Italy’s most expensive wines may be going up in price, but they have yet to equal Napa or Burgundy’s heady heights.
© Shutterstock | The vineyard-laden hills, valleys and villages of Barbaresco make for a pretty picture.
When it comes to the world’s most expensive wines – nothing says luxuriant quite like the rich decadence of Italy, its wine and food, and culture.
From the harlequin masks and Venetian Gothic of that famously sinking city, to the ruins of Rome, to Lecce’s enduring fascination with paper mâché, Italy has it all.
This eccentric blend of tradition and innovation naturally extends to the country’s cuisine. Dishes centered around offal like Florence’s lampredotto – essentially a glorified tripe sandwich, now modern streetfood – ensure every part of a butchered animal is used. To waste nothing and celebrate everything – especially when a life has been sacrificed – is a core tenet of Italy’s rich food culture.
Like it’s food, this innovation amongst tradition extends to Italy’s wines, particularly when it comes to the country’s most expensive which, considering the likes of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, really aren’t so expensive after all – although perhaps beyond the budget of the average layman.
The World’s Most Expensive Italian Wines on Wine-Searcher:
Currently Italy’s most expensive offering is the Roagna Crichet Paje at $1179, although this – along with with its stablemates – are subject to change as prices are updated daily. Roagna is a family-owned Piedmontese producer that is both based in, and known for its stunning Barbaresco. The winery is known for both its old vines and commitment to sustainability and biodiversity.
When it comes to this celebrated Barbaresco, the name directly translates as “high part of the small hill”, the perfect place for Nebbiolo. The estate’s highest expression, the first vintage was made in 1978 and has since gone on to win rave reviews.
Falstaff described the 2014 vintage as “bright, dense garnet red. On the nose, aromas of anise and saffron, some tobacco, then fine raspberries and plum. On the palate, an explosion of flavour … ending on notes of raspberry and truffle.”
Number two is a Tuscan legend, the Masseto Toscana IGT. One of the Super Tuscans, Masseto is pure unadulterated Merlot made by Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, owned since 2005 by the old Florentine noble family, the Frescobaldis. It’s first vintage was released in 1984 to immediate success.
So what makes it such a hit? Well according to Wine Enthusiast, the 2020 vintage is “a hedge maze of aromas … from blackberries and black cherries to crushed stones and crumpled petals, before a gentle addition of vanilla and toasted coconut … A wine that speaks volumes without shouting.” Although you’ll need $1056 to get within a whisper.
Number three is our first Barolo, the Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Riserva. Giuseppe Rinaldi in Piedmont has built a reputation for producing some of the world’s finest Nebbiolo – both Barolo and Barbaresco.
With a rich heritage steeped in tradition, the Rinaldi family can trace their winemaking roots back to 1870 – previously being grape-growers. In the 1920s, Giuseppe Rinaldi bought some of Barolo’s best vineyards, and his grandson – also conveniently called Giuseppe – took over the estate in 1992.
Where the Super Tuscans of the south make a point of wildly defying convention, Giuseppe Rinaldi adheres to strict tradition, so much so, the estate has clashed with the Barolo Consortium notably on his traditionalist view that the best Barolos are blends, which goes against the current fashion for single-vineyard expressions.
DoctorWine described the 1974 vintage as “a lively garnet color … Thyme, rosemary, licorice, balsamic scents, almost resiny, inside an intricate olfactory profile, typical for a Barolo from Brunate, the vineyard where this came from … A small masterpiece.” With a grand aggregated score of 94 points, this wine comes in at a rough average price of $982.
Fourth in line is another Barolo, the Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco – Michet. Still family-owned, the Cappellano winery began with Fillippo Cappellano in 1870 and is now run by his great-great-grandson.
The winery has weathered a few storms, including both World War II and various vineyards being sold off. It was in the 1970s that Teobaldo, the current owner’s father, began to restore the winery, largely following traditionalist practices like using indigenous yeasts and botti. The wines are now both collectable and pricey.
The Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco – Michet – made form ungrafted vines – has consistently won rave reviews, garnering an aggregated score of 94 points, however, it also comes in at an average of $918.
© Image by pau_noia0 from Pixabay | Rich and versatile, Italian wine is a natural accompaniement to its cuisine.
Number five is the Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva DOCG. The first Amarone della Valpolicella Classico to appear on this list, Giuseppe Quintarelli lies in Verona’s northern hills in Valpolicella and has developed a reputation for being one of greatest producers of Amarone.
Although Quintarelli – known as il Maestro del Veneto – died in 2012, the winery is still family owned and operated, and the wines immediately distinguishable by both their depth and elegant hand-written labels.
Complex blends of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella often with hints of other varieties like Nebbiola and Sangiovese, make up Quintarelli’s Amarone. All Amarone is made according to the appassimento method, where grapes are partially dried, then pressed and fermented before aging two years in wood.
With an aggregated score of 95 points, Falstaff described the 2009 vintage as “Powerfully shining ruby. Inviting and flint clean nose, shows many facets, dark cherry juice, black tea, behind it fine savoury components.” However, it also commands a hefty $825.
Number six is the Fattorie dei Dolfi ‘Imeneus’ Toscana IGT. Fattorie dei Dolfi has been managing vineyards in Tuscany for the past 100 years. The vineyards benefit from hot sunny days and nights cooled by sea breezes, and the estate continues to be a strong advocate for both biodiversity and sustainability.
Their Imeneus is pure Sangiovese, named after the extraordinarily beautiful child of Aphrodite and Bacchus who managed to save his future love and her handmaids from pirates. Imeneus is consequently seen as a harbinger of happiness marriage, and clearly – as a namesake – it’s worked well for the wine which has an aggregated critic score of 92 points, and an average price point of $797.
In seventh place is another offering from Roagna, their Pira Riserva, a Barolo produced from their Pira vineyard – a medley of marl, limestone and sand. The Pira Reserve has plenty of fans with Wine Enthusiast declaring the 2006 vintage pretty perfect with “stunning aromas of woodland berry, new leather, pipe tobacco, pressed rose and the barest whiff of tar.” With an aggregated score of 97 points, this wine comes in at $726.
Number eight is the Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo DOCG, the second Rinaldi wine to make this list. This good old-fashioned Barolo has won heaps of praise, resulting in an aggregated score of 90 points, and a nice tidy price-tag of $717.
Ninth sees another offering from Fattorie dei Dolfi closes Italy’s most expensive wines. Named after a legendary poacher who was very attractive to women, the L Bruno de Venti Toscana IGT is a rich blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot made from old vines, all for $717.
Lastly is the Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Le Rocche di Castiglione Falletto. Bruno Giacosa is perhaps one of Piedmont’s most recognizable names, producing celebrated expressions of both Barbaresco and Barolo.
Using traditional botti to age his wines, Giacosa was considered a traditionalist – he would not release wines in vintages he deemed not good enough. The Castiglione Falletto was only produced between 1971 and 1987, however, there are still offers even if availability is slowly reducing. With an aggregated score of 94 points, this sought-after Nebbiolo comes in at $693.
Despite being as celebrated as other rarefied parts of the world, when it comes to Italy’s most expensive, unlike its peers, few come in touching distance of a grand, although nearly all of them have seen their prices rise incrementally over the past ten years, so it seems plausible that Italy may one day join the ranks of Burgundy and Napa, but for now enjoy la dolce vita.
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