“Top 100 Cellar Selection” 2024: Barbaresco 2016 Don Fiorino Riserva Produttori del Barbaresco No. 1

The best wine to keep in the cellar and age released on the market this year is, once again, Italian: it is Barbaresco 2016 Don Fiorino Riserva from Produttori del Barbaresco that is No. 1 in the “Top 100 Cellar Selection” by “Wine Enthusiast”, with the wine from the famous Langa signature repeating the success achieved in 2023, at the same position, by Brunello di Montalcino 2018 from Poggio di Sotto of the ColleMassari Group, led by Claudio Tipa). A peculiar wine from the Barbaresco cooperative, dedicated to Don Fiorino, the parish priest who, in 1958, inspired and guided the 19 farmers who founded Produttori del Barbaresco, and which is on the podium along with Rutherford’s Quintessa 2021 from Napa Valley and Charles Heidsieck’s Champagne Blanc des Millénaires Brut 2014.
A ranking, that of the famous American magazine (Jeff Porter and Danielle Callegari are the signatures from Italy), dedicated to those wines that come out on the market now, but to be kept in the cellar, to be evolved to express their potential to the fullest, and that rewards, as always, a lot of Italy (18 labels on the list) and its classicism, represented by territories or individual wineries that of the longevity of the wines have made their stylistic signature. It is no coincidence, for example, that as many as 7 wines come from Langhe, and 4 from Tuscany, in the different Igt declinations.
Thus, for Italy, in the rankings are Oddero’s Barolo Monvigliero 2020, at No. 10, and Giacomo Fenocchio’s Barolo Villero 2019, at No. 11, two famous and established names, ahead of a lesser-known name like Trediberri’s Barolo Berri 2020, at No. 13. Then another must-have, in a white version, like Pieropan’s Soave La Rocca 2022, at No. 18, ahead of another landmark name from the Langhe, Brezza’s Barolo Cannubi 2019, at No. 19, which in turn precedes another Soave gem, Inama’s Soave Classico Monte Carbonare 2020, at No. 28. At No. 29 again Piedmont, but this time with Aresca’s Nizza San Luigi 2021, while at No. 38 is a Franciacorta icon such as Barone Pizzini, with its Franciacorta 2020 Rosè Brut. At No. 42 the first Tuscan name, the Messorio 2021 Igt Toscana from Le Macchiole, one of Bolgheri’s historic wineries, led by Cinzia Merli, ahead, at No. 44, of Alto Adige’s iconic wine, the Vorberg 2021 from the legendary Terlano. Then, at No. 57, another piece of Granducato history, Mazzei’s Siepi 2021 Igt Toscana, followed, at No. 58, by Massetino 2021, another more recently created Igt Toscana from Masseto, again from Bolgheri, and one of the gems of the Frescobaldi group. That precedes by a whisker, at No. 59, one of Valpolicella’s flagship wines, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2013 from Bertani, the flagship winery of the Angelini Wines & Estates group. Back to the Langhe, at No. 64, with Borgogno’s Barolo Cannubi 2019, and then on to a bubbly legend, Ca’ del Bosco’s Franciacorta Anna Maria Clementi 2015 Rosè, led by Maurizio Zanella. At No. 73, again, another name that is part of Langhe history, Sandrone’s Barolo Vite Talin 2017, and at No. 78, the Nitrito 2018 IGT Toscana from Il Borro, one of Valdarno’s leading wineries, owned by the Ferragamo family, closes the group of Italians.

Focus - Italian wines in the “Top 100 Cellar Selection” 2024 by “Wine Enthusiast”

1. Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco 2016 Don Fiorino Riserva
10. Oddero Barolo Monvigliero 2020
11. Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Villero 2019
13. Trediberri Barolo Berri 2020
18. Pieropan Soave La rocca 2022
19. Brezza Barolo Cannubi 2019
28. Inama Soave Classico Monte Carbonare 2022
29. Aresca Nizza San Luigi 2021
38. Barone Pizzini Franciacorta 2020 Rosè Brut
42. Le Macchiole Messorio 2021 Igt Toscana
44. Cantina Terlano Alto Adige 2021 Vorberg Riserva
57. Mazzei Siepi 2021 Igt Toscana
58. Masseto Massetino 2021 Igt Toscana
59. Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2013
64. Borgogno Barolo Cannubi 2019 Cannubi
69. Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Annamaria Clementi Rosé 2015
73. Sandrone Barolo Vite Talin 2017
78. Il Borro 2018 Nitrito Igt Toscana