Sassicaia score and other stories
The first issue of Italian Wine Chronicle, the English-language edition of the historic magazine Civiltà del bere, is short but intense. In fact, as well as tastings and comments on wines and Italian regions, it reports one of our most famous publications. For twenty years, our “Best of the Wine Guides” has been a much-anticipated tool on an international level: it enables a comparison between the ratings of excellence from the Italian wine guides. Naturally, opinions are subjective by definition, and also this year in these pages we will find that very few wines have been rated unanimously, actually… only one, Sassicaia, a legend that seems to have been marked out as the symbol of Italian winemaking.
The importance of constant good results
As far as the wines are concerned… there is always someone who doesn’t agree and, thanks to our service, it’s possible to read their “loves and hates” between the lines. Considering the level of “disagreement”, at this point we think it is a great achievement when one wine manages to be rated by three or four guides at the same time. It is even more significant if this result is not due to an extraordinary vintage, but is repeated year after year. This is how the idea came about to acknowledge the “Masters of Excellence”, i.e. the wineries that continually obtain maximum ratings from the experts.
A surprising new issue
This issue of IWC, which is coming out on the eve of Vinitaly, also pays homage to the region that hosts the most important wine fair in Italy: the Veneto Dossier will give you updates on the trends, figures and aims of a region that seems to be in favour at the moment. Furthermore, looking westwards, we touch on a very hot topic in Piedmont at the moment: the phenomenon of sparkling wines made from Nebbiolo grapes. A new frontier or a one-hit wonder? There are different approaches, and it is certainly a novelty that many are curious about, especially on an international level, where there is a clear trend for sparkling wines.
Turning to the south, on the other hand, we discuss the king of reds from Campania, Taurasi, in its most important version, the Riserva. We mention the rules that govern it and point out the wines that our panel of tasters liked best in a session dedicated entirely to this great wine.
Enjoy reading, we hope to make you curious and to take you with us through our journey through Italian wine.
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