The Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 1998 from the historic winery takes the top spot: the wine earns the first 100/100 in the history of the Wine Hunter Award. The award was presented today to the Senate, during the press conference introducing the 35th Merano WineFestival. It is one of four Italian wines to have achieved the absolute score, and the only one from Sardinia. The jury's motivation: "Attilio Contini's Vernaccia di Oristano 1998 tells the story of an ancient, profound, and distinctive Sardinia. A culture, a memory, and a winemaking heritage that deserve to be passed on to future generations."
"Receiving the first 100/100 in the history of the WineHunter Award is a great thrill, and we dedicate this result to Sardinia," said Alessandro Contini, vice president and sales manager of Cantina Contini, who accepted the prestigious award in Rome. "Vernaccia di Oristano is the wine that more than any other expresses who we are. It comes from a unique terroir, an ancient grape variety, and a method passed down through generations. This 1998 Riserva has remained in the cellar for almost thirty years. Today, it receives the highest score, alongside some of Italy's most important labels: it's proof that patience and loyalty to one's roots are recognized."
"This award belongs to the entire Contini family, but not only," continues Alessandro Contini. "It belongs to those who cultivated Vernaccia in the Tirso Valley, to those who preserved it in the cellars of Cabras, and to the entire Oristano area. For too long, Vernaccia has been considered a wine of the past. An award like this demonstrates that it is a living heritage, capable of speaking to the present and being passed on to future generations, as the jury's motivation states."
