Tenuta Santa Maria Ripasso Superiore 2018 - Veneto, Italy

93/100 James Suckling
94/100 Decanter (2017 Vintage)
91/100 CellarTracker (2017 Vintage)
91/100 Wine Spectator (2017 Vintage)
90/100 5StarWines (2017 Vintage)
96/100 Decanter (2016 Vintage)
93/100 Falstaff Magazin (2016 Vintage)
90/100 Wine Enthusiast (2016 Vintage)
88/100 Robert Parker (2016 Vintage)

Silver - International Wine & Spirit Competition (2017 Vintage)
Silver - London Wine Competition (2017 Vintage)
Bronze 87 - Decanter World Wine Awards (2017 Vintage)
Gold - London Wine Competition (2016 Vintage)
Gold - Decanter World Wine Awards (2016 Vintage)

Best of Wine Tourism - Great Wine Capitals
Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti: FIVI
Integrated Crop Management National Quality System SQNPI

James Suckling "Creamy wild strawberries and raspberries on the nose, held tight by a light, oaky note. Medium-to full-bodied with some tight, firm tannin that exerts the same kind of restraint on the juicy fruit. This is quite a complex wine that’s delicious now, but will continue to improve. Drink or hold."

Decanter "The Bertani family can trace its roots in Negrar, the heart of the Classico zone, back to the 15th century. Grapes are hand harvested; the wine spends 12 months in large oak casks so that classic red forest fruits and silky tannins can develop. On the nose, it has soft, ripe red fruits, while the well-balanced palate displays ripe plum and pomegranate and a hint of spice. Stunning juicy core, round tannins and an elegant finish.

Drinking Window 2021 - 2025" (2017 Vintage)

Decanter - "The palate brings a tobacco note, integrated oak and a peppy carriage of acidity. Long and modern. Scents of dried flowers, plum, tobacco, black cherries, coffee, herbs and menthol. " (2016 Vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "Aromas of ripe black-skinned berry, porcini mushroom and cooking spice lead the way. The dense palate offers prune, licorice and a touch of cinnamon alongside velvety tannins. Enjoy through 2022. Kerin O’Keefe" (2016 Vintage)

Robert Parker "Aged two years in large oak casks, the 2016 Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore shows a good mix of primary fruit and oak rendering with light spice and cinnamon to back the dried cherry and blackberry aromas. This is a blend of 75% Corvina, 15% Corvinone and 10% Rondinella, representing a very classic approach to the Valpolicella bending formula. There is a sweet note of candied cherry on the close. Pair this wine with pasta in a meat ragù. Some 27,000 bottles were made." (2016 Vintage)

Falstaff Magazine "Rich and intense ruby red. Compact nose of cherry compote and raspberries, shows ripe forest berries and some leather on the finish. On the palate multilayered and full, spreads out as an elegant drink, very well balanced, fine savoury tones with small berries, appealing and fine up to the finish." (2016 Vintage)

The Winemaker - "The Ripasso method is delicately achieved conducting a secondary extended maceration and fermentation over the Amarone grape skins, giving the wine higher complexity, bolder and softer body, and intense colour. Reminiscent of the Amarone, the wine is a vivid ruby red color. At the nose, intense hints of cherry, blueberry, licorice and lingering accents of cinnamon and pepper. At the palate, soft and warm structured velvet tannins and a very balanced acidity. Long finish with fruity sensations."

Centuries old, Tenuta Santa Maria all Pieve is located in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica. The 100-acre producer is comprised of two estates, one in the Valpolicella Classico zone and the second in the Illasi Valley. Tenuta Santa Maria all Pieve was established by Gaetano Bertani in 1850 and today it is owned and operated by his descendants, Gaetano Bertani and his sons Giovanni and Guglielmo. Since its sixteenth century origins this elegant estate has been known for the production of fine wines, especially for its for Amarone Classico and Valpolicella Ripasso. It has a stunning chateau and walled vineyards. Since the 1800's the estate has been making wines using the Guyot Method, a technique with an emphasis on high density, and low yield harvests.

Ripasso is a red wine from the Valpolicella zone located north of Verona in the Veneto region of Italy. Ripasso is generally less well known than Valpolicella and Amarone wines, also from this area, even though it shares some features of both wines.

The term 'Ripasso' sounds like and in fact means “repassed.” That refers to its production process whereby regular, fermented Valpolicella (which is a blend of three regional native red grape varieties - Corvina, Rondinella and occasionally Molinara) is added to a cask containing the skins and lees left over from recently fermented Amarone wines. The process of adding (or repassing”) the lighter Valpolicella wine over the remainders of the “bigger” Amarone wine imparts additional color, texture and flavor to the Valpolicella wine. Also, it induces a second fermentation of the wine that increases the wine’s alcoholic content.

The end result is a wine called Ripasso that retains the vibrancy of Valpolicella but is darker in color, bigger and more flavorful and complex than the original Valpolicella.

Valpolicella is one of the most prestigious Italian winemaking areas in the Veneto region and is located northwest of the elegant Roman town of Verona, in the western corner of the Veneto. The region has grown far beyond the original classic area and extends east to Soave and west to Bardolino, next to Lake Garda.