine on the UK market. The UK market is worth a lot for Italian wine, totaling 602 million euros in the first 9 months of 2023, + 3.5% compared to 2022, and one of the few growing markets, according to ISTAT data analyzed by WineNews. Furthermore, we recently highlighted the five Italian wines rated 100/100 by the magazine (Fieramonte 2016 by Allegrini, Barolo Brunate 2019 by Giuseppe Rinaldi, Brunello Madonna delle Grazie 2019 Il Marroneto, Masseto 2020 and Ornellaia 1998), on the list of "Wines of The Year" 2023 published in the January 2024 issue of the magazine. There is no shortage of Italian wines on the ranking, selected not only for the score (from 90/100 upwards), but also according to availability on the market, drinkability and so on.
The wines of the year ranking did not reward the Italian flag, however. The sparkling wine of the year is Champagne, Collection 243 Nv by Louis Roederer, the white wine of the year is the Greek Thalassitis 2022 from Santorini by Gaia Wines, the red is the South African Cabernet Sauvignon Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2019 from Kanonkop, the “offbeat” wine, that is, a little outside the classic mold, is again the Greek Malagousia Achaia 2022 from Tetramythos in Peloponnese, the best in terms of quality and price, the Spanish La Gitana Manzanilla En Rama di Hidalgo, Jerez. There were, though, innumerable Italian wines among “the 113 wines that obtained an overall score of 90 points or more, all of which give great pleasure, regardless of tastes and your bank account”, “Decanter” wrote.
Therefore, on what is more a list rather than a real ranking, one of the best whites and a must like is Rarity 2010 from Cantina di Terlano, leading winery in Alto Adige, as well as Tenuta del Conte, Differently Greco Bianco 2019 by Tenuta del Conte, from Cirò, in Calabria, and Anas-Cëtta Nascetta, Municipality of Novello 2021 by Elvio Cogno, in Langhe. Regarding red wines, at the top are Bolgheri Superiore 2019 by Grattamacco from the ColleMassari Group of Claudio Tipa, now a great classic, as well as Barolo Parafada 2019 by Massolino, from the Langhe, the award-winning Flaccianello della Pieve 2013 by Fontodi, Tenuta delle Terre Nere’s Etna Calderara Sottana 2021, and Allegrini’s La Poja 2018. Further, from Piedmont, Grignolino d'Asti Monferace 2017 by Tenuta Santa Caterina, and from Friuli Venezia Giulia, the passito Cràtis Verduzzo Friulano Colli Orientali 2019 by Scubla Roberto.
These are the top Italian wines, while among the “highly recommended” wines (ratings of 90 or 91 points), the sparkling wine Trentodoc Brut from the leader winery Ferrari, and the unusual Rebolium Brut Nature 2015 from Sinefinis which was created between Brda and Collio, between Slovenia and Italy, are highlighted. In the whites category, numerous great classics from their territories such as Soave Classico 2022 from Pieropan, Etna Bianco 2022 from Pietradolce, and Custoza Superiore Cà del Magro 2021 from Monte of Fra. In the red wines category, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015 of Cà dei Maghi, Taurasi 2015 Di Prisco, from Irpina, Gschleier Alte Reben Vernatsch 2021 of the Girlan winery, also from Alto Adige, and TGI Toscana 2015 from Orma, stand out. These are the verdicts of Decanter’s all-female jury, including Tina Gellie, Content Manager of Decanter, Anne Krebiehl, Master of Wine, and Michaela Morris, wine writer and wine expert focusing on Italy.