Valpolicella on the roof of the world with the brand Allegrini, at n. 1 for the Uk magazine Decanter

The Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Fieramonte Riserva 2012 from the Allegrini brand is the best red wine of the year, according to Decanter. It is the verdict of the most influential wine magazine in the UK - one of the most important markets for Italian wine and historically trend setter in the world - which, in its newsstand issue in January 2021, as WineNews is able to anticipate, published the list of the best red and sparkling wines reported by the world's experts and “Decanter” tasters, and then re-tested and blindly lined up by the judges selected by the magazine, the Master of Wine Andy Howard, Master Sommelier and Wine Manager at 67 Pall Mall Club in London, and Beth Willard, Buying Manager of Direct Wines. And so, the “cru” of Amarone by Allegrini, one of the most important wineries in the Valpolicella region but not only (it also has leading wineries in Brunello di Montalcino, with San Polo, and in Bolgheri, with Poggio al Tesoro), is at the absolute top of the ranking as “Top Red”, together with the equal in rank among sparkling wines, the “Top Fizz”, the Ej Carr Late Disgorged 2004 by House of Arras, produced in Tasmania (Australia).
“It is a great recognition for Amarone and Valpolicella” - comments Marilisa Allegrini to WineNews - “I have been telling the world about Valpolicella, Verona, Corvina for 40 years, with great love and passion, and this recognition from an important magazine, and in a complicated year like this, makes me very happy. And it is a great award for my brother Franco, who was stubborn and waited until this vineyard had the physiological maturity to make a “cru” of Amarone, which is a wine that enjoys a lot of the production technique, and that becomes special thanks to a territory and a beautiful vineyard like Fieramonte. I am proud of my fellow winemakers, for the Historical Families, for what we do to keep up the flag of this appellation, which has come to the forefront of the world in recent times even though it has a millenary history. And there is still a lot to do. In the early years when I was going around the world, few people knew Amarone, and still, even among enthusiasts, there are not many who know that it is made with the drying technique, and I think this award is also an unusual way to produce a dry wine from dried grapes. Stylistically Amarone has many facets, we look very much at elegance, freshness and pleasantness, even when there is an important extraction, as in the case of Fieramonte”.
But many are the Italian wines reported in this first selection of 64 wines, which will be followed by a further selection of 43 “champions” among white, rosé, sweet and fortified wines. At n. 11, for example, there is the Rosanna Rosè Extra Brut by the Piedmontese Ettore Germano, in front of an icon of Prosecco Docg, the Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Vecchie Viti 2019 by Ruggeri at n. 12. Position n. 13, instead, for the Riserva Blanc de Blancs Pas Dosè 2012 of Fattoria Montellori, from Tuscany, while at n. 15 there is still an Italian sparkling wine, the Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature Rive San Pietro di Barbozza Gran Cuvée of the Founder Motus Vitae 2018 of Bortolomiol, among the historical and qualitative reference names of the denomination. At n. 16 we fly to the Langhe, with Barbaresco Serraboella 2016 by Cigliuti, followed by Cepparello 2016 by Isole e Olena, in Tuscany at n. 25, and Chianti Classico 2016 by Tenuta di Perano dei Marchesi Frescobaldi at n. 29, a wine that comes from one of the most beautiful estates, which represented the official landing of Frescobaldi in the territory of Gallo Nero. Position n. 31, instead, for the Brunello di Montalcino 2015 of Il Poggione, one of the names that have made the history of Montalcino, a winery owned by the Franceschi family and run by Fabrizio Bindocci (also head of the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino, editor’s note), and one of the mainstays of the territory for quality and old vintages. At n. 44 going to Bolgheri, with the Campo al Fico Bolgheri Superiore 2016 of I Luoghi, while at n. 46 flying over Mount Etna, with the Contrada R Rampante Terre Siciliane 2014 of Tenuta di Passopisciaro, and then back to the Dolomites, with a great classic of Italian wine like the San Leonardo 2015 of the Guerrieri Gonzaga family’s Tenuta San Leonardo, born from the genius of Giacomo Tachis in the early eighties of the twentieth century, at n. 47, while closing the group of Italians the Pinot Nero dei Colli Orientali del Friuli 2017 of La Tunella, at n. 59.