Notes of grilled game and tobacco balance this wine’s rich flavors of baked cherry, molten chocolate and licorice. Dark spices offset those flavors, and lively acidity cools the finish.
MENU
|
WINE LOCATOR
SEARCH
|
Most of the historic producers of Valpolicella are located on the western side of the denomination, but the Valpolicella district stretches east across several hills and valleys almost to Soave, and it is in this eastern zone that some new, exciting, and innovative wineries have been established in recent decades. The soils in the eastern Valpolicella have a higher component of calcium carbonate, which imparts a higher acidity and bolder cherry fruit character to the wines.
Antonio Castagnedi was a winegrower in the Illasi Valley of eastern Valpolicella in the late 20th century who left 50 acres of vineyards to his four sons. The brothers Armando, Tiziano, Paolo, and Massimo worked as consultants for other wine estates in Italy and continued to grow grapes on their inherited land in Colognola ai Colli, but had bigger dreams. In 1989, they took the next step, buying another 75 acres of top-quality vineyard land on the high terrain of Monti Garbi (also in eastern Valpolicella) and making the leap into wine production as a family. The first vintage of Tenuta Sant’Antonio came in 1995.
Tenuta Sant’Antonio Valpolicellas are made from 100% estate-grown fruit from the Illasi Valley and Monti Garbi. With their considerable combined winegrowing experience, the Castagnedi brothers devote meticulous attention to their high-density, low-yield vineyards to provide grapes of such exceptional quality that they require minimal intervention during winemaking. At harvest time, the grapes for Amarone are harvested on a first pass through the vineyards, and those for the regular Valpolicella are harvested on the second pass. In this way, the basic Valpolicella gets a portion of the best grapes and is an exceptional value for the price. Also, because the Amarone is harvested earlier, the grapes’ sugar level is lower, so the alcohol level of the Amarone is not excessive. This strategy also dictates that Tenuta Sant’Antonio makes Amarone only in years when the overall harvest quality is high enough to support making the full Valpolicella lineup.
|
LOCATIONWINERY: Lavagno (Verona province), Veneto VINEYARD: Eastern Valpolicella and Soave areas, Veneto VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
|
91
JANUARY 2021
Tenuta Sant’Antonio “Antonio Castagnedi” Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2016
Notes of grilled game and tobacco balance this wine’s rich flavors of baked cherry, molten chocolate and licorice. Dark spices offset those flavors, and lively acidity cools the finish. 94
OCTOBER 2021
Tenuta Sant’Antonio "Campo dei Gigli" Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2010
Lots of silky, sweet black-fruit and lead-pencil minerals here. Full-bodied with still lightly firm, fruit-soaked tannins and a long, controlled finish that introduces some orange-peel freshness. Delicious now, but will go on. 91
AUGUST 2023
Tenuta Sant’Antonio “Antonio Castagnedi” Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2018
Dried cherry, dried cranberry, star anise, clove and a hint of pepper open the nose of this well-crafted Amarone. Soft and plush on the palate, highlighting dried cherry and loads of baking spices, the wine begins to reveal turned earth, bitter chocolate and floral notes as it opens. It’s really well-structured, with elegant tannins and the needed acidity to keep the wine in balance. 92+
MARCH 2023
Tenuta Sant'Antonio “Monti Garbi” Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore DOC 2020
The 2020 Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso Monti Garbi is wickedly spice and intense, opening with a whiff of crushed ashen stone and smokey black cherries. Its textures are silky and pure, with a savory mix of sour wild berries and salty mineral tones. This finishes with tremendous length yet energetic, leaving black currant and mocha hints to linger. 94
APRIL 2020
Tenuta Sant’Antonio "Campo dei Gigli" Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2015
Deep, rich color; intense and lush with concentrated fruit but good acid structure as well. Balanced, complex, and smooth with a lasting finish. 93
JANUARY 2023
Tenuta Sant’Antonio "Campo dei Gigli" Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2017
This rich Amarone is all that it is supposed to be and more. The nose is loaded with blackberry and cassis with licorice and savory herbs layered atop the intense fruit aromas. The palate shows off the beauty of the vineyard with deep dark plum notes wrapped around sweet chocolate and baking spices with fine tannins and a long finish. 90
JANUARY 2021
Tenuta Sant'Antonio “Nanfrè” Valpolicella DOC 2018
“This is a delightful wine with fresh spicy, floral aromas, juicy cherry, strawberry fruit, crisp acidity and ripe, integrated tannins. The blend is 70% Corvina and 30% Rondinella from grapes selected from the winery’s youngest vines. Fermented in temperature-controlled stainless for eight to ten days, it then spends six months in stainless steel on lees stirred weekly. The closure is a glass stopper. The goal of the producer was to rediscover the original style from 30 years ago or before. Their aim is to “create a style, not necessarily strong or rich, but light with 12.5 alcohol. A wine that is fruity and at the same time with some spicy notes, like pepper and a note like we have in our limestone soil.” They did it. “ 94+
DECEMBER 2021
Tenuta Sant’Antonio “Antonio Castagnedi” Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2016
Packaged in a heavy glass bottle, the Tenuta Sant'Antonio 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Antonio Castagnedi is a beautifully full and generous wine. If offers a full load of fruit weight and manages to do so without losing freshness or crispness. The bouquet delivers elements of dark cherry, blackcurrant and blackberry preserves, and those dark tones transition to sweet tones of spice, licorice and tar. This is a full-bodied and thoroughly contemporary expression that translates to the palate with lively energy and lots of Amarone power. Fruit comes from a hillside vineyard with sandy limestone soils and white calcareous rocks at a breezy 300 meters in elevation. The traditional blend used by this estate is 70% Corvina and Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina and 5% Oseleta. The wine ages in oak for two long years. |