“Top 100” by Wine Spectator: Brunello di Montalcino is the most awarded in history, 69 times

Fausto Coppi from Piedmont and Gino Bartali from Tuscany were the cycling champions that made aficionados from all over the world dream, exactly the same as the Tuscan wine, Brunello di Montalcino and the Piedmont wine, Barolo, the two topmost Italian wine champions make wine lovers dream. The two wines are also antagonists in an eternal and virtuous rivalry, especially of Italian and international critics, of course, in the name of excellence. WineNews carried out a survey that retraced all 32 editions of the “Top 100” of the leading wine magazine by Marvin Shanken, which revealed that up to today, taking into consideration only the leading and most influential ranking in the wine world; that is, Wine Spectator’s “Top 100”, the winner is Brunello di Montalcino, awarded 69 times since 1988 (two awards in 2020, Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucère 2015 di San Filippo at number 3 and Brunello di Montalcino 2015 by Caprili at number 16), the very first edition of US magazine ranking, against 67 for Barolo (this year Massolino’s Barolo 2016 is in position number 7). Chianti Classico comes in third, at 50 wines awarded over the years (three of which, by Castello di Volpaia, Frescobaldi and Istine in this edition).
Brunello di Montalcino boasts even more records and awards. As a matter of fact, it is the only one of the great Italian DOCGS to have reached position number 1, with Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2001 of the Casanova di Neri label (in 2006). Additionally, three other wines conquered first places for Italy, all three “Supertuscans” and expressions of the highest quality; that is, Solaia, by the Antinori family 1997 (in 2000), Ornellaia 1998 (in 2001, when Lodovico Antinori still owned the Bolgheri Estate) and Sassicaia 2015 of Tenuta San Guido (in 2018). Barolo has so far never yet achieved this result and only once reached position number 2 with Gaja's Barolo Sperss 1989. Brunello di Montalcino, instead, has won the top position three times over, with the above mentioned, Tenuta Nuova 2001 by Casanova di Neri (in 2006), and also with Brunello di Montalcino 1994 by Castello Banfi, one of the leading wine companies in the territory (in 2002), and this year, with Roberto Giannelli’s Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucère 2015 di San Filippo. Chianti Classico wines have been awarded twice, both third places, recently, with Chianti Classico 2016 of San Giusto a Rentennano (in 2019), and with Chianti Classico Riserva 2015 of Castello di Volpaia (in 2018). Furthermore, Brunello di Montalcino, which was awarded fourth position another 4 times with Casanova di Neri's Brunello di Montalcino 2012 (in 2017), and Il Poggione’s Brunello di Montalcino 2010 (in 2015), as well as Campogiovanni’s 2016 Brunello di Montalcino (in 2011), and Brunello di Montalcino 1985 by Poggio Antico (in 1990). Barolo instead, achieved fourth place, once, with Barolo Bric del Fiasc by Paolo Scavino (in 2004). Therefore, it has been an all-Italian battle at the top of the Wine Spectator ranking between Brunello di Montalcino and Barolo, which is then reflected on American consumers’ preferences. In the American magazine, Wine Spectator carried out a survey in 2019, which revealed that the maximum expression of the Langhe is very popular among the “under 302 group, while the most prestigious expression of Sangiovese is loved and consumed especially among the “over 50”.
The Italian regions, Tuscany and Piedmont are the territories “Wine Spectator” has rewarded the most, and at the same time the most rewarded Italian wine producers share the same provenance as well. In other words, Antinori, the Italian brand of the most famous wine world wide, which has 26 generations of wine history behind it (from Chianti Classico to Bolgheri, Montalcino, Langhe, Montepulciano, Umbria, Apulia and Tuscan Maremma), and Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi, a historic family of Tuscan wine, which has deep roots in both the Brunello and Chianti and Chianti Classico areas, boasting 700 years of history behind it, and 14 award-winning wines in 32 editions. It is just ahead of Gaja, the most famous among the Piedmont wine producers, a Renaissance artisan of Italian wine in the world, who from Piedmont became fascinated by Tuscany (first Brunello di Montalcino, and then Bolgheri), awarded 13 times.