Wine-Searcher: Conterno’s Monfortino, Soldera and Roagna, the top three most expensive Italian wines

When we write about the iconic labels of Italian wine, we usually talk about them — rather unjustly — as mostly investment wines, quoted on the Liv-ex indices, and then we almost forget to uncork the bottles and enjoy the wine. Fortunately, though, a good number of Italy’s top brand wines end up in the wineries and on the tables of wine lovers around the world, purchased in a wine shop or online. The prices of these wines are in line with those of the secondary fine wine market, and Liv-ex, but not always. The “Wine-Searcher” Top Ten, instead, (updated yesterday, ed.), ranks the most expensive Italian wines, by averaging the online prices of the different vintages on the market. The ranking rewards the great classic wines and the tradition of top denominations linked to Italy’s excellent native wines. In first place, therefore, the legendary Barolo Riserva Monfortino by Giacomo Conterno, one of the most traded wines by investors, and a long-time star of International auctions, at an average cost of 1,309.00 US dollars per bottle. In second place, Gianfranco Soldera’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Case Basse (1,093.00 US dollars) and Roagna’s Barbaresco Crichet Paje (979.00 US dollars per bottle).
Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, just like in a nursery rhyme, the two absolute top vines of Italian wine in the world are always running after each other. Masseto could certainly not be missing in the ranking, as it is one of the best examples — together with Ornellaia and Sassicaia, but not only — of the extraordinary ability of Italian wine to compete with International varieties, coming out as the winner. Merlot in purity (Lodovico Antinori first sensed its great potential in Bolgheri, with the advice of the great Russian-born winemaker, Andrè Tchelistcheff, ed.), costs on average 954.00 US dollars a bottle. In fifth place, Barolo Piè Franco Otin Fiorin by Giuseppe Cappellano (920.00 US dollars), followed by, in sixth place, Barolo Brunate Riserva by Giuseppe Rinaldi (838.00 US dollars). Then in position number 7, the Tuscan TGI Case Basse by Gianfranco Soldera (736.00 US dollars), a pure Sangiovese wine produced in Montalcino, but outside of the Brunello appellation. At position number 8 Barolo Riserva Pira di Roagna (731.00 US dollars), followed by Refosco dei Colli Orientali del Friuli Vigna Calvari di Miani (671.00 US dollars) in ninth place, and then Barolo Le Rocche di Castiglione Falletto by Bruno Giacosa (650.00 US dollars), closes Wine Searcher’s Top 10.