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.
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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.
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LOCATIONWINERY: Lavagno (Verona province), Veneto VINEYARD: Eastern Valpolicella and Soave areas, Veneto VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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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. 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. “ 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. 91
JANUARY 2021
Tenuta Sant’Antonio "Campo dei Gigli" Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2016
![]() This wine offers a glimpse of dried cherry and plum flavors before the spectrum quickly shifts to notes of smoked bacon, fig and cardamom. The wine aged for three years in new French-oak tonneaux, developing a complex and decadent style that will appeal to the most ardent Amarone fans. 93
JANUARY 2021
Tenuta Sant’Antonio "Campo dei Gigli" Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2015
![]() “Campo dei Gigli is the name of the vineyard, and the grapes come from vines that are around 50 years old, the Castagnedi family’s oldest vines. It is a limited production wine made only in the bast vintages. It is fermented in open barrels with indigenous yeasts for 25 to 30 days, then the barrels are closed, skins included for 10 to 18 days. Skins are removed, and the wine is transferred to new 500 liter French oak barrels. This wine has a residual sugar of 8 grams per liter (.08 percent), so the wine is aged in Allier oak to contrast with residual sugar, giving the wine more vanilla. Campo dei Gigli ages three years in new casks. Layered flavors of dried cherries, plums, spice and leather combine with chalky tannins and a slight, pleasantly bitter note in the finish.” 93
JUNE 2021
Tenuta Sant’Antonio "Campo dei Gigli" Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2016
![]() Very potent aromas of blackcurrants and toasted oak with hints of eucalyptus and black-cherry liqueur, following through to a full palate with firm tannins that drive the fruit on through the long finish. There’s a kind of raw, almost rough-and-ready character to this that’s a bit hard work now. Will even out with bottle age. One for the cellar. Try from 2024. 96
DECEMBER 2021
Tenuta Sant’Antonio "Campo dei Gigli" Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2016
![]() The Tenuta Sant'Antonio 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli (packaged in a very heavy eco-unfriendly glass bottle) is a dark and brooding wine packed tight with richly concentrated black fruit delivered in thick and lasting layers. The bouquet peels back to reveal dark plum and baked blackberry, but there is also a major focus on spice, tar, barbecue smoke and teriyaki. The wine makes a wide and large impact on the palate. It shows enormous textural richness and softly integrated tannins. You can age this blend of 70% Corvina and Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina and 5% Oseleta (that sees three years in barrel) over the long haul. 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. |