Santi Amarone
Veneto Amarone, dried in crates, poured in Commack since the start.
The story behind Santi
Santi Amarone comes out of Illasi, in the Verona district of Veneto, inside the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG. The grapes are Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone, and the method is the whole point: the ripest ears of each cluster are picked by hand in late October and laid flat in wood crates under shelter until late January. Roughly 40 percent of the liquid evaporates, concentrating sugar, acid and flavor before fermentation even starts.
What follows is up to three years in French oak, Allier barriques and tonneaux, plus large Slovenian casks, then bottle refinement. Critics have tracked it for years, James Suckling and Falstaff in the low 90s, Wine Enthusiast at 92 for the 2015 Proemio, with steady entries in Gambero Rosso, Vitae AIS and Bibenda.
Explore the Santi range
Santi's Veneto range starts light and climbs to Amarone. Five bottles we carry, from a $7.98 Moscato to the $79.99 Amarone, all from the same house.
| Expression | Type | Proof / ABV | Tasting notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santi Montedoro Moscato 750mL | Sweet white | Low ABV, lightly sparkling | Peach, orange blossom, honeyed finish, serve well chilled |
| Santi Pinot Grigio 750mL | Dry white | Light to medium ABV | Green apple, almond, clean mineral close, aperitivo pour |
| Santi Ventale Valpolicella 750mL | Dry red | Medium ABV | Sour cherry, dried herb, light tannin, weekday red |
| Santi Valpoicella Ripasso 750mL | Dry red | Medium to full ABV | Cherry, cocoa, raisined edge from Amarone skins |
| Santi Amarone Della Valp 750mL | Dry red, DOCG | High ABV, full bodied | Dried cherry, fig, bitter chocolate, leather, long finish |
Which Santi is right for you?
The Amarone is the one people ask about, and at $79.99 it sits where a Classico DOCG should. Below it, the Ripasso at $16.98 is the honest bridge: same grapes, same house, passed over Amarone skins for extra weight. Ventale Valpolicella runs $13.99, Pinot Grigio $12.99, Montedoro Moscato $7.98. If you want to buy Santi Amarone online and build a case around it, start with the Ripasso and work up. Prices move with promotions and taxes, so call the store for today's number.
Wild boar or short rib needs the dried cherry and tannin only Amarone carries.
Amarone weight at a fifth of the price, built for Tuesday pasta.
Chilled, low alcohol, pours easy before dinner without wrecking the meal.