The Best of
Northern Italy 

by Antonio
Galloni

It’s always a challenge to encapsulate the
best wines of all of northern Italy into one article given the huge number of
noteworthy bottles that are made across the numerous regions that make up the
north. These are some of the highlights from my recent tastings:

Veneto – The 2006 Amarone vintage is
superb. Readers should do whatever they can to taste the wines of this great
year. These are big, powerful Amaroni that will reward cellaring. I tasted a
number of exceptional 2006s in all styles. One of the best 2006 Amaroni was
made by Allegrini. The wine is notable for its quality and also a large
production that makes it one of the easier wines to find across many markets.
Roccolo Grassi, Bussola and Marion are among the most exciting small producers,
all capable of riveting, emotional wines. Romano dal Forno and Giuseppe
Quintarelli release their wines later than virtually all of their colleagues
but remain stalwarts. Their bottles are now sadly priced in the stratosphere,
but the best examples are stunning. I also tasted a handful of exceptional 2006
Valpolicellas that will provide similar pleasure at far more accessible prices.
The vintage is equally strong for the many internationally styled wines that
emerge from Veneto.

Alto Adige – Alto Adige
is one of the most pristine, beautiful regions in the world. I visit at least
once a year, but admittedly not always for vinous pursuits, as my son has taken
an extreme liking to skiing in the Dolomites. Alto Adige is well-known for its
cooperatives, the best of which offer a wide range of wines at affordable
prices. Most cooperatives release three levels of quality; an entry-level
range, a mid-level range and the prestige wines. The sweet spot for quality and
value is to be found in the mid-tier wines of the best houses. These wines
deliver incredible quality in the precise, varietally true style that makes
Alto Adige such a compelling region. The best cooperatives across the board are
Terlano and Colterenzio. Of course, Alto Adige is also home to a number of
artisan growers. I have profiled a number of the finest smaller producers in
these pages. Among the growers, I am especially fond of Kuenhof, Manni Nössing,
Köferehof and Josephus Mayr (whose wines I was not able to taste for this
article).The current vintage for most whites is 2009. I spent a few days in
Alto Adige in August 2009, during a massive heat wave that provided no respite
even high in the mountains or at night. Not surprisingly the wines are richer
and fatter than normal, and quality is uneven. The best wines, though, are
undeniably racy and exciting.

Friuli Venezia Giulia – Friuli is
home to a wide range of terroirs and microclimates. The main problem for
Friulian wines, at least in the US, is high prices that make the wines
difficult to sell. Still, the best Friulian whites are heartstoppers. The
region’s benchmark producers are Miani, Borgo del Tiglio, Edi Kante and Josko
Gravner, all of whom go beyond making great wines to making emotional wines.
It’s a pity many people never get a chance to taste the best of these
producers’ bottles. Like Alto Adige, Friuli’s current vintage for the whites is
2009. Here, too, the heat wave was brutal. Sauvignon, arguably Friuli’s most
famous wine in international markets, seems to be the most affected. Readers
who choose carefully will be able to find the best wines and avoid the
clunkers. I continue to be impressed with the improvement in Friuli’s reds,
much of which can be attributed to generally warmer vintages. Each year I taste
more and more captivating wines. Another growing trend is Pinot Grigio
macerated on the skins. The movement in making whites with skin contact has
been alive and well in Friuli for some time, but now a larger group of
producers is experimenting with these techniques in Pinot Grigio, a grape with
red skin that seems ideally suited to this approach. The wines show a
rose-colored tint and structure that hovers in between white and red wines. The
most exciting wine in this style is Josko Gravner’s still unreleased 2006. Vie
di Romans, Bastianich and Sant’Elena are also making wines well worth
discovering.

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