Decanter World Wine Awards 2026

Wine has been produced here since 1051 – initially by monks, and since 1846 by the Stucchi Prinetti family, now in its seventh generation. Badia a Coltibuono, the ‘Abbey of the Good Harvest’, was the first leading winery in Chianti to switch entirely to organic cultivation. The Riserva is made from massalblend of Sangiovese and historic complementary varieties such as Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo, grown on the highest hills near Gaiole. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, three weeks’ contact with the skins, followed by 24 months in French and Austrian oak barrels. The 2021 vintage benefited from a cool year with late frosts – lower yields, but concentrated quality.

Furggl is a field name that sticks in the memory. In the municipality of Auer, in the heart of South Tyrol’s Unterland region, this single vineyard is situated on alluvial soils composed of limestone and porphyry gravel, interspersed with sand and loam. A terroir that offers the late-ripening Lagrein exactly what it needs: warmth, depth and the soil moisture that ensures a consistent supply of water even in dry years. The vines, grafted onto low-vigor rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system, yield concentrated harvests of just 45 hectolitres per hectare. Following the hand-harvest in early October, the destemmed grapes first undergo a one-day cold maceration before fermentation takes place at 28–30 °C over ten days. Regular pumping over and gentle submersion keep the must in contact with the skins – , allowing colour pigments and fruit aromas to permeate the heart of the wine. After two careful rackings, the long ageing process begins: 12 months in French barriques, followed by 6 months in stainless steel, then a further 6 months of bottle ageing. Only after a total of 24 months’ ageing does this wine reach the customer – ready to drink, yet with the potential to age for a decade or more.

In 1898, Christian Schrott, parish priest of Termeno and a member of the Austrian Parliament, founded a cooperative intended to bring together the winegrowers of his village. What began back then as a community based on farmers’ solidarity is now one of South Tyrol’s most renowned wine-growers’ cooperatives: 160 member families, 250 hectares of vineyards, and a commitment to quality that is unrivalled in the region. The name ‘Stoan’ is the brainchild of cellar master Willi Stürz – and is self-explanatory: ‘Stoan’ is the dialect word for ‘stone’, and the stony, limestone-rich subsoil at altitudes of up to 600 metres is what gives this wine its identity.

1976 was Paolo De Marchis's first year at Isole e Olena. He was 25; at that time, Chianti Classico was a wine that hardly anyone thought had a future, and the two medieval hamlets – Isole and Olena – were what his father Francesco had bought in 1956: two dilapidated farmsteads in the hills west of Castellina. Paolo stayed. For almost fifty years. What he made of this estate changed the history of Chianti Classico. He was one of the first to vinify Sangiovese separately, one of the first to bring the hillside terraces back into cultivation, and one of the first to take Sangiovese seriously as a single variety. His Cepparello – first bottled in 1980 – became one of Italy's benchmark wines. Emanuele Reolon, the new technical director at Isole e Olena, sums it up as follows: "Paolo brought the Piedmontese style to Tuscany. He treated Sangiovese like Nebbiolo." Back then, it was revolutionary. Today, it is dogma.

Pas Dosé – here, the dosage that is normally added is omitted; this dosage, applied after disgorging, determines not only the sugar content but also the style of the sparkling wine that has fermented in the bottle. Instead, the volume naturally lost during the years of bottle ageing is replaced by other wines from the estate, which do not, however, further affect the sugar content. The result is an extremely dry sparkling wine that is by no means lacking in body, character or finely nuanced flavours.

Vigna Crivelli is one of the most renowned white wine vineyards in the South Tyrolean Unterland. Named after Count Crivelli, a leading member of an ancient noble family from Margreid, the Chardonnay thrives here on alluvial soils of fine sand with silt and clay deposits under ideal conditions. The unique microclimate of this single vineyard is characterised by strong downdrafts from the Fennberg and the daily southerly wind, the ‘Ora’, which ensures perfect aeration of the grapes. The marked day-night temperature fluctuations allow for a long ripening period with optimal aroma development. The vines are planted on low-growth rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system.

Vorberg – the name gives away its location: on the steep southern slopes of the Tschöggelberg, at altitudes between 450 and 650 metres, a Pinot Blanc thrives that reveals the full potential of this famous South Tyrolean grape variety. The stony, sandy-loam soils, formed from weathered porphyry, with their high quartz content and slightly acidic pH levels, characterise a terroir of extremes: high water permeability, limited nutrient availability and naturally low yields. This microstress elicits unique, terroir-specific polyphenols from the vines. Hand-harvested, gently pressed as whole bunches, followed by natural sedimentation. Slow fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in large oak casks (70 and 30 hl), followed by partial malolactic fermentation and 12 months' ageing on the fine lees in traditional wooden casks.

Doran is no accident. This wine demonstrates what happens when French Chardonnay clones meet South Tyrolean limestone soils. The Andrian Winery takes exactly the time this Riserva needs: twelve months in tonneaux, 30% of which are new French oak barrels. This is the Burgundian school in its purest form. The grapes come from the highest vineyards around Andrian, at altitudes of between 350 and 450 metres. There, the calcareous loam soil is interspersed with white dolomite rock. The microclimate makes all the difference: cooler temperatures than elsewhere, a longer ripening period, and higher acidity. Perfect for a Chardonnay with ambition. Cellar master Rudi Kofler opts for full fermentation in wood. Regular bâtonnage ensures that the oak integrates elegantly, without ever becoming overpowering. Following malolactic fermentation, the wine matures for a further three months in stainless steel – to achieve the final balance between opulence and freshness.

At an altitude of 1,030 metres, where apple trees still stood thirty years ago, one of Italy’s most remarkable Pinot Noirs is now grown. Peter Zemmer took the plunge a good decade ago: he planted Burgundy vines on the south-facing slopes at the Koflhof in Aldein – —an experiment at an altitude that is exceptional even by South Tyrolean standards. The first vintages remained unofficial; in 2016, hail struck. But since 2017, Vigna Kofl has demonstrated what is possible when porphyry soils meet dolomite carbonate and the daily ‘Ora’ breeze from the south provides that cool tension that Pinot Noir loves so much. The vinification follows the rhythm of the vineyard: seven days’ fermentation at a controlled temperature, gentle extraction through pumping over, then two careful rackings without a centrifuge – — a time-consuming process reserved for fine wines. Twelve months in French barriques, a further six in stainless steel, and finally half a year of bottle ageing.

Following its acclaimed comeback in 2022, the next vintage confirms it: the Linticlarus Chardonnay is back – and is here to stay. The selective harvest from the finest Chardonnay plots in Entiklar, at an altitude of 300 to 340 metres in the immediate vicinity of the legendary Vigna AU, produces a wine of remarkable elegance. The glacial moraine soils, with their high limestone content and natural salts, shape the wine’s character. Twelve months’ ageing in barriques and tonneaux lend structure and finesse without overpowering the fruit.

This immensely popular and elegant classic Amarone from Zenato hails from Sant'Ambrogio, the heart of the Valpolicella Classico region, where the family has been based since 1960. Corvina makes up eighty per cent of the blend, complemented by Rondinella, Oseleta and Croatina – all grown on the slopes of the Costalunga vineyard. Following the hand-harvest in October, the appassimento process begins: the grapes rest in shallow crates for four months, losing water whilst concentrating their sugar and aromas. Pressing does not take place until January, followed by slow fermentation in contact with the skins. The wine then matures for thirty-six months in large Slavonian oak barrels before being released following further bottle ageing.

"In 2012, I bought the small vineyard Le Gonnare and began to cultivate it. It represents the excellence of the Bolgheri terroir. The soil is clayey and rich in skeleton, which allows for very gradual ripening, a particularly important aspect for Merlot. The character of the wine is therefore Mediterranean, but balanced." Fabio Motta

Trefiano was created in 1979 based on an idea by Vittorio Contini Bonacossi, with the aim of showcasing the full complexity and longevity of which Carmignano is capable. Named after the historic hamlet of Trefiano, where a magnificent 16th-century villa is surrounded by two exquisite vineyards, this Riserva represents the very pinnacle of what the Tenuta di Capezzana has to offer. With just over 5,000 bottles produced each year, Trefiano is one of the rarest and most sought-after Tuscan Riservas – a wine that not only celebrates the present but was created for the future.

The ruins of a castle tower above the entrance to the village of Terlan. First mentioned in records in 1206. Much has changed since then – — the languages, the borders, the owners. What has remained are the porphyry rock, the north foehn and the determination to produce wine here that does justice to the place. Nova Domus – new House. Founded in 1893 by 24 winegrowers, with the simple aim of achieving more together than they could alone.

Montalcino is not a homogeneous terroir – it is a mosaic of microclimates, altitudes and soil types that produces completely different interpretations of Sangiovese within a very small area. San Polo lies in the south-east, on the Podernovi hill, where the extinct volcano Monte Amiata shields the vineyards from hot sirocco winds and has left behind pyroclastic deposits that lend the Sangiovese a mineral character found in very few other vineyards. At an altitude of 450 metres, the estate is one of the cooler areas within the appellation – ; large temperature variations between day and night enhance the aromatics and acidity, whilst the dry summer conditions concentrate the berries without stressing them.

The southern quadrant of the Montalcino hill follows its own logic: more warmth, more sunshine, and a ripening process that is more consistent and complete than in cooler exposures. Tenuta Campogiovanni is situated precisely here – on medium-textured silt-sand soils over sandstone and limestone, on a site that gives Sangiovese Grosso reliability in poor years and depth in great years. 2021 was a great year – but it began with a shock. A mild, dry winter had brought forward budbreak; by the end of March, the best-exposed vineyards were already sprouting. Then came the April nights. Temperatures dropped below zero, and the early buds froze. Yields were significantly reduced. What followed was a rainy spring, which helped the vines survive a long and very hot summer. The grapes that survived concentrated what they had. Harvest took place from the third week of September into October.

In the rolling hills of Buttrio, where the history of Friulian winemaking has been woven into the landscape for centuries, lies the "Dominin" vineyard – named after Domenico Meroi, the great-grandfather who laid the foundations for today’s winery in 1920. The nickname ‘Dominin’ has become legendary, synonymous with a family tradition that Paolo Meroi, now in the fourth generation, continues to this day. What once began as a small farm with five hectares of Sangiovese (!) – whose wine was sold only in bulk – has long since matured into one of the most respected names in the Colli Orientali.

Whilst Barchetta and Casa Rossa in the Zitelle vineyard epitomise international Sauvignon excellence, the Duri plot tells a very different story – that of the indigenous Friulian Malvasia. ‘Duri’ is the third single-vineyard plot within the legendary Zitelle terroir, which Paolo Meroi acquired in 2007 and which once belonged to the ancient Order of the Unmarried Sisters. However, in contrast to the Ponca-rich plots with their sandstone-flysch soil, Duri exhibits a fundamentally different soil character: here, clay and loam dominate, enriched with iron, magnesium and sodium – —minerals that lend the Malvasia a distinctive aromatic depth and opulent richness.

Barolo Le Coste di Monforte from the outstanding 2019 vintage is utterly captivating in the glass. Rose petals, cedarwood, mint, sweet pipe tobacco and blood orange are the first aromas to emerge. On the palate, it is deep and complex, and exceptionally beautiful and harmonious for a young Barolo. Time in the glass brings out its countless nuances. SUPERIORE.DE

Castelnuovo dell'Abate is located in the south-easternmost tip of the denominazione – further away from the cool northern slopes of Montalcino, closer to Monte Amiata, the extinct volcano that moderates the climate of the area. When Gabriele Mastrojanni bought the Poderi Loreto and San Pio in 1975, there was hardly anyone here. The land was barren, the soil poor in clay and rich in sandstone, tuff and pebbles. That was precisely the reason. Today, Andrea Machetti as CEO and Oenologist Maurizio Castelli continue to run the winery in the spirit of the founder – with a consistency that knows no compromise: no herbicides, no chemical interventions since November 2022, fermentation in concrete cement with wild yeasts, long ageing in large Allier oak barrels between 16 and 54 hectolitres. Brunello is the result of the interaction between different plots of land – different exposures, altitudes between 180 and 420 metres, different vine ages – and from this it gains its complexity.

Beneath the village of Terlan, on the slopes of the Adige Valley, lies a geological mystery: a subvolcanic rock mass whose composition and character differ from anything else known in the world of wine. Porphyry forms the bedrock – volcanic, millions of years old, interspersed with fine quartz inclusions. The soils that develop from this are sandy-loamy, slightly acidic, free of limestone and low in nutrients. Highly permeable, they naturally limit yields. A soil that puts the vines under stress – thereby forcing them to dig deeper, to become more concentrated and more mineral. Since 1893, 143 members of the Cantina Terlan have been cultivating these slopes. What they do here is unique in the world of wine: white wines that withstand the test of decades, whose longevity is reminiscent of the Grands Crus of the Côte d'Or. Cellar master Rudi Kofler named the wine "Quartz" after the rock to which he owes everything. "As delicate as the fine quartz inclusions in Terlan's porphyry – that is our Sauvignon." Delicate texture. Depth. A salty finish.

Troy – in the language of the South Tyrolean ancestors, it means ‘path’ – the path that Cantina Tramin has followed over decades to create one of Italy’s most exceptional Chardonnays. A path of exploration, experimentation and patience. For complex Chardonnays from high-altitude Alpine vineyards are a rarity – and that is precisely where the appeal lies; that is precisely where the challenge begins. At altitudes of 500 to 550 metres, where the Mediterranean heat of the day and cold downdrafts from the mountains clash in stark contrast, 25-year-old Chardonnay vines take root in calcareous gravel and loam over porphyry. South-east-facing slopes, Guyot and pergola training systems, just 38 hectolitres per hectare – each berry is inspected individually during the hand-harvest in October. This is followed by whole-bunch pressing: the grapes are gently pressed together with their stems and stalks, an archaic method that lends structure and depth. Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in French barriques. The wine rests on its fine lees in the wood for eleven months before being transferred to small stainless-steel tanks, where it spends a further 22 months on the lees – a total of 33 months’ ageing, before four months’ bottle ageing completes the process.

Vorberg – the name gives away its location: on the steep southern slopes of the Tschöggelberg, at altitudes of between 450 and 650 metres, a Pinot Blanc thrives that reveals the full potential of this famous South Tyrolean grape variety. The stony, sandy-loam soils, formed from weathered porphyry, with their high quartz content and slightly acidic pH levels, characterise a terroir of extremes: high water permeability, limited nutrient availability and naturally restricted yields. This microstress elicits unique, terroir-specific polyphenols from the vines. Hand-harvested, gently pressed as whole bunches, followed by natural sedimentation. Slow fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in large oak casks (70 and 30 hl), followed by partial malolactic fermentation and 12 months' ageing on the fine lees in traditional wooden casks.

"In 2012, I bought the small vineyard Le Gonnare and began to cultivate it. It represents the excellence of the Bolgheri terroir. The soil is clayey and rich in skeleton, which allows for very gradual ripening, a particularly important aspect for Merlot. The character of the wine is therefore Mediterranean, but balanced." Fabio Motta