The top vineyards are in Friuli Venezia Giulia (La Castellada), and Sardinia (Bentu Luna)

The absolute top vineyards in Italy are in Friuli Venezia Giulia (La Castellada), and Sardinia (Bentu Luna), according to the “Bigot Index”. The index was created based on analyzing 9 parameters that take into account scientific literature and Giovanni Bigot’s over twenty years of experience in the field, in Italy and abroad.  The eponymous Index has, for the first time ever, graded the highest quality potential vineyards for the 2021 vintage.  (And, at Vinitaly, the top 38 vineyards were selected - out of 734 on which calculations were based - having  90/100 points, according to the Bigot Index, created by the Friuli agronomist, assisted by his Perleuve team). The 38 vineyards that merited more than 90/100 in 2021 were as follows: in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Friulano Hrib, Friulano Dolinca and Hrib Merlot de La Castellada, Friulano Case 25 by Livio Felluga, Tocai Friulano Centralina and Cabernet Franc Pietra by Russiz Superiore, Oslavje by Radikon, Sauvignon Lonzano Alto by Sgubin Ferruccio, Sauvignon Zegla by Sturm, Sauvignon Rosazzo and Tocai Friulano Buttrio by Le Vigne di Zamò, Ronco Pitotti Sauvignon by Vignai da Duline, Tocai Friulano Braida by La Sclusa, Moscato Vin dal Paron by Ferlat, Friulano Stesa by Il Carpino and Cabernet Sauvignon Narciso by Ronco delle Betulle.  In the Veneto Region, Sant’Anna di Massimago vineyard; in Lombardy, Chardonnay Calcababbio and Sauvignon Calcababbio by Monsupello and Pizzarello Pinot Meunier by Castello di Cigognola; in Piedmont, Conterno Fantino's Sorì Ginestra and Ca’ Viola's Barolo Sottocastello; in Emilia Romagna, Merlot Ronco and Malvasia Morello by La Tosa; in Tuscany, Poggiata Rinaldi of Tenuta del Cabreo and Anfiteatro alle Rose of Tenuta di Nozzole; in Umbria, Sagrantino Maria Cantalupo di Di Filippo vineyards, Cantine Blasi's Sauvignon Villa Pace, Vigna Chiusaccia and Vigna Renabianca di Terre Margaritelli; in Apulia, Lu Piezzu of Masseria Cuturi; in Sardinia, Ispane Sud Pusceddu, Ispane Tatti / Onali, Murtatí Crobu, Pardoniga Manca, Burdaga Conciadori of the Bentu Luna Company (in Slovenia, the awarded vineyards were Chardonnay Jordano and Sauvignon Jordano by Marjan Simcic, and, in France, Champan vineyard by Domaine R&P Bouley).

The vineyard awarded the maximum score of 95 points out of 100 was Friulano Hrib of the La Castellada company in Friuli Venezia Giulia, while the company with the highest number of vineyards was Bentu Luna in Sardinia, boasting five awarded vineyards. Evaluating and measuring the nine parameters identified by the Index in the vineyard - production, foliage, relationship between leaves and production, grapes’ health, type of cluster, water stress, vigor, biodiversity and microorganisms, and age of the vineyard - allows wine producers to correct the course "in progress”, thereby constantly improving the performance of the vines and, consequently, of the wines, considering that each of them affects a specific characteristic of the wine. This is the sense of the award ceremony.

“The final result”, Giovanni Bigot commented, “is the accomplishment of a fundamental path for growth and improvement in the vineyard, where great grapes beget great wines. The awarded vineyards will be able to increase the value of a territory in quality and recognition, and identify an area, giving specific characteristics to the wines grown there. Further, single vineyard wines represent a rapidly growing trend. Therefore, the evaluation of the vineyard, using specific parameters, increases the value of the final product and enhances the importance of the quality of the raw material: the grapes”. What we can  expect in the next few years is that the number of vineyards that will receive higher scores of excellence and quality will grow together with the agronomic improvement in vineyard management, which is the final goal of the Bigot Index.