If we’re talking older vintages of Pietramarina (prior to, say, 2012, off the top of my head), I wholeheartedly agree. More recent vintages, however, feel like a very different wine to me, and, while it’s certainly still very good, I just don’t like it nearly as much as I used to.
Miani Friulano
La Sabilla Falanghina
Marko Fon Malvazija (Slovenian but only a couple miles from the border. Quite possibly my favorite white wine period.)
Valentini Trebbiano
Abbazia di Novacella Gruner Veltliner
The 2001 is perhaps the most thrilling Italian white wine I can ever recall drinking.
You can say that again… Along with '95 and '04, in my experience. Should have bought all that I could when I could, one of my biggest regrets. As things are, I have maybe a lone bottle of '04 somewhere in the cellar. Luckily, more of some other back vintages as well. While perhaps not quite at the same level as those three, most are still truly outstanding wines by any standard.
As I recall, Kevin Harvey said (or perhaps just intimated) in a post on this forum some years ago that winemaker Salvo Foti parted ways with Benanti in or around 2010 and took the Pietramarina carricante vineyard sources with him to his I Vigneri project, where they now are used for the Vigna de Milo. Does anyone think Vigna de Milo is at the quality level of Pietramarina?
I seem to be the odd man out, in that I think the Terlano Sauvignon Winkl is on an even footing with the Vorberg. But then, I haven’t aged the Vorberg, so maybe I just need to wait on the bottles I’ve got in the cellar. Both wines are fantastic, though. The whole lineup, really, the entry level whites are very well worth drinking.
I’ll start my list with the two Terlano wines and fill it out with
Jermann – Vintage Tunina
Tiberio – Fonte Canale
Walch – Beyond the Clouds
But it’s hard to choose, as there are just so many first rate Italian whites that are such bargains.
Difficult to say as we haven’t really had a chance to see Vigna di Milo evolve and turn into a spectacular 10, 15 or 20-year-old wine. Based on what we’ve seen so far… to me they are very different wines. And yes… while Vigna di Milo is a pretty spectacular wine in its own right, I’m yet to see the great-vintage-Pietramarina kind of magic. So, at this stage, my gut feeling is telling me no, not quite at the same level.
Of course, I could be wide off the mark. I’ll probably be tracking this, though, and, if I’m proven wrong, none gladder than me.
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This, Sir, is a very enlightened pick in my book. Entry-level or Cruna del Lago?
(Marko Fon doesn’t count, let’s just leave him in Slovenia, borderline or not 
)
Surprised to not see Coenobium mentioned yet.
VALENTINI Trebbiano d’ Abruzzo
CANTINA TERLANO Rarity Releases, especially the Pinot Bianco ones
TIBERIO Trebbiano d’ Abruzzo Fonte Canale
SAN LORENZO Il San Lorenzo Bianco
GAJA Gaia & Rey
Contenders:
WALTER MASSA Sterpi
VENICA Malvasia Istriana Petris
VENICA Sauvignon Ronco delle Mele
SAN LORENZO Campo delle Oche Integrale
VIE DI ROMANS Dessimis
So far, in no particular order:
2019 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica
2015 & '16 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis
2015 Guido Marsella Fiano di Avellino
closely followed by
2013 Monte Tondo Soave Classico
2015 Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica Senex
2016 Le Ormere Greco di Tufo
2016 Fosso degli Angeli Fiano Sannio Chiusa
2016 Angelo Negro e Figli Roero Arneis Serra Lupini
Some fantastic QPR here!
The Cruna. It’s so good! I’ve had several vintages but I had the absolute honor of enjoying the 2011 with Vincenzo and his wife over an amazing lunch she prepared.
Fine about Marko, I’ll swap in Ronco del Gnemiz Sauvignon then.
I suppose Marjan Simcic doesn’t count either. Too bad as I’ve really enjoyed wines from this producer.
Not seeing much love for I Clivi either. Isn’t Brazan and Galea (both cru Fruilano) highly regarded?
Am not saying anything new here:
- Benanti Pietra Marina
- Pieropan Calvarino
- Pieropan La Rocca
Have a Valentini treb that I haven’t tried yet.
Have enjoyed Gravner Breg, Radikon Slatnik, Terlan Vorberg Riserva.
Just tried the Cistercensi Coenobium tonight, so recency bias tells me to put it on there.
And on a hot Roman summer’s day, sometimes all one wants is a chilled Est Est Est.
In the interest of adding something new, I’ll put two wines that I noted when I lived in Tuscany, but have never tried since. Perhaps someone else can chime in if they hold up to scrutiny:
La Distesa “Terre Silvate”, Marche IGT Verdicchio
I Campetti “Almabruna” Toscana Viognier
Lucky you… What a wine. It’s simply so good, so special and so different the mind just boggles. The Campi Flegrei is a unique place on this planet in the sense that literally nothing quite like it exists elsewhere. The same sui generis quality very much extends to the wines made there, thanks to a handful of single-minded, truly committed winemakers (Italians like to use the expression “heroic”, as in “viticoltura eroica” ). It is also a very small area, so, naturally, there isn’t a lot of wine to go around. And then someone comes along and says: “Ehm OK… but is it world-class”? What on earth does that even mean? Wines like these have no case to answer. And Italy is chock-a-block with them, head to heel .
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Indeed . Marko Fon doesn’t count, Marjan Simcic doesn’t count, Edi Simcic doesn’t count, etc. Friuli Venezia Giulia is a very complicated area, but if we start classifying wines made by Slovene winemakers in Slovenia as Italian, what about Gravner, Radikon, Kante, Zidaric, Vodopivec, Sandi Skerk and so many other notable ethnic Slovene winemakers making wine in Italy? Maybe someone should start a thread on Slovene wines
I Clivi, don’t know about anyone else, but lots of love from me. I think the Zanussis make ehm world-class wines . Brazzan and Galea also tend to age really well, and so does their old-vine Malvasia bottling.
I know what you mean ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
On La Distesa, unless I’m mistaken, Otto mentioned Gli Eremi further up. On the Terre Silvate specifically, I think I’ve tasted most of their recent vintages and I’m happy to report that it is still very much an excellent and very intriguing wine from my perspective. Great with food, as well.
Thanks. I have some 2016 Brazan and Galea hidden away for another few years. Do you have any experience with Markus Prackwiesser Gump Pinot Blanc, etc., in Alto Adige?
Yup. He is a fantastic person and a fabulous host, once tipped me off on one of the best hikes in the area that I hadn’t been aware of . I think the Pinot Blanc is very good, but I’m not a regular buyer (and have never tried ageing it). My focus was always on the Praesulis SB (which I feel is his best wine) and the Schiava (one of the very best in all of AA, if you ask me).
Thread Drift: the Gump Schiava is good, but my favorite Schiava/Vernatsch is Pranzegg.
As far as Italian whites, my vote goes to the Paolo Bea whites, followed by Foradori’s Nosiola.