Tenuta Santa Maria is a private estate of the Bertani family. Located in the Arbizzano frazione of Negrar, one of the most highly regarded terroirs of the Valpolicella Classica, the 16th century Villa Mosconi Bertani and its vineyards are intertwined with the history of the regions' most famous wine - Amarone. The great grandfather of today's proprietor, Gaetano Bertani, along with his brother Giovan Battista, founded the estate in 1857. The family was responsbile for the introduction of the term 'Amarone', coined in 1936 within the very cellars of the villa complex in reference to a wine the Bertani family had been producing since the early 1900s under the name 'Recioto Secco'. The estate, along with the Colognola ai Colli property in the Val d'illasi to the east, were retained post 2013 when the Gruppo Bertani was sold. Giovanni & Guglielmo, work to express the quality of this land by combining traditional methods, selected technology, and experience passed down through generations of family tradition. The vineyards are in organic conversion.

Tenuta Santa Maria Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico Riserva 150cl 2019
16% abv
Red cherry, cranberry, balsamic and rosemary aromas. Layers of chocolate and smokey fruit follow through on the rich concentrated finish.
“The 2019 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva is hauntingly dark in the glass, slowly evolving with nuances of dark chocolate and dried blueberries complemented by hints of gravel dust and dried roses. It is round and juicy in style with vividly ripe red berry fruits elevated by cooling acidity as a collection of fine tannins adds form toward the close. This finishes long and mentholated, wickedly fresh, leaving a subtle blackberry twang and tinge of spice. Savory yet harmonious.” 2026 – 2034
94 Points, Eric Guido, Vinous, September 2025
At the end of September, the finest (Corvina 75%, Rondinella 10%, Corvinone 15%) grapes are hand-selected for a special, early harvest from the estate in Arbizzano di Negrar, located in the Valpolicella Classica Region. The fruit is then laid to dry for 4-5 months on bamboo and wood mats in a centuries-old chamber, protected but with natural air circulation. Towards the middle of January, after reaching the desired sugar concentration (and when the grapes have lost 40-50% of their original weight), the dried fruit is pressed and left to ferment for 25-30 days at a controlled temperature accompanied by daily punch downs. This process is followed by a long period of fining in large oak barrels where the malolactic fermentation takes place. Aging is in 30 & 50hl botti averaging 10 years of age. Nearly five years after the initial harvesting, the wine is bottled for six months’ minimum of refinement.
- Reference #:
- 25306
- Strength
- 16 ABV
- Bottles per Case
- 6 bottles
- Grapes
- Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
- Organic
- No
- Biodynamic
- No
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
- Sparkling
- No
