The World's Most Expensive Italian Wines

Italy has a great variety, great value, and great quality of Wines from simple regional wines to the sort of internationally acclaimed styles that win friends and influence people the world over.

Italy might often be associated with raffia fiaschi of Chianti, but its reputation rests on the great wines of Montalcino and Barolo; the Amarones of Veneto, and the sought-after Super Tuscans.

These are the wines that have driven a spike in interest in Italian wine over the past few years. Italian wine sales have been healthy, driven by an international appreciation of the quality the top wines provide. It's also a reflection of growing interest among wine collectors and investors. Making top-quality, long-lived wines and selling them at relatively bargain prices will do that.

However, high as these prices are, there is no sign that they are going to go down in the near future. Indeed, as the wines cement their reputations further, price increases are likely to get larger as collectors turn their attentions to Italy more and more.

This price inflation has been driven by four of the wines on the list. The Cappellano leads the charge with a year-on-year global average price hike of 36.4 percent. That's followed by the Case Basse di Gianfraco Soldera Brunello Riserva at 17 percent; Masseto at 13.3 percent; and the Soldera blend at 13.1 percent.

The World's Most Expensive Italian Wines on Wine-Searcher:'

Wine Name	Score	Average Price
Giacomo Conterno Monfortino, Barolo Riserva	96	$1287
Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Selezione	95	$1287
Roagna Crichet Paje, Barbaresco	96	$918
Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva	93	$911
Masseto Toscana IGT	95	$910
Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco-Michet, Barolo	94	$740
Miani Calvari Refosco, Colli Orientali del Friuli	95	$709
Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Toscana IGT-Brunello di Montalcino	94	$689
Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio Monprivato Ca d'Morissio, Barolo Riserva	94	$686
Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Le Rocche di Castiglione, Barolo	94	$670

In fact, the lowest increase in average price was the Quintarelli Amarone and, given that it was starting at a relatively high average price anyway, that was a still-impressive 6 percent annual rise. The only wine to actually fall in average price over the past 12 months is the Giacosa Le Rocche di Castiglione, although that's an interesting case anyway. This wine's global average price tends to swing wildly, depending on availability.

Collectors can watch their investments grow, while those of us whose tastes run to more humble wines can still enjoy great-quality wines at more amenable prices; that's just what Italy does.

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Credit: wine-searcher