Supposedly at one time the Cinelli SuperCorsa was rated the finest riding lugged steel racing bike ever...of course that's an opinion by a bunch of reviewers. I've never ridden one so I can't offer my own opinion. Those are still being made too. There are a lot of Italian lugged steel bikes still being made just have to look.
http://www.cbikeusa.com/cinelli_supercorsa.htm
I think there a few older steels no longer made that would give modern steel a run for their money. Especially the Miyata triple butted splined tubeset, followed by the Ishawata 019, then the Fuji quad butted Valite, Reynolds 531c, p, and sl (those had rider weight limits, but the cs did not making the cs more reliable). I think the best steel frames in the mid to late 80's came out of Japan not Italy. Touring wise the Reynolds 531t and st is legendary.