Vinification:
The grapes from the different plots are fermented separately, with a maceration period of 15 days and pumping over at carefully controlled temperatures. The dried grapes used to make Amarone are used for the second fermentation of Ripasso. This gives Ripasso some of the body, flavour and concentration found in Amarone. After blending, the juice is aged in barriques and large barrels for 18 months. The wine is then aged in the bottle for a further period before being marketed. Ageing potential: 7 years from harvest date.
Food and wine pairing:
Truffle risotto, pork tenderloin, red meat, various cheeses.
Background information:
The Santi winery plays a key role in the history of Valpolicella. Founded in 1843 in Illasi, an ancient village at the eastern tip of the Verona district, near the Lessini Mountains. Here, in the shadow of a medieval castle, Carlo Santi founded his cellar to produce wines typical of the area. Santi is one of the three oldest wineries in this region, together with Cantina Bolla and Bertani.
From the beginning, the Santi family focused on quality and first-class raw materials, using only the best grapes from the best growing areas of their own estate. The success of the wines convinced the winery to also buy grapes from local growers. Thanks to these good relationships, Santi can still use grapes from different microclimates, thus continuing the exclusive style of Santi. In the years that followed, the aim remained the same: quality & excellent wines, with research and innovation. Today, Santi stands for wines that are fully representative of the excellent terroir of Valpolicella.
Christian Ridolfi is at the helm of Santi as winemaker. After studying at the ‘Istituto Agrario di Conegliano’, where he trained as an oenologist, he started his career at Santi. Over the years, he has gained a lot of knowledge about the region, the terroir, the grapes and knows every valley like the back of his hand. After working in other wine cellars for twenty years, Christian returned to Santi. Under his leadership, the winery was completely renovated in 2016.
Three important pillars of the philosophy of Christian Ridolfi & Santi:
• Corvina: the king of this terroir. Provides an elegant, fruity style in every blend.
• Santi consciously chooses to mature the wines in large barrels. In addition to the fact that this is typical of the Italian tradition, Santi wants to keep the ratios between the wine and the surface of the barrel low, in order to minimize the risk of oxygen supply. Santi uses barrels of 25-28 hectoliters for Amarone, with an average capacity of 40 hectoliters.
• In addition to oak barrels, Santi uses barrels made of typical native wood, with cherry, chestnut and small amounts of acacia. Each type of wood represents a characteristic of Valpolicella.
| Alcohol: | 14% |
| Volume: | 75cl |
