Tenuta Sant’antonio Scaia Cabernet Sauvignon Torre Mellotti 2017

Tenuta Sant’Antonio is a force in Italy. Led by the four Castagnedi brothers, the estate has been doing amazing things for the past fifteen years, making what The Wine Advocate’s Chief Editor, Monica Larner calls, her absolute all-time favorite Amarone and “beautiful top-end wines” but she said they also show, “special talents when it comes to their terrific Scaia entry-level wines.” That is ridiculously high praise, but well deserved. She’s not wrong.

In vintages like 2017, some wineries get nervous with a hot vintage. But true champions of Amarone and Cabernet Sauvignon welcome the hotter vintages, most of the time even thriving in them. For the Castagnedi brothers, who spent their entire lives walking through the vineyards in the hot Italian sun, it is where they feel most at home.

Antonio Castagnedi was a winegrower in the east Valpolicella through the late 20th century, who built a small empire and then left 50 acres of vineyards to his four sons, Armando, Tiziano, Paolo and Massimo. Together, the boys took the opportunity and ran with it, making ‘Tenuta Sant’Antonio a big-time international name, with the words, “Famiglia Castagnedi” on the label a reminder of the family that launched it into fame.

Their Scaia Cabernet Torre Mellotti is a steal every vintage, but in hot years it is exceptional. Just look at what The Wine Advocate had to say!!! “Honestly, it’s almost impossible to imagine Cabernet Sauvignon reaching these levels of intensity at this price point.” Frankly, that should be enough to tip your curiosity, but if you need more- I had this wine last week, I can talk about it all day.