The Special Awards 2023

To bring under the lens some wines above all, but also companies, people, and projects that particularly strike us year after year. This is the meaning of the special awards that we give in The Essential Guide to Italian Wine and that help shed light on the state of our vitienology. 

We start off with the best wines in the various categories. The Red Wine of the Year is a Rosso Breg 2007 Gravner, an eclectic wine made from Pignolo grapes that ferments on the skins in buried amphorae and which comes out after maturing for five years in wood with over 9,000 bottles produced a year. This is a full-bodied, profound and perfectly balanced wine. For the White Wine of the Year, on the other hand, we selected a great classic, Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Classico Riserva Villa Bucci 2019 Bucci, which enchanted us with its elegance and endless persistence.

The Rosé of the Year is from one of the historic regions for Italian rosé, Puglia, and is a newcomer from Garofano Vigneti e Cantine: a Salento Rosato Clò de Girofle 2021. It is a blend of the principle varietal for the region, Negroamaro, with 15% Montepulciano. For Sparkling Wine of the Year (a term used to appease those opposed to Spumante or just bubbly) we selected a Franciacorta Pas Dosé Au Contraire 2001 Cavalleri, which is only produced in years considered worthy and reliable, in other words in the best years.

The Sweet Wine of the Year is Cuore di Donna Daria by Conte Emo Capodilista - La Montecchia, a blend of the 10 best vintages of Colli Euganei Donna Daria Fior d’Arancio Passito. A delight. For the Best Newcomer prize, dedicated to a wine making its debut on the market and which achieved an extraordinary result, we were won over by a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Leolino 2019 from the historic Fontodi winery, a dynamic wine with great finesse.

Let’s turn now to a prize the public really likes, the Wine with the Best Quality/Prize Ratio which this year comes from Alto Adige: a Lago di Caldaro Classico Superiore 2021 Cantine Caldaro (or in the local dialect Kalterersee Classico Superiore 2021 Kellerei Kaltern). This is a red with a long tradition of using grapes from their vineyards surrounding the lake. It retails for around 8 euros and achieved a trading of 94/100 in a blind tasting. We go to Piedmont for the Quality/Quantity Prize, which is awarded to a wine that unites quality with large-scale production, which means it is easy to find on the market. It is a Barolo 2018 Batasiolo, a great classic offered at a truly affordable price.

Next are the other recognitions including one for Best Estate of the Year, given to a winery that particularly stood out this year. It went to Sicily and Tasca d’Almerita, an emblematic estate for the region that played a role in the rebirth of Sicilian wines. The space we give each estate in the guide is insufficient to mention the quantity of top-level wines they produce from their various estates. We have tried to give an overall idea but our advice is to go there yourselves and discover them one by one.

The Up-and-Coming Producer prize, given to a newcomer or a little-known estate that has made great leaps, is from Piedmont. It is Mura Mura, a young estate in Costigliole d’Asti which turns out some really well-made Barbaresco. We are convinced that Guido Martinetti and Federico Grom have a great future.

Our Cooperation Prize, awarded to wine cooperatives, was won by Cantina Bolzano, one of the most important producers in Alto Adige for both its history and quality of its wines.

Now for the prizes for people. Winemaker of the Year is Christian Scrinzi, the technical and production director at Gruppo Italiano Vini, which produces almost 100 million bottles that are not just well-made wines but many are truly excellent. For the Sustainable Winemaking prize, awarded to those committed to eco-sustainable methods, we decided that these methods have a champion in Tuscany: Pasquale Forte, who with his Podere Forte in Val d’Orcia has created a reality in which sustainability and salubrity reign. The A Life for Wine prize, in recognition of the role and commitment of a leading player on the Italian wine scene, this year went to the producer and Knight of Labor Bruno Ceretto, who has been in the forefront for 60 years.

The final award is the Quality Project Prize and it went to SOStain, a sustainability project in Sicily, the region in Italy with the most land dedicated to organic farming, which is promoted by the Consorzio Tutela Vini DOC Sicilia and Assovini Sicilia.

RECAP:

Red Wine of the year
Rosso Breg 2007 Gravner, Friuli Venezia Giulia 

White wine of the year
Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Classico Riserva Villa Bucci 2019 Bucci, Marche

Rosé Wine of the year
Salento Rosato Clò de Girofle 2021 Garofano Vigneti e Cantine, Puglia

Sparkling wine of the year
Franciacorta Pas Dosé Au Contraire 2011 Cavalleri, Lombardia

Sweet wine of the year
Cuore di Donna Daria Conte Emo Capodilista - La Montecchia, Veneto

L’Esordio Vincente
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Terrazze San Leolino 2019 Fontodi, Toscana

Vino dal Miglior Rapporto Qualità/Prezzo
Lago di Caldaro Classico Superiore  2021 Cantina Caldaro /Kalterersee Classico Superiore 2021 Kellerei Kaltern, Alto Adige

High quality & quantity
Barolo 2018 Batasiolo, Piemonte

Winery of the year
Tasca d’Almerita, Sicilia

Emerging producer
Mura Mura, Piemonte

Cooperation award
Cantina Bolzano, Alto Adige 

Winemaker of the year
Christian Scrinzi

Sustainable viticulture award
Pasquale Forte, Podere Forte, Toscana

A life for wine
Bruno Ceretto

Quality Progect Award
SOStain, promosso dal Consorzio di Tutela Vini Doc Sicilia e da Assovini Sicilia