- After a stellar 2020 on the secondary market, Italy slowed down in 2021.
- But several wines from the Italy 100 index went up more than 30%.
- Bartolo Mascarello Barolo and Giacomo Conterno Barolo Francia are joining the Italy 100 index.
Italian wine prices rose 11.5% in 2021
Italy had a stellar 2020 on the secondary market. The region benefitted from increased US buying due to its exclusion from the 25% tariffs. Critical acclaim also played a part, as strong Barolo ’16 and Brunello ’15 campaigns grabbed the trade’s attention.
But with the removal of tariffs in the beginning of 2021, other regions were quick to gather momentum, eventually outpacing Italy.
While prices for all fine wine regions increased last year, the Italy 100 index was actually one of the slowest risers, up 11.5%. As the chart below shows, it was only just ahead of the Bordeaux 500 (9.2%) and Bordeaux Legends 40 (10.6%).
By contrast, between January and November 2021, the Burgundy 150 and Champagne 50 were up 27.2% and 33.8% respectively.
Performance of the Liv-ex 1000 sub-indices over one year
*made with the Liv-ex Charting tool.
Tignanello dominated Italy’s price performers
*Prices correct as of 31st December 2021. Explore the performance of the Italy 100 components here.
However, some wines in the Italy 100 index saw impressive price rises. The best performer was Gaja Barbaresco 2010, up 64.4%.
But it was the Super Tuscan Tignanello that dominated the list of movers. Seven of its vintages featured in the top 10 Italian price risers, with the 2017 being the biggest riser, up 43%.
As shown in the chart below, three Tignanello vintages outperformed the Italy 100 index in 2021.
*made with the Liv-ex Charting tool.
Changes to the Italy 100 index
As part of our annual indices updates, two new names are joining the Italy 100 index, driven by trading activity. These are Bartolo Mascarello Barolo and Giacomo Conterno Barolo Francia which are substituting Gaja Sperss and Gaja Sori San Lorenzo.
There are currently over 3,700 LIVE Italian opportunities on your exchange.
Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real time activity of Liv-ex’s 560+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £90m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines. Independent data, direct from the market.
