What Are The Best Italian Vintages? (14 Collectible Wines)

From classic Chianti bottles to the exquisite Super Tuscans, Italy produces some of the world’s most extraordinary wines.

With so many Italian wines to choose from, it can be hard to pick the best vintage for your cellar. 

We’ll make things easier for you. Let’s take a look at the best years for Italian wine (by region), the 14 top Italian vintages (by wine style), and the finest bottles to invest in.

We’ll also explore why you should invest in these wines and how Vinovest could help you.

What Are the Best Years for Italian Wine? (By Region)

Let’s check out some of the best years in northern, central, and southern Italy.   

• Northern Italy
• Central Italy
• Southern Italy

Northern Italy

The decade of the 2010s came with warm climate conditions that produced robust, well-structured wines. Some of the best recent vintages include 2010, 2013, 2016, 2018, and 2019.

Between 2010 and 2019, the different vintages with excessive heat and harsh weather conditions were 2011 and 2017.

Central Italy

Central Italy also had warm climate conditions in the 2010s. The grape harvest was highly successful in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019.

During this period, the wines produced had beautiful structure, good acidity, and remarkable concentration.

2014 and 2017 were the only different vintages in this decade. The year 2014 had cool temperature conditions and above-average rainfall, while 2017 was extremely hot.

Southern Italy

Southern Italy had moderate temperature conditions during the 2010s. The area produced delicate wines boasting good acidity and remarkable concentration.

2018 and 2019 are some of the most excellent recent vintages. 

Meanwhile, the grape harvest was quite low in 2014 and 2017. The year 2014 was too cold, while 2017 was extremely hot.

The 14 Top Italian Vintages (By Wine Style)

Let’s take a look at the extraordinary vintages for each Italian sub-region or wine style:

1. Barolo (2006, 2010)
2. Barbaresco (2006, 2010)
3. Brunello di Montalcino (2004, 2010)
4. Valpolicella (2008, 2010)
5. Taurasi (2008, 2010)
6. Bolgheri (2010, 2012)
7. Chianti Classico (2013, 2015)

1. Barolo (2006, 2010)

This famous Italian wine region boasts calcareous soils, a continental climate, and high-altitude vineyards that prolong grape ripening.

A Barolo wine is made entirely from the Nebbiolo grape. The wine is usually age-worthy and displays full-bodied richness, high acidity, and fine-grained tannins. 

Best Barolo vintages:

• 2006: It’s a remarkable vintage that produced good wine bottles that open with great depth, red fruit flavors of black cherry, supple tannin content, and bright acidity.
• 2010: This vintage had a long growing season and produced vibrant red wines with red fruit flavors and racy acidity.

Best Barolo wine bottles to invest in: 

• 2006 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo DOCG ($459)

• 2010 Giacomo Conterno Monfortino ($2,012)

2. Barbaresco (2006, 2010)

The Barbaresco region is well known for producing red wines using Nebbiolo grape varieties. It has calcareous soils that help create elegant wines with supple tannins.

It lies near the Tanaro River, so it receives cool breezes that keep vines fresh and healthy.

Best Barbaresco vintages:

• 2006: This incredible vintage produced red wines with racy acidity, fine-grained tannins, and black cherry flavors.
• 2010: The wines produced in this vintage boast silky tannins, fruity complexity, and bright acidity.

Best Barbaresco wines to invest in:

• 2006 Roagna Crichet Paje ($857)

• 2010 La Spinetta Vursu Vigneto Starderi Riserva ($473)

3. Brunello di Montalcino (2004, 2010)

The Brunello di Montalcino region is known for producing red wines from the Sangiovese grape - Italy’s most widely planted red grape.

Wines from this region usually differ depending on the location of the vineyards. For example, wines from elevated vineyards are age-worthy and have high acidity and a tannic structure. Meanwhile, other areas mainly produce light, easy-drinking wines.

Best Brunello di Montalcino vintages:

• 2004: This extraordinary vintage produced medium-bodied wines with supple tannin content and an intense tasting note of exotic spice.
• 2010: This classic vintage produced red wines with a dark fruit flavour, ripe tannins, and incredible freshness.

Best Brunello di Montalcino wines to invest in:

• 2004 Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG ($1,210)

• 2010 Casanova di Neri Cerretalto ($470)

4. Valpolicella (2008, 2010)

Valpolicella is a famous wine appellation located in Italy’s Veneto wine region. It’s renowned for producing extraordinary red wines such as Amarone della Valpolicella.

The region is warm, dry, and comprises well-drained calcareous, volcanic, and clay-rich soils.

It typically produces good wine bottles that open with a velvety texture and round tannins.

Best Valpolicella vintages:

• 2008: A great vintage that had cool weather in spring and a long growing season. It produced concentrated red wines with a dark fruit aroma and fine-grained tannins.
• 2010: This incredible vintage had a cool, rainy spring and cool summer nights that produced well-balanced wines with great acidity and supple tannins.

Best Valpolicella wines to invest in:

• 2008 Tommasi De-Bvris Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva DOCG ($257)

• 2010 Aneri Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG ($121)

5. Taurasi (2008, 2010)

The Taurasi appellation is known for its complex, age-worthy red wines made predominantly from Aglianico.

The region is hilly and produces late-ripening Aglianico grapes. It has a continental climate and calcareous soils that produce age-worthy wines with complex structures, high acidity, and supple tannins.

Best Taurasi vintages:

• 2008: This stellar vintage produced elegant wines with a red fruit aroma, vibrant acidity, and velvety tannins.
• 2010: The harvest was quite excellent in this vintage, and the wines produced displayed complex structures, vibrant acidity, and a red fruit flavour with a tasting note of spice.

Best Taurasi wines to invest in:

• 2008 Guastaferro 'Primum' ($80)

• 2010 Quintodecimo 'Vigna Quintodecimo' Riserva ($132)

6. Bolgheri (2010, 2012)

Bolgheri is a famous Italian wine region known for producing remarkable wines such as the Super Tuscans. 

It comprises sloping coastal vineyards located near the Tyrrhenian Sea. The region’s soils include sandy clay loam and gravel. 

Bolgheri’s terroir creates wines that typically boast great intensity, ripe dark fruit flavors, and earthy notes.

Best Bolgheri vintages:

• 2010: A great vintage that produced well-structured wines with dark fruit flavors and supple tannins.
• 2012: A classic vintage that produced elegant wines with fruity complexity, ripe tannins, and great intensity.

Best Bolgheri wine bottles to invest in:

• 2010 Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore ($306)

• 2012 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri ($303)

7. Chianti Classico (2013, 2015)

The Chianti Classico appellation is known for its red wines made from Sangiovese grape varieties of old vine plantings. 

This region has a continental climate, and its soils include clay and marl schist. The region’s terroir creates full-bodied wines with crisp acidity, intense dark fruit flavors, and spicy aromas.

Best Chianti Classico vintages:

• 2013: This vintage had a cool spring and a long growing season. It created vibrant wines with red fruit flavors, juicy acidity, and fine-grained tannins.
• 2015: This vintage produced concentrated wines boasting crisp acidity, red fruit aromas, and spice notes.

Best Chianti Classico wines to invest in:

• 2013 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG ($234)

• 2015 Il Caggio IPSUS Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG ($302)

Now, here’s why every wine enthusiast should start investing in Italian vintage wines.

Why You Should Invest in Italian Vintage Wines

The finest Italian vintages can be cellared for several decades. For example, the best Italian wine bottles (like the Super Tuscan wines) can age beautifully for over 40 years! 

These drinks also command high prices in the secondary market:

• The price of the 1970 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri wine bottle grew by a whopping 125% - from $491 in October 2020 to $1,104 in March 2022.
• The 1982 Roagna Crichet Paje Barbaresco wine bottle appreciated by 110% - from $638 in November 2020 to $1,341 in November 2021.

Also, a high-quality wine from a renowned Italian wine producer performs well at auctions. 

• For example, a 6-magnum bottle lot of 1985 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri Super Tuscan wine sold for $22,800 at a November 2007 Christie’s auction. Another similar lot of this great wine was sold for $56,250 at an October 2021 Sotheby’s auction.
• Meanwhile, 12 bottles of the 1990 Bruno Giacosa Collina Rionda wine sold for $15,925 at a September 2015 Sotheby’s auction.

But then, how do you invest in these wines?

How to Invest in Italian Vintages Through Vinovest

The best way to invest in the finest Italian vintage wines is through Vinovest. This reputed wine investment platform helps you buy, store, and sell Spanish wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, red wine, white wine, and other bottles.

You can easily invest in the most sought-after bottles from the Pio Cesare winery and other wine estates from La Morra, Monforte dAlba, Alto Adige region, New Zealand, and worldwide.

So, how does it work?

• Sign up on the Vinovest website.
• Complete a quick questionnaire to help Vinovest professionals create the best portfolio for you.
• Fund your account with $1,000 or more.
• Enjoy your glass of Italian wine with pasta while you watch your portfolio grow.

Here are some of the benefits:

• Vinovest offers the best wines at the best possible prices. That’s because it sources wines directly from wineries, merchants, and global wine exchanges at wholesale prices.
• Vinovest safely stores your wines in a bonded warehouse and doesn’t charge you excise duty and VAT.
• It charges you a 2.5% annual fee (1.9% for portfolios of $50,000+), and this covers wine storage, insurance, portfolio management, and fraud detection.

Check out the Vinovest website to find out many more benefits!

This AI-powered platform makes it easy for you to buy, store, and sell Cabernet Sauvignon, red wine, white wine, and other great wine bottles from Alto Adige, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, New Zealand, and worldwide.