Tre Bicchieri 2024, Lombardy's best wines awarded by Gambero Rosso. The queen of the Italian Metodo Classico

Lombardy's Tre Bicchieri 2024

Lombardy's Tre Bicchieri 2024. News and confirmations

Lombardy reigns supreme as Italy's champion of Metodo Classico. This year’s tastings once again saw both Franciacorta and Oltrepò Pavese performing with confidence and maturity, showcasing a long line of cuvées that increasingly highlight a distinct territorial identity, one characterized by minimal dosage and abundant character. Indeed, an impressive 16 wines received our top accolades: 12 from Franciacorta and 4 from Oltrepò Pavese (the latter also shining with an equal number of still wines). Regarding the vintages, we must note an outstanding 2018 in both Brescia and Pavia. We were struck by the year’s vibrant nature, with consistently high natural acidity and a pronounced freshness.

By the shores of Lake Iseo, we welcome two wineries to the Tre Bicchieri circle. The first is 1701, which presented a Franciacorta Dosage Riserva 2016 of striking fragrance and evolution, while I Barisei stand out with their refined and deep Riserva Francesco Battista 2013. Making a dazzling return to the podium, Gatti stuns with their Nature '16, a wine of exceptional elegance. Amidst the hills of Oltrepò Pavese, the hour has come for Travaglino, a historic estate in Calvignano, to claim its first Tre Bicchieri with their graceful and deep Riesling Campo della Fojada Riserva 2019.

Strong positive signals also emerge from Lake Garda as it streamlines its appellations. For now, we relish the solid growth of Valtènesi and its flagship grape, groppello. Its rosé variant, which will be simply labeled as Valtènesi in the future, serves as an ever-evolving model for those in search of delicate, finely sculpted wines teeming with detail and finesse. Remaining on the Brescia shores of the lake, several versions of Lugana also stand out for their focused style and territorial adherence. But Lombardy's wine scene also impresses with its diverse offerings, which take us to incredible territories, like the vineyards of Botticino, nestled between marble quarries and woods, the estates of Lake Como, and true gems like Moscato di Scanzorosciate (Italy's smallest DOCG production zone). Let's not forget the Bordeaux-style reds of Valcalepio, nor Capriano del Colle, with its red clays.

We conclude our review with a territory dear to the hearts of wine enthusiasts: Valtellina. Limited production volumes, lots of effort, exceptional quality. In this edition, we appreciated its light and exceedingly elegant reds, which manage to combine expressive authenticity with great aging potential.