Some of the best Barolo vintages include 2010, 2006, 2001, and 1996.

Your Guide to the Best Barolo Vintages

Collecting, Investing, Italy, Piedmont, Wine Regions

Vintage quality is an important factor to consider whenever you buy fine wine, but when you buy Barolo, it’s absolutely essential. That’s because the quality of Barolo significantly impacts its aging potential, and a fine aged Barolo is truly a special experience. A well-made wine from a top-quality vintage will taste astoundingly complex at age 20 or 30. Even some of the best wines from the 1950s and 1960s are still drinking well today. However, for Barolo to be this long-lived, it must be high in quality and perfectly balanced.

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Tenuta San Guido's Sassicaia vintage guide

Sassicaia Vintage Guide: How to Invest in This Iconic Italian Label

Italy, Producers, Producers and Wineries

In 2016, wine critic Jane Anson had the opportunity to try 44 different Sassicaia vintages in a single day. By the end of the tasting, she was “approaching sensory overload,” but she never got tired of the wine. Anson said the Sassicaia vintages displayed an excellent balance that kept them from being overpowering. She said, “[It’s] almost impossible to imagine another European Cabernet-based wine, tasted through this many vintages, managing to pull off this gentle physicality.” In particular, Anson enjoyed the 2014, 2010, 2006, 2001, 1996, and 1985 vintages, as they were especially refined, complex, and aromatic.

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Masseto makes some of the Super Tuscan best vintages

Super Tuscans: The Best Vintages for Your Collection

Buying Wine, Collecting, Italy, Wine Regions

What I love most about Super Tuscans is how diverse these wines are. Some are almost purple in color, with bold, fruit-forward flavors, while others are bright red, finessed, and racy. No matter what type of wine you prefer to drink, there’s a Super Tuscan out there that is perfect for you. However, this diversity also makes these wines more difficult to shop for based on vintage alone. When you drink a red Bordeaux blend or a white Burgundy, you usually know exactly what to expect before you uncork the bottle, based on what critics have said about the vintage. But with Super Tuscans, finding the best vintages isn’t always so clear-cut. The best vintage for a bold Syrah blend, for example, might differ from that for a Sangiovese blend. To find the highest-quality Super Tuscan vintages, you need to take into consideration the weather conditions and how they affected the primary grape varieties in the blend.

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A selection of wines from some of the Best Italian Wine Producers

The Best Italian Wine Producers to Add to Your Collection

Italy, Producers, Producers and Wineries

It’s common for even the most experienced collectors to struggle when learning about Italian wine. However, one technique for overcoming this struggle is to sample a range of wines from some of the best Italian wine producers. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of some of the best Italian wine producers to help you get started on your journey. The producers in this guide represent some of the finest in terms of wine quality, value, and overall reputation.

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Ornellaia Masseto wine is gaining in value.

Hidden Gem of the Month: Ornellaia Masseto Wine Is Trending on the Market

Investing, Italy, Producers, Producers and Wineries

Ornellaia e Masseto has long been one of Italy’s finest wine producers, but today this winery is becoming even more valuable for collectors. According to the Liv-ex Power 100 report (the organization’s annual list of the top performing wines on the market), the producer Ornellaia e Masseto is among the top 20 best-performing wine labels in the world. By comparison, in 2016, the producer took 51st place on the Liv-ex Power 100 list. Over the past year alone, Ornellaia e Masseto has moved up an impressive 31 places on the list.

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Top Wine Countries in the World

Lesser-Known Regions from the Top Wine Countries in the World Are Growing Fast in Reputation and Quality

California, France, Italy, Wine Regions, Wineries

When you think of French wine, you probably picture bubbly Champagne, savory Rhone, or rare Bordeaux and Burgundy blends. However, writer Sophia Schweitzer points out that France has so much more going on for it, all hidden in the countrysides of lesser-known regions. In the past, collectors only considered French AOC wines to be worth…

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wine investments

Liv-Ex Reveals What’s Hot on the Wine Market: For Wine Investments, Look to California, Italy, and Burgundy

Burgundy, California, Investing, Italy, Wine Regions

  Now that 2015 has come to a close, the London International Vintner’s Exchange (Liv-ex) has released its annual report detailing the best-performing wines and wine regions in the world. This year’s report suggests that Bordeaux has lost some of its hold on the market over the past year, but that other regions like California,…

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