Brunello di Montalcino is the wine of the year according to James Suckling's "Top 100 Wines of Italy 2026." The 2021 vintage from Eredi Fuligni topped the list compiled by the world's most influential American wine critic. "Fuligni," the citation states, "has long been a benchmark Brunello producer, producing harmonious wines that are wonderful to drink while still young, yet capable of developing effortlessly for decades. The wine combines exceptional quality with excellent availability and a reasonable price, especially considering its prestige."
Fuligni's success opens a ranking in which Brunello di Montalcino takes center stage. San Filippo's Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere 2021 comes in second, while Giodo's Brunello di Montalcino 2021 comes in seventh. Giacomo Bartolommei, president of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium, commented: "This result rewards the work of the wineries and brings prestige to the entire denomination."
Overall, the "Top 100 Wines of Italy 2026" includes 12 Brunello di Montalcino wines, all from the 2021 vintage. In addition to Eredi Fuligni, San Filippo, and Giodo, they also include Il Marroneto, Valdicava, Tenuta Luce, Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona, Siro Pacenti, Poggio di Sotto, Pieve Santa Restituta, Altesino, and Casanova di Neri. The "Top 100 Wines of Italy 2026" was determined by selecting one hundred labels from approximately 7.000 Italian wines tasted over the past year, out of a total of over 30.000 evaluated. The ranking takes into account not only qualitative assessments, but also price, market availability, and each wine's ability to convey an authentic connection with its place of origin.
"We conducted tastings across the country," explain the curators of the prestigious guide, "from the Isarco Valley in Alto Adige (far north) to Vittoria in southeastern Sicily, located at approximately the same latitude as some areas of the North African coast. Few wine-producing countries can match Italy's diversity of grape varieties, soils, climates, and traditions. We personally tasted most of the wines considered for this ranking, with the support of fellow wine critic Andrii Stetsiuk. In our opinion, 2021 represents one of the best Brunello vintages of the last twenty years, capable of producing wines with extraordinary structure, freshness, and balance. The choice for first place was clear. This wine combines exceptional quality, excellent availability, and a reasonable price, especially considering its prestige. It retails for just under $100 a bottle, with a total production of around 40.000 bottles. Fuligni has long been a benchmark among Brunello producers, thanks harmonious wines that are splendid to drink even when young, while also having the ability to age beautifully for decades. The other two 2021 Brunellos in our Top 10 are the San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere 2021, in second place, and the Giodo Brunello di Montalcino 2021, in seventh place. Tuscany is also represented by one of the great icons of the world of fine wines: the Bolgheri-Sassicaia Sassicaia 2023 from Tenuta San Guido, in fifth place. This wine combines the refinement, freshness, and prestige that have made Sassicaia an international benchmark for decades.
