With a score of 97 points, the iconic Tedeschi cru has been included in the 2026 “Pride of Place” list dedicated to wines that speak to the identity and character of their territory.
September 21, 2026 (Verona, Italy) — Tedeschi and one of their wines that is emblematic of their history, the Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico Riserva Capitel Monte Olmi 2019, have received significant international recognition upon being included in James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of Italy 2026. This result takes on even greater significance in light of the theme chosen this year by Suckling—one of the most influential international wine critics—who dedicated the selection to “Pride of Place,” focusing on the identity of the wines and their connection to the vineyard and the territory.
The Top 100 capture a trend that Tedeschi has long maintained and interpreted: the growing research of wines that are able to express with authenticity and distinctiveness the place in which they were born. In this context, the 2019 Capitel Monte Olmi Riserva—awarded 97 points—confirms the path the winery has taken in studying and showcasing the diverse expressions of Valpolicella. Monte Olmi, the historic vineyard on the hillsides of Pedemonte, has been for decades at the center of research and work to interpret the terroir. This work has been explored in even greater detail in a zonation projected focused on the investigation of the link between territory, microclimate, and expression of single crus.
The bond between the Tedeschi family and Monte Olmi dates back to 1964 when Lorenzo Tedeschi decided to vinify the grapes separately, thus creating the first Amarone cru. This pioneering choice expresses itself to this day in the Capitel Monte Olmi Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico Riserva. For James Suckling, the 2019 vintage emphasizes the balance between richness, purity, and freshness with notes of mandarin orange, orange blossom, cherry, and chocolate, making it a deep, precise, and dynamic Amarone with mineral freshness and a long, composed finish.
“To have been selected from among 7,000 Italian wines and to see Monte Olmi recognized precisely in a selection that focuses on the sense of place is especially meaningful for us,” comments Sabrina Tedeschi, who runs the winery together with her siblings Antonietta and Riccardo. “We have maintained for a very long time that the identity of a great wine is born first and foremost from its vineyard. Monte Olmi deeply represents this conviction and is a place that we have studied, interpreted and respected for generations. We are particularly proud of this recent recognition because it rewards us not only for the wine but for the precise choice that we made years ago and have been working on since, that is, to express the difference, the origin, and the personality of single vineyards in Valpolicella.”
Tedeschi is one of three Amarone selected for the Top 100. One Valpolicella and two Soave were also included as representatives of the Veronese region. Six Venetian wines, which through different appellations and interpretations, tell the story of the richness and variety of this territory and reflect the message at the center of James Suckling’s selection: the growing awareness of distinctive wines that are deeply linked to the place and vineyard of their origin.
