Note: This tip is an excerpt from the Jan. 31–Feb. 28, 2018, issue of Wine Spectator, "Editors' Picks."
Excitement in the wine world comes in many forms. But what about the excitement of finding a distinctive and well-priced wine you can reach for with confidence time and time again? In this series, you'll find high-scoring wines at reasonable prices, from producers with track records of maintaining quality while respecting the wallets of wine lovers, making them delicious and reliable choices vintage after vintage.
Basilicata
d'Angelo
Although his ancestors had been grapegrowers for more than a century, Lucio d'Angelo didn't begin commercial wine production from his family's vineyards until 1971. Today, his children, Rocco and Erminia, produce a lineup dominated by six different bottlings of 100 percent Aglianico, the signature variety of southern Italy's Basilicata region. A thick-skinned red grape with naturally high acidity, Aglianico benefits from the volcanic soil and long growing season of Mount Vulture's high-altitude vineyards (up to 1,600 feet), where the d'Angelos' 100 acres of vines are spread across the southeastern slopes. The d'Angelos rely on local conditions and a range of oak regimes to tame Aglianico's dense tannins, allowing the grape's brambly berry and herb notes to shine.
Wine to try: d'Angelo Aglianico del Vulture 2013 (90 points, $20)
Puglia
Schola Sarmenti
With the founding of Schola Sarmenti in 2000, owners Lorenzo Marra and Alessandro Calabrese (who additionally oversees winemaking) joined a small group of wineries pushing southern Italy's Puglia region toward more quality-oriented wine production. The duo dedicated three years to the renovation of an abandoned winery, formerly used by a local cooperative, on a busy corner in the town of Nardò, about 10 minutes inland from the western edge of Italy's boot heel. The winery's range is driven by eight reds made entirely from the local Primitivo and/or Negroamaro grapes, from 205 acres of estate-owned and contracted vineyards throughout the area. All of the vineyards are trained in Puglia's traditional alberello system, a labor-intensive bush-vine method, and have been farmed organically since 2009.
Wine to try: Schola Sarmenti Negroamaro Nardò Roccamora 2014 (89 points, $18)
Sardinia
Cantina Sociale di Santadi
From humble beginnings, Santadi has risen as one of the stars from the island of Sardinia, off the western coast of Italy. A cooperative of area growers founded in 1960, the winery focused on bulk wine production for decades. But in the early 1980s, a new board of directors, led by current chairman Antonello Pilloni, had the foresight to retain renowned consulting enologist Giacomo Tachis, who overhauled the vineyards and winery. Spurred by Tachis' vision, the winery has continually invested in modern winemaking equipment and techniques, and today produces a wide range of bottlings primarily from local versions of the white Vermentino grape and red Carignano (Carignan) and Cannonau (Grenache) grapes.
Wine to try: Cantina Sociale di Santadi Vermentino di Sardegna Villa Solais 2016 (87 points, $13)
Sicily
Planeta
Planeta is one of the most familiar wine names from Sicily, and with six separate wineries spread across the terrain they offer a wide range of bottlings that showcase the breadth available from Italy's largest island. The company, established in 1995, can largely credit its success to the vision of founder Diego Planeta, who previously worked in the 1970s and '80s as president of Sicily's largest cooperative, Cantine Settesoli, tirelessly exploring and promoting quality viticulture and winemaking.
Today Planeta's wineries encompass more than 900 acres of vineyards, with Diego's nephew Alessio Planeta overseeing winemaking and working alongside his cousins and the next generation.
Wine to try: Planeta Frappato Vittoria 2015 (90 points, $22)
