Sant'Antonio - Monti Garbi Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso 2020
Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $23.99
| Producer | Sant'Antonio |
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| Country | Italy |
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| Region | Valpolicella |
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| Varietal | Rondinella, Corvina, Corvinone, Molinara |
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| Vintage | 2020 |
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| Sku | 06218 |
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| Size | 750ml |
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My visit to Sant’Antonio a few years ago and tour of the winery and vineyards with the Castagnedi brothers is one of my fondest memories. They invited us to stay for dinner on the terrace, the spread as you can expect was jaw-dropping. Between devouring every course and conversing with winemaker Paolo Castagnedi in French (my Italian is awful and his English wasn’t great) I was struck by how versatile Sant’Antonio’s wines were at the dinner table. I mean we must’ve consumed over ten different dishes over the course of four hours and this Ripasso seemed to pair well with everything. I’m sure it’ll wow at your dinner table too.
So what is Ripasso? Well, it starts with Amarone. Valpolicella grapes are harvested and the top fruit is left to partially dry, thus concentrating the sugars and intensity of flavor, while developing Amarone’s unique flavor profile. This gem is made in the "ripasso" style - literally meaning to "re-pass". A portion of the wine is fermented immediately, instead of drying the grapes. Then, in February, after the Amarone is done fermenting and moved to barrels, this juice is re-fermented on the skins and lees from the Amarone - the wine is "re-passed" over the pomace from the Amarone. Hence, Ripasso!
And why is Sant’Antonio’s Ripasso so special, apart from the insanely good price of course? Sant’Antonio’s Ripasso grapes (70% Corvina, Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, 10% Croatina, Oseleta) are usually picked in the first couple of weeks of September, two weeks earlier than most. Sant’Antonio’s fruit is therefore fresher than most other producers’. This really shows in the wine, giving this beauty a bright lift that I don’t often find in others, especially at this price! Additionally, most producers use big barrels, mostly Slavonian oak for ageing. Paolo realized that French oak actually works much better, with finer grained barrels making the wine smoother and rounder, with sweeter tannins. Sant’Antonio also chose to focus on quality not quantity when it comes to their fruit, opting for organic hands off farming, and high density vine plantings. The roots dig deep for nutrients and water, resulting low yields of top quality fruit. The resulting Ripasso is staggeringly good, deep and richly flavored yet incredibly fresh.
Vinous Media: 92+ Points
“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.”
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