Italy’s fondness for en primeur tastings continues unabated (see, for example, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Nebbiolo Prima, etc, etc). While many are lavish affairs showcasing a huge number of bottles of the latest vintage of a given wine region, none actually, and fortunately, operates exactly like the Bordeaux en primeur system whereby the wines are many months from being bottled. Instead, the wines on show are either already released or about to be. The idea of buying a wine that is not nearly ready is alien to Italians.
However, in Italy, exceptions to the rule are...