Italy is not only the largest wine-producing country in the world by volume (ahead of France with about 5 billion liters produced in 2016 against France 4.5 billion), it is also the uncontested champion of wine diversity, counting with more unique grape varieties than any other countries on Earth.
While the country doesn’t feature any wine in the Top 50 Most Expensive Wines in the World, it does produce a wealth of world-class wines that command some of the highest wine prices on the planet.
Watch the Story of the Most Expensive Wine Ever Sold in Video
So, which are the greatest of all Italian wines?
While quality is subjective, and we know it is not always strictly correlated to price, the price tag of a wine is an objective representation of the demand versus scarcity of a wine, and an objective measurement of the market value of a bottle.
We have gathered below the list of the Top 25 Most Expensive Wines from Italy, ordered by decreasing worldwide average retail price, and spiced things up with some wine/terroir/winemaking/winery information, links to winery websites to learn more, and videos when available.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, wines from Tuscany and Super-Tuscans dominated the list below, together some Piedmont stars from Barolo and Barbaresco.
Although, if you look closely enough and you know your Italian geography well enough, you will find the odd one out in here!
If you’re into top wine prices, don’t forget after you’ve checked the wines below to also check out our lists of the most expensive Champagne wines, and top $$ Napa Valley wines or the priciest Bordeaux.
1- Masseto, Tuscany
Average Price: €635 – $739 – £556
Grape Variety: Merlot – IGT Wine
What Is It About? Masseto is not only one of the most famous Super Tuscan wines, made entirely from Merlot, it is also the most expensive Italian wine. Masseto is made by Tenuta dell’Ornellaia from a blend of small individual plots of Merlot on the Masseto vineyard, a 7-hectare terroir on the coast of Tuscany.
Masseto Vineyard is located at the top of the Masseto hill, at an elevation of about 120 meters above sea level near the village of Bolgheri on the Tuscan Coast. The soils consist of loose clays and sand with many pebbles.
Masseto’s grapes undergo a double selection, before and after destemming. Virtually each single berry is carefully controlled as it progresses slowly on the inspection conveyor and discarded if not perfect for making its way into the fermentation tanks. At this point the grapes advance into the fermentation tanks, where the ultimate technology of steel joins forces with the tradition of wood.
The fermentation takes place in state of the art stainless steel tanks which allows perfect temperature control. During this phase, the fermentation progress of each single tank representing a given vineyard block, is methodically followed by daily individual tastings.
The wine is then aged in French oak barrels with the finest possible grain, from the forest of Massif Central in France.
Then the different base wines of Masseto are blended by winemaker, Axel Heinz to form the new vintage of Masseto. This is perhaps the most important and thrilling decision for the z, to make.
The objective is to express both the unmistakable personality of Masseto and the specific character of the vintage, combining the many facets given by each individual plot and to reflect both the essence of the terroir with that of the specific vintage.
Winery Website: masseto.com
Winemaker Alex Heinz Tours Us Around the Winery in Video:
2- Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera, Tuscany
Average Price: €500 – $579 – £435
Grape Variety: Sangiovese
What Is It About? Case Basse is an estate in the southwestern area of Montalcino in Tuscany, growing exclusively the Sangiovese variety. The whole estate stretches over 23 hectares on a hilly terrain of Eocene origin, with galestro soil deriving from cleavages of volcanic lava, good drainage, rich in mineral variety, but not very fertile. Altitude here is at 320 meters above sea level.
At the start of the 1970s, the place had been long abandoned by tenant farmers and the land was uncultivated, but despite being in this state, it was beautiful and in an environmental context of exceptional charm.
When Gianfranco and Graziella Soldera discovered the appeal of Case Basse, they immediately decided to dedicate themselves to that land with the logic of the illuminated farmer to make a Brunello of the highest quality. So, they began their amazing adventure by selecting the ideal plots of land for planting Sangiovese vines in 1972 and 1973.
Their daughter Monica and her husband Paolo have worked at Case Basse for years and, together with Mauro (Monica’s brother), they have gained the specific experience they need for the future.
The Case Basse vineyard which grapes yield this Soldera wine though, only covers a surface of about 2 hectares (5 acres) in size, while the estate’s other plot, Intistieti, is 4.5ha in size (11 acres).
Only grapes from the winery’s vineyards are vinified, strictly selected right up to the individual berry. No artificial yeasts are added but vinification is done naturally.
The wine is aged for some years in large Slavonian oak barrels in the optimum environment of the Case Basse cellar designed by Gianfranco Soldera to guarantee the best conditions for the wines to stay in. The ageing area built 14 meters underground, only with natural materials and without concrete, enables us to maintain a high level of humidity (about 85%), a constant and suitable temperature (about 13°), guaranteeing an indispensable natural air recycling.
Gianfranco Soldera places his wines on the market only if the result of the vintage reaches a level that, in his opinion, is in line with his idea of quality. As an illustration, the current release now in 2018 is vintage 2009!
Winery Website: soldera.it
Gianfranco Talks to Us (in Italian) about His Wine in Video, Turn the CCs On for Translation:
3- Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Tenuta Greppo, Tuscany
Average Price: €495 – $573 – £431
Grape Variety: Sangiovese
What Is It About? Production area: Montalcino. Age of Vineyards: over 25 years old. Soil composition: various origins, rich in stones. The best are the ones rich in marl. Altitude: from 300 to 500 meters. Grapes: 100% Sangiovese Grosso. Ageing for 3 years in Slavonian oak casks followed by a minimum of 6 months ageing in in bottle before release. Annual production around 11,000 bottles.
Winery Website: biondisanti.com
Tancredi Biondi Santi Talks about His Wines at a Wine Spectator Event in Video:
4- Bibi Graetz Testamatta Colore, Tuscany
Average Price: €427 – $489 – £368
Grape Variety: Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino – IGT Wine
What Is It About? Bibi Graetz is a Tuscan winery located near the town Fiesole, in the hills northeast of Florence. The most famous label by Graetz is Testamatta (understand ‘Crazy Head’), an IGT Toscana made from Sangiovese.
Bibi Graetz, the owner and winemaker started cultivating the family vineyard in the 1990s, mainly for family consumption. But in the early 2000s, Graetz started producing quality wines and acquiring plots of vineyards around the property. The estate now covers about 30 hectares (75 acres) of vines in 20 small vineyards grown using organic practices.
The colore cuvée is made from 1/3 Sangiovese, 1/3 Canaiolo, 1/3 Colorino grapes from the first and oldest vineyard cultivated by Bibi Graetz whose vines are around 60 years of age, on a clay and galestro soil. Fermentation takes place in open top barriques of 225 liters with 6-8 manual punch-downs per day.
The wine is aged in French oak barrels for 21 months followed by 12 months further ageing in the bottle before release.
Winery Website: bibigraetz.com
Bibi Graetz Talks about Colore in Video (Italian, Subtittles in English Available):
5- Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo di Montepulciano, Tuscany
Average Price: €393 – $455 – £342
Grape Variety: Sangiovese
What Is It About? Avignonesi is a winery located in the Montepulciano region of southern Tuscany, and renowned for its Sangiovese wines under the Nobile di Montepulciano appellation in particular.
The company was founded in 1974 and is now producing a range of white, rosé and red wines.
The winery’s flagship dessert wine made in the ‘Occhio di Pernice‘ passito style is crafted using the best Sangiovese grapes from the estate vineyards and dried for several months on reed mats in the appassitoio (drying room).
The Vin Santo is aged for a decade in caratelli, small 50-liter oak barrels, and owes much of its special character to the madre, a century-old indigenous yeast culture which is owned and carefully protected by Avignonesi.
Winery Website: avignonesi.it
Sommellier Andreas Larsson Tastes Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice Blind in Video:
6- Bartolo Mascarello Artist Label Barolo, Piedmont
Average Price: €359 – $414 – £311
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo
9- Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto
Average Price: €328 – $382 – £287
Grape Variety: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
What Is It About? Amarone is only produced in exceptional years. In truly exceptional years an Amarone Riserva is produced, a personal barrel selection by the family. After harvest, grapes sit in wooden boxes or on rush mats. Careful attention is paid to the positioning of the grapes so the appassimento can occur naturally. Noble rot starts to appear in November and develops mostly in January. Grapes are pressed at the end of January and after 20 days of maceration, alcoholic fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts. Fermentation lasts 45 days. Wine is then racked and ages in Slavonian oak barrels for seven years. Alcoholic fermentation continues during this aging period creating a dry wine. Source: kermitlynch.com
10- Gaja Costa Russi Langhe-Barbaresco, Piedmont
Average Price: €328 – $376 – £283
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo
Winery Website: gaja.com
What is it About? 95 Points by Robert Parker The Wine Advocate. “The 2013 Barbaresco Costa Russi is a celebration of vineyard site. In the past, this wine was blended with 5% Barbera, but this is no longer the case starting now. For the first time in recent memory, we are tasting a pure expression of Nebbiolo as harvested from the rows of vines in the Costa Russi cru, located directly below Sorì Tildìn at the base of the Barbaresco village. The vines are over 65-years-old and are planted in limestone clay and marl soils. Costa Russi is known for delicate, light-bodied wines that exhibit floral aromas of rose hip and lavender, as well as darker fruit tones at the back. Those qualities are beautifully evident in this vintage. The mouthfeel is characterised by a firm sense of tannic structure that is common to all of Gaja’s new releases in the 2013 vintage.” – Monica Lancer
Related Read: Top 50 Most Expensive Wines in the World
11- Castello Vicchiomaggio FSM, Tuscany
Average Price: €321 – $371 – £279
Grape Variety: Merlot – Vino IGT Toscana
What Is It About? Vineyard Information: Planting density 5000 vines/Ha. heavy clay (30%). Altitude 255-265 mt. Pruning method of single Guyot ensures low yields, about 20 Hl/Ha
Vinification & Maturation: Vinified in very small stainless steel tanks (50 Hl) for about 18-20 days. Maturation in 225 Lt. barriques for 24 months followed by a minimum of 12 months in bottle before release. Winery Tasting Notes: 100% Merlot, smooth tannins. Huge structure due to the very low yield. A wine that can be enjoyed when released bat with enormous maturation potential.
Winery Website: vicchiomaggio.it
12- Poderi Aldo Conterno Granbussia Barolo Riserva, Piedmont
Average Price: €317 – $370 – £278
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo – Michet and Lampia varieties
What Is It About? VINEYARDS: Romirasco, Cicala and Colonnelo vineyards (Bussia – Monforte d’Alba). HARVEST: manual, with grapes selection in the vineyard. TIME OF HARVEST: mid-October. VINIFICATION: red, with skin contact inside stainles steel vats. VINIFICATION TIME: the must remains in contact with the skins for 30 days, during which the alcoholic fermentation is fully completed. VINIFICATION TEMPERATURES: variable with maximum peaks of 32 degrees centigrade. CELLAR REFINING: once removed the new wine remains in oak casks where it ages and refines. NOTES: the Barolo Reserve Granbussia is produced by blending grapes from the oldest vines, from the Romirasco, Cicala, and Colonnello, before fermentation starts, in the following percentages respectively: 70% – 15% – 15%. The Granbussia remains in the cellar for at least 9 years before commercialization. It is produced exclusively in the best years and in limited quantities.
Winery Website: poderialdoconterno.com
13- Tenuta Torciano Terrestre, Tuscany
Average Price: €315 – $367 – £276
Grape Varieties: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, & Syrah – IGT Wine
What Is It About? Terrestre is the clone of Tuscany’s prime grape that is responsible for the great Brunello’s. Soil: The hills of Montalcino, having been formed in different geological eras, present extremely variable soil characteristics, in both constitution and structure. The lowest areas consist of terrain created by the deposit of alluvial material with an active stratum that is deep and quite loose, dating from for the Quaternary Period (about 1.5 million years ago). Farther uphill, the terrain, enriched by fossil material, has a layer of soil formed by the decomposition of ancient rock, especially marl and limestone. The terrains are moderately sandy, rich in lime, mingled with wide areas of volcanic soil, but tending to be thin. This Luxury wine was drawn from the finest of Torciano stocks, aged uniquely 2 years in large oak barrels followed by 1 year in small chestnut barrique and 1 year in cherry barrique. All wines undergo a further period of development in the bottle before release.
Winery Website: torciano.com
Learn About It In Video, as the Producer talks about it:
14- Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Asili Riserva Barbaresco, Piedmont
Average Price: €314 – $363 – £273
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo
What Is It About? A wine from Barbaresco. 100% Nebbiolo. Winery Tasting Notes: Garnet red colour with delicate orange reflections. Fine and complex bouquet with violet and wild berry notes. Its flavour is full, velvety and harmonious. Great elegance in this wine that in the best vintages can bear the qualification “Riserva” on the label.
Winery Website: brunogiacosa.it
15- Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta Amarone della Valpolicella, Veneto
Average Price: €308 – $358 – £269
Grape Varieties: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
Winery Website: dalfornoromano.it
See it in Video:
16- Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Falletto Vigna Le Rocche Barolo, Piedmont
Average Price: €300 – $351 – £264
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo
Winery Website: brunogiacosa.it
17- Marchesi Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Matarocchio, Tuscany
Average Price: €298 – $344 – £259
Grape Variety: Cabernet Franc
What Is It About? The Guado a Tasso estate is located approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the southwest of the city of Florence near the medieval hamlet of Bolgheri. The property, with an overall surface area of some 2500 acres (1000 hectares), extends from the Tyrrhenian sea to the inland hills and cultivates, in addition to its 750 acres (300 hectares) of vineyards, wheat, corn, sunflowers, and olives. The vineyards are located between 150 and 200 feet (45-65 meters) above sea level on rocky and slightly calcareous soils. The first vintage of Guado al Tasso was the 1990.
The crop was picked entirely by hand into 15 kilogram (37 pound) packing cases and was then brought to the cellars where it was sorted and selected twice, once before and once after destemming. The grapes were then given a soft pressing and a cold five day maceration on their skins at 50° Fahrenheit (10° centigrade) in stainless steel tanks. Fermentation was then allowed to begin and temperatures to rise to 77° Fahrenheit (25° centigrade); skin contact lasted a total of 30 days, well beyond the transformation of sugars into alcohol. After fermentation the wine went into 100% new 60 gallon French oak barrels of various provenance, where it completed its malolactic fermentation by the end of the year. The period of oak aging lasted 18 months, and during this period each individual barrel was carefully observed and controlled. At the end of the aging period it was decided to bottle (at 14° alcohol) only those barrels whose wine showed a superior integration with the oak.
Winery Website: antinori.it
18- Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera ‘Pegasos’, Tuscany
Average Price: €297 – $344 -£259
Grape Variety: Sangiovese – IGT Wine
Winery Website: soldera.it
20- Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano, Tuscany
Average Price: €291 – $336 – £253
Grape Varieties: Trebbiano, Malvasia
What Is It About? Winery Notes: Crafted from only the best Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes from our vineyards and dried for several months on reed mats in the appassitoio (drying room), the Vin Santo is aged for a decade in caratelli, small 50 litre oak barrels, and owes much of its special character to the madre, a century-old yeast, which is owned and carefully protected by Avignonesi. Thanks to the ten-year ageing period, during which the Vin Santo goes through a natural oxidization process, this wine’s qualities remain intact for a very long time after the bottle has been opened, if tightly corked and stored in the refrigerator.
Winery Website: avignonesi.it
21- Azienda Agricola Valentini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy
Average Price: €288 – $333 – £250
Grape Variety: Montepulciano
A Very Interesting Tasting Video that Explains a Lot about this Wine:
22- Vittorio Bera e Figli Ronco Malo Barbera d’Asti, Piedmont
Average Price: €286 – $329 – £247
Grape Variety: Barbera
23- Tenuta Torciano Cavaliere Rosso, Tuscany
Average Price: €285 – $326 – £245
Grape Variety: Merlot – Sangiovese – IGT Wine
What Is It About? Super-Tuscan Riserva wine. Cavaliere is a red wine obtained by the combination between Merlot and Sangiovese. It gains its name from its aristocratic flavour and noble taste.
Winery Website: torciano.com
Learn About It In Video, as the Producer talks about it:
24- Giuseppe Rinaldi Cannubi San Lorenzo Ravera Barolo, Piedmont
Average Price: €278 – $322 – £242
Grape Variety: Nebbiolo
25- Antinori Tenuta di Biserno ‘Lodovico’, Tuscany
Average Price: €268 – $311 – £235
Grape Varieties: Bordeaux Blend Red
What Is It About? The 49 hectare of Tenuta di Biserno is located in Alta Maremma and it borders Bibbona on the North and Bolgheri on the South. The vineyards of Biserno are adjacent to the vineyards of Bolgheri and are in that micro-zone called ‘Bellaria’ and ‘Vigna Lodovico’ (te latter relevant to Biserno). Lodovico wine is a product of these vineyards.
Tenuta di Biserno was planted between 2001 and 2005. The soil consists of what is termed Bolgheri conglomerate – a mix of mineral rich alluvial soil, active limestone, and round pebbles which provide drainage. Rather atypical for Bolgheri, there are also pockets of all-important clay. Given the terroir, and the range of soils, Lodovico planted exclusively Bordeaux varietals, principally Cabernet Franc, followed by Merlot, some Cabernet Sauvignon and surprisingly high proportions of Petit Verdot. The soil is very varied. High density, maritime sediments and clay, on well-sheltered, north-west slopes, provide ideal conditions for Merlot whilst free-draining gravelly sites, higher up, are perfect for the Cabernets Franc.
The wine is made with the help of star consultant winemaker Michel Rolland.
Winery Website: biserno.it
A Bit Dated, but This is the Official Video of Tenuta di Biserno, and the Electronic Music there is Nice!:
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If you’re interested in wine prices, you should also check out our 8 Things You Should Know about Investing in Wine.
This list of the Top 25 most expensive Champagne wines in the world was retrieved from the biggest wine price database in the world at Wine-Searcher.com as per May 2018, you can see the original list here. Note that to be included on the list, a wine must have at least 10 offers worldwide across at least four vintages. Prices are ex-tax worldwide averages for 750ml bottles.
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