Sassicaia, Masseto, Barbaresco Crichet Paje: Tuscany and Piedmont top the rankings by Wine Searcher

Italian wine is a heritage of variety, richness and specificity, a winning harmony capable of combining elements that make it a precious “unicum” of history, culture and tradition and that, not by chance, finds many admirers in the world. The “caliber”, which is important, of Italian wine is also measured in international rankings, where one of the symbolic products of Made in Italy is often found in prestigious positions and accompanied by important numbers. This is also demonstrated by the results of Wine Searcher, a portal that constantly compares the prices of thousands of wine shops, restaurants and wine bars in the world, and the scores of authoritative sources of international critics such as “The Wine Advocate” or Jancisrobinson.com, also decreeing the popularity of a label.
In its late 2024 update, Wine Searcher released rankings that take into account ad hoc categories, such as “most popular”, which is based on search frequency and is updated monthly, “best”, which refers to the monthly average of critics’ scores, and “most expensive”, which monitors a label’s prices (net of vintage) each day, averaging across the price lists of hundreds of wine shops and beyond.
And in the Top 20 “most popular” of Italian wine, at position No. 1, is Sassicaia, the ultimate expression of Bolgheri terroir and jewel of Tenuta San Guido. On the podium are two more “champions” of Italian wine, Tignanello (No. 2), the “Super Tuscan” and iconic wine of Marchesi Antinori, and Ornellaia (No. 3), another legend of Bolgheri and of world wine, from the Frescobaldi Group, which returns to No. 4 with Masseto, a wine legend of Italy and the desire of every wine collector. It remains in Tuscany with Solaia (No. 5), another authentic excellence of Antinori, a family that has been writing pages of Italian wine history for 26 generations; and at No. 6 with Flaccianello della Pieve by Fontodi, the outstanding label of the brilliant entity led by Giovani Manetti, in the Chianti Classico territory. From Tuscany to Piedmont, thanks to Giacomo Conterno’s monumental Barolo Monfortino Riserva (No. 7), a name that has written the history of one of the most important appellations in Italian wine, while Bertani’s Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, an icon of the area and one of the pearls in the mosaic of Angelini Wines & Estates, led by Ceo Alberto Lusini, brings Veneto to position No. 8. Barbaresco makes its debut at No. 9 with a name, Gaja, another world wine legend, while closing out the Top 10 is Bartolo Mascarello’s Barolo, another noble expression of wine produced in the Langhe. Position No. 11 for Biondi-Santi’s Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Greppo, the winery that gave birth to the myth, and thus the history, of one of the most prestigious wines, Brunello di Montalcino, and now owned by the Epi Group of the Descours family. And from Montalcino comes another big name, that of Gianfranco Soldera with his Case Basse (No. 12), which precedes Le Pergole Torte by Montevertine (No. 13), a jewel winery in the heart of Chianti Classico. It still remains in Tuscany, which dominates the ranking, with Galatrona (No. 14), or the Merlot “cru” of Petrolo, a flagship winery of the young appellation of Valdarno di Sopra. At No. 15 is Fattoria Le Pupille’s Saffredi, the winery created by Elisabetta Geppetti, a name that has taken the Maremma oenological area to the top, and at No. 16 is G.D. Vajra’s Barolo Albe, one of the most emblazoned labels in an area with many “bigs”. Giacomo Conterno is back at No. 17 with Barolo Cascina Francia, and Piedmont again stars at No. 18 with Barbaresco from Cooperativa Produttori del Barbaresco. Closing out the Top 20 is Tuscany with Guidalberto, again from Tenuta San Guido (No. 19), and Brunello di Montalcino from Tenuta Il Poggione (No. 20).
Confirmations and novelties, then, also for the top 20 positions of the “Best Italian Wines”, which takes into account the scores of critics, gathering the evaluations of a wide range of experts, including the influential and prestigious Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson. The list published by Wine Searcher, in whose top positions the scores range from 96 to 94 points, has Masseto at No. 1, still on the podium, ahead of Il Marroneto’s Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie (No. 2), a winery led by Alessandro Mori that is an absolute quality benchmark for the area. Position No. 3 for Marchesi Antinori’s Solaia, a confirmation, once again, among critics’ “top” wines, as well as for Tenuta San Guido’s Sassicaia (No. 4) and Pieve di Fontodi’s Flaccianello (No. 5). At No. 6 is Casanova di Neri’s Brunello di Montalcino, a name among the most emblazoned in the Tuscan appellation. The first Barolo among the “best” is at No. 7 with G.B. Burlotto’s Monvigliero, a name that has marked the history of the area; position No. 8 for Castello di Ama’s L’Apparita Toscana, a Merlot-based wine produced by a jewel of a winery in Chianti Classico; No. 9 for Tenuta di Trinoro’s Toscana Igt, an emblazoned wine with international “breath”, produced in the heart of the Val d’Orcia. Rounding out the Top Ten is La Ricolma of San Giusto a Rentennano, another top Chianti Classico winery led by the Martini brothers of Cigala. Position No. 11 for Avignonesi’s Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice, a Montepulciano-based winery (owned by Virginie Saverys) that has historically given prominence and excellence to a product with a long tradition in this area. And if Barolo Vite Talin, Luciano Sandrone’s “masterpiece”, comes in at No. 12, San Giusto a Rentennano returns to the rankings at No. 13 with its Igt Sangiovese 100% Percarlo, ahead of the ever-present Ornellaia (No. 14) of the Frescobaldi Group and Il Messorio from Le Macchiole (No. 15), one of the “top” names in the Bolgheri area and among the pioneer wineries of the area. Montevertine’s Le Pergole Torte (No. 16) is also confirmed among the “best”, while Alto Adige is well represented by Kellerei Terlan, Doc Alto Adige Terlano Pinot Bianco Rarity (No. 17), excellence produced by the South Tyrolean cooperative, among the most important producers of great white wines in Italy, which also returns at No. 19 with Terlaner I Primo Grande Cuvée. Vietti’s Barolo Riserva Villero, one of the most celebrated wineries in the Langhe, is at No. 18, and, closing out the Top 20 “best,” is Fuligni’s Brunello di Montalcino, a winery among the territory's most historic names.
Turning, finally, to the ranking related to “Most Expensive” by Wine Searcher, and thus to the updated ranking on the most expensive bottles in Italy, position No. 1 for Roagna’s Barbaresco Crichet Paje (1. 160 euros), one of the most quoted and benchmark names of the Piedmontese appellation, which precedes another pride of the Langhe, Cappellano’s Barolo Otin Fiorin Pie Franco – Michet (845 euros) and a vertical of Biondi-Santi’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (771 euros), a “dive” into the excellence and history of Brunello. Position No. 4 for a Barolo particularly beloved by fans, Giuseppe Rinaldi’s Brunate Riserva (728 euros), a winery that also wins No. 5 with its Barolo (634 euros). It still remains in the Langhe at position No. 6 with Castiglione Falletto’s Barolo Villero produced by Bruno Giacosa (621 euros), another iconic Itaòian wine, as well as Aldo Conterno’s Barolo Bussia Riserva Granbussia (position No. 7, 617 euros) and Biondi-Santi’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (position No. 8, 608 euros). Piedmont dominates the Top Ten in which Roberto Voerzio’s Barolo Riserva RV350 (position No. 9) (548 euros) and Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio’s Barolo Riserva Monprivato Ca d’Morissio (position No. 10, 537 euros), another top player from the Langhe, are also featured. Position No. 11 and No. 12 for Gaja, respectively with the Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo (517 euros) and the Barbaresco Sorì Tildin (516 euros), while No. 13 is for Giuseppe Rinaldi’s Barolo Bussia (516 euros), with Bruno Giacosa returning to No. 14 with the Barbaresco Albesani Santo Stefano (513 euros), and Giuseppe Rinaldi at No. 15 with the Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo – Ravera (486 euros). Castello Romitorio’s Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta, a prominent reality in the Montalcino hills owned by artist Sandro Chia, is at No. 16 (484 euros) ahead of Avignonesi’s Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (No. 17, 482 euros). Bruno Giacosa’s Barbaresco Falletto Asili Riserva is at No. 18 (472 euros), Gaja’s Barbaresco Costa Russi at No. 19 (465 euros), and closing out the Top 20 is a recently born wine, namely Rosso del Castello di Solomeo, the wine of Brunello Cucinelli (No. 20 463 euros), produced at the splendid estate in Umbria (under the oenological direction of Riccardo Cotarella) of the cashmere entrepreneur among the world’s most admired and standard-bearers of quality Made in Italy.