Tenuta Sant’Antonio Amarone Antonio Castagnedi 2018

Most of the historic producers of Valpolicella are located on the western side of the denomination, but that’s not what we have here today. No, on the opposite side of the Valpolicella district, stretching East across several hills and valleys almost to Soave, is an eastern zone that’s making some of the region’s most exciting, and innovative wines. Over the last decade, this is where you want to be to find the true gems. 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.

Today, those four brothers have built quite the reputation. They’re a perennial high scoring winery who according to Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate makes some of the very best Amarone. Tenuta Sant’Antonio Valpolicellas are made from 100% estate-grown fruit from the Illasi Valley and Monti Garbi. They make three Amarone wines, but there is nothing quite like the Selezione Castignedi. Taking only a special selection of the best fruit, it offers big Red drinkers some of the very best values and most ageworthy bottlings.