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TENUTA SANT'ANTONIO

VENETO

TENUTA SANT'ANTONIO

VENETO



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ABOUT THE WINERY

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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WINERY LOCATION: Lavagno (Verona province), Veneto
REGION: Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG, Valpolicella DOC, Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
VINEYARD LAND: 247 acres (100 ha)
FARMING PRACTICES: Sustainable
GRAPE VARIETIES: Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella with small amounts of Croatina and Oseleta
WINE STYLES: Dry red; sweet dessert
TOTAL WINE PRODUCTION: 700,000 bottles (525,000 liters)
YEAR FOUNDED: 1995
OWNER(S): Armando, Tiziano, Paolo, and Massimo Castagnedi
WINEMAKER(S): Paolo Castagnedi

WINES

TENUTA SANT'ANTONIO “NANFRÈ” VALPOLICELLA DOC

Nanfrè is Tenuta Sant'Antonio's young Valpolicella wine. It incorporates no dried grapes and uses no oak.  The winery's recent decision to stop producing the Nanfrè as s Valpolicella Superiore allows them to maintain lower alcohol levels, more vibrant fruit and lively freshness.  Nanfrè is the name of a hamlet in the commune of Illasi, the name of a vineyard and also the nickname of the previous owner of that vineyard (short for Gianfranco).

TENUTA SANT'ANTONIO “MONTI GARBI” VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO SUPERIORE DOC

Tenuta Sant'Antonio's Monti Garbi is a versatile wine that falls in between the winery’s Nanfrè Valpolicella and its Amarones in style. Ripasso is a traditional and fairly unique style of wine in which standard Valpolicella wine has undergone a second fermentation in the presence of pressed Amarone grape skins, which adds body and complexity. Monti Garbi starts with superiore-level grapes, which results in an even more robust wine. The name Monti Garbi comes from a vineyard in Mezzane di Sotto in the eastern part of Valpolicella. Monti means "hills," and Garbi is Venetian dialect for "rugged, arid, and poor," which describes the poor calcareous and chalky soil of the vineyard.

TENUTA SANT’ANTONIO “ANTONIO CASTAGNEDI” AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA DOCG

Amarone della Valpolicella is the most prestigious red wine of Veneto, and the four brothers who started Tenuta Sant'Antonio dedicate their primary Amarone to their father, Antonio Castagnedi. The best grapes from different vineyards are selected for this wine and are brought to the winery's drying room to undergo the appassimento process. After at least 3 months of drying, the grapes have shriveled and lost much of their water, while retaining their sugar, flavor, and other components. Once fermented and aged in new barrels, the Amarone is a powerful wine, yet fruity, fresh, and clean.

TENUTA SANT’ANTONIO "CAMPO DEI GIGLI" AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA DOCG

Campo dei Gigli is Tenuta Sant'Antonio's most important vineyard, the source of the winery's flagship Amarone della Valpolicella wine. In the traditional fashion, the grapes from this vineyard are taken to the winery's drying room for at least 3 months to allow water to evaporate. The raisinated grapes have a high ratio of solids to water and create an Amarone with a classic style, concentrated and with balsamic notes. The vineyard name means "field of lilies," the flower symbol of the winery.

TENUTA SANT’ANTONIO “ARGILLE BIANCHE” RECIOTO DELLA VALPOLICELLA DOCG

Recioto della Valpolicella is one of the classic dessert wines of Italy. Tenuta Sant’Antonio Argille Bianche is produced with the same grapes and techniques of Amarone, except that the fermentation of the dried grapes is stopped while a large amount of sugar remains in the wine. The result is a wine that is very sweet and a bit tannic. It’s a “meditation wine” that Tenuta Sant’Antonio produces only in the top vintages. Argille bianche means “white clays,” referring to the soils in the vineyards here.

LOCATION


WINERY:
Lavagno (Verona province), Veneto

VINEYARD:
Eastern Valpolicella and Soave areas, Veneto

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NEWS AND REVIEWS FROM OUR FRIENDS IN THE INDUSTRY



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95
APRIL 2024
Tenuta Sant’Antonio "Campo dei Gigli" Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2019

This producer is in top form, embellishing a brilliant line of whites with very good reds. Pointed aromas of dried tobacco, Morello cherries, kirsch and anise. A brilliant confluence of crunch, sap and extract, none of the component overwhelming the others, although the power of the wine is clear. Leaves the impression of freshness over tiring sweet fruit. This is a very fine, contemporary expression of Amarone that demands attention. Long, detailed and immensely classy. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.

93
MARCH 2023
Tenuta Sant’Antonio “Antonio Castagnedi” Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2018

The 2018 Amarone della Valpolicella Antonio Castagnedi opens with a dusty mix of black currants and lavender offset by clove and mocha hints. This shows the lift and finesse of the vintage while imparting undeniable elegance as depths of ripe red fruits are offset by a bitter tinge of dark chocolate. The 2018 finishes structured with fine-grained tannins, licorice and inner violet florals.

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.”     
 

95
FEBRUARY 2024
Tenuta Sant’Antonio "Campo dei Gigli" Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2018

Remarkably pretty, yet dark and intense, the 2018 Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli bursts from the glass with dusty notes of dried roses, balsamic spice, tobacco, dark chocolate and dried black cherries. Seamless and elegant in style, this envelops the palate with ripe red and blue fruits, taking on a bitter tinge of mocha and espresso toward the close. It finishes long and staining, with a coating of fine-grained tannins that adds a classically dry impression while minty herbal tones maintain freshness. This transcends the 2018 vintage, yet patience will be required.

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.

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.

91
JANUARY 2021
Tenuta Sant'Antonio “Monti Garbi” Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore DOC 2017

“Ripasso, or repassed, describes the process in which a dry Valpolicella wine that goes through a second fermentation with the skins and seeds of a recently fermented Amarone, made from dried grapes. It gives this wine its richness and dried fruit aromas.  It has a light ruby color with orange notes.  Fresh floral aromas, roses, savory sweet/sour flavors, crisp mouthwatering savory, saline cherry, strawberry fruit is intense and lively in the mouth, finishing with sturdy, yet smooth tannins.”    

93
JUNE 2021
Tenuta Sant’Antonio “Antonio Castagnedi” Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2017

Intense dried cranberry and steely blackcurrant on the nose. Balsamic, dried-herb and licoricy oak, too. Full and very concentrated on the palate with a focused, flavorful drive of spicy fruit and well-integrated tannins that pushes on and on. Tempting now, but best from 2023.