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I 1000 vini d’Italia 2025: L’Espresso

I 1000 vini d’Italia 2025 – L’ Espresso: Zenato‘s Amarone Riserva Sergio Zenato 2018 and Cresasso 2018 received respectively 96 and 95 Points.

AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA RISERVA SERGIO ZENATO 2018

Points

Produced only in top vintages, this graceful wine is made from a selection of Corvina and Rondinella grapes grown in the oldest vineyards in the township of Sant’Ambrogio in Valpolicella’s “classic” zone.

Following vinification, it undergoes long-term aging for at least 4 years in Slavonian oak casks.

It represents the very identity of the winery and its legacy throughout the world – a wine that can age and be enjoyed for more than 20 years.

With luminous and dense color, elegant complexity and a wonderf

CORVINA VERONESE
CRESASSO 2018

Points

Made from Corvina Veronese, this single-vineyard designate wine is deeply connected to the land where it is grown.

Its intense, deep ruby red color tinges the glass as its thick, lingering legs slide down the edges.

On the nose, it delivers a spectrum of delicious and enchanting red fruit, blueberry, and blackberry notes that evolve into intense aromas of black cherry, cooked prune and jam.

It’s ideal for grilled meats, roast meats, game, and grilled sausage. It also pairs wonderfully with aged cheeses and rich tomato sauces prepared with herbs.

Azienda Vitivinicola Zenato

The story of Zenato is the story of a family that firmly planted its roots in the land. It was made possible thanks to the passion and entrepreneurial vision of the estate’s founder, Sergio, who managed to fulfill his greatest dream: to create a winery capable of harvesting the fruits of the earth and transform them into emotions with matchless flavor.

Today, more than 60 years later, the results are testament to his extraordinary vision. A wonderful story took shape thanks to his vision and today its star is his family: Wife Carla and children Alberto and Nadia.
Their eyes and their heart continue down the path that Sergio laid out with great clarity as he steadied the course toward quality and love for their land. Over time, that land wasn’t just Lugana but also Valpolicella, with its celebrated red wines and their matchless aromas.

CasalFarneto’s awards update

James Suckling nice ratings for CasalFarneto

94 Pts to Cimaio 2019, 92 Pts to Pao 2022 and 90 Pts to Fontevecchia 2023.

Marche Bianco Cimaio 2019

It is a wine of remarkable structure and elegance, soft, wrapping, extremely pleasant, with distinctive aromatic notes.

Marche Bianco Pao 2022

Unusual and unexpected wine in flavors and color, complex, rich, well structured in nose and also in taste. A magnificent wine, Full-bodied, strongly sapid and mineral, dynamic.

Verdicchio Fontevecchia 2023

Fontevecchia is one of the most popular wines produced by CasalFarneto.
Wine of great expression, it is a variety of Verdicchio Classico Superiore, elegant and very pleasant, on the palate a wide range of fruity and floral aromas stand out.

1995

FOUNDATION OF CASALFARNETO WINE ESTATE. FOUR PARTNERS, ALREADY EXPERTS IN THE FIELD, DECIDE TO RESTORE A SMALL FARMHOUSE, SURROUNDED BY FARNETTO OAKS, AND TO INVEST IN THE TYPICAL WHITE WINE OF THE AREA: VERDICCHIO.

2005

TOGNI GROUP ACQUIRES THE WINE COMPANY OF 60 ACRES AND BEGINS THE BUILDING OF THE NEW WINERY. A GRADUAL RENEWAL OF ALL THE VINEYARDS COMMENCES. THE PRODUCTION EXPANDS WITH THE ADDITION OF RED WINES, BASED ON MONTEPULCIANO, SANGIOVESE, MERLOT, AND CABERNET GRAPES.

2012

FROM THE COLLABORATION WITH INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN OENOLOGIST FRANCO BERNABEI CRISIO, CASALFARNETO PRODUCTION IS BORN AND, WITH IT, THE FIRST AWARDS: IT GETS AWARDED BY THE PRETIGIOUS ITALIAN WINE GUIDE “GAMBERO ROSSO”, WITH THREE GLASS ICONS.

2017

CASALFARNETO WINE ESTATE DECIDES TO CONTINUE TO GROW AUTONOMOUSLY CUTTING THE CORD FROM THE FAMILY BUSINESS, STRONG IN PAOLO TOGNI’S KNOW-HOW AND BUSINESS EXPERIENCE OF FORTY YEARS

The Winery: CASALFARNETO, GETTING TO KNOW VERDICCHIO WINE

In Le Marche region, in between the sea and the Apennines, one of the most beautiful hilly landscapes of Ancona’s province unfolds – it’s the land of prestigious wines such as Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi. Here, with its 35 acres of vineyard, CasalFarneto Wine Estate is located, where technology, tradition and sustainability combine to produce wines of excellence. Under the shade of Farnetto oaks, from which the Estate gets its name, the farmhouse boasts the cultivation of white and red grapes, with particular attention to organic wine.

Technology and Nature: DESIGN IMMERSED IN THE GREEN

Aesthetics and functionality is the perfect blend in eco-architecture. CasaFarneto Wine Estate is the clear example of an eco-sustainable approach towards nature and the surrounding area. In the headland of Le Marche harmonious hills, the winery, mainly built of stone and wood, has been partly erected underground, blending itself with the landscape’s architecture and its colours. In this sense, Architect Nazzareno Petrini worked according to an aesthetic criterion that could enhance both the landscape and the winery with its winemaking technologies. As an example, the winery has been entirely covered by a roof garden planted to vines allowing for a double experience: the pleasant visual continuity with the landscape and a constant underground temperature at 18-20°C where the barrels and tanks are located. Inside, in line with the low environmental impact of the vineyards, technology couples up with natural processing methods to ensure purity in the wines and in the eco-system. CasalFarneto’s effort to reduce impact on the air, vineyard, land and environment makes it gain the definition of a “technological farm” – a place where to envisage the future of winemaking starting from the tradition.

The People: ROOTS IN THE FUTURE

For a decade, CasalFarneto has been managed alongside the Togni Group allowing its wine production to make good use of technical and entrepreneurial know-how, which has been vital to grow a business nurtured by strong effort and great passion for wine. Local geography, quality and innovation are a triple value aiming to propose a unique product to the consumer. The strong personality of CasalFarneto wines is the result of on-going experimentation retelling Le Marche winegrowing tradition in an increasingly more modern and biological key.

“To us, wine must represent the “terroir” and its culture. Each bottle expresses land, tradition, culture and work. It often becomes the souvenir of a pleasant holiday to remember, like a good old postcard to oneself or friends.”

Paolo Togni

Head of the family business

Discover CasalFarneto….

…take a look at their website:

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James Suckling: awards for Zenato

Nice James Suckling reviews for Zenato‘s wines.

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico and the Riserva Sergio Zenato received both 95 Points.
Good results for the Lugana Riserva Sergio Zenato too, with a rating of 91 Points.

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2019

“The jewel of Zenato’s production, this wine is made from a selection of top grapes from Valpolicella Classica grown in Sant’Ambrogio township (Corvina, Rondinella, Oseleta, and Croatina).
The grapes are dried for 4 months and crushing is not carried out until January.
Slow fermentation with skin contact follows and then the wine is aged for 36 months in large-format Slavonian casks. It is then aged in bottle before being released.
This is a majestic wine, intense, and ethereal, with notes of bay leaf and distillate-cured cherries. The impressive balance between all its components makes it ideal for long-term aging.”

Points

Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva Sergio Zenato 2018

“Produced only in top vintages, this graceful wine is made from a selection of Corvina and Rondinella grapes grown in the oldest vineyards in the township of Sant’Ambrogio in Valpolicella’s “classic” zone.
Following vinification, it undergoes long-term aging for at least 4 years in Slavonian oak casks.
It represents the very identity of the winery and its legacy throughout the world – a wine that can age and be enjoyed for more than 20 years.
With luminous and dense color, elegant complexity, and a wonderful touch of spice, it’s a wholehearted expression of the land where it is made.”

Points

Lugana Riserva Sergio Zenato 2021

“This Lugana Riserva is the fruit of the Zenato family’s genuine passion and a reflection of their history in the appellation.
The grapes for this wine come from the oldest vines on their Podere Massoni farm. They are harvested slightly late, around mid-October.
Fermentation takes place in oak cask (70%) and stainless steel (30%).

Light brilliant gold in color, this wine delivers intense multi-faceted aromas on the nose, with floral and citrus notes, spices, white plum, and vanilla.
On the palate, it’s rich in flavor, with great depth and balance. An ideal white for aging.”

Points

The Soul of Lugana and the Heart of Valpolicella.

95 hectares of top vineyards in Lugana and Valpolicella’s “classic zone”.

Today Zenato’s vineyards cover 95 hectares on the S. Cristina estate in San Benedetto di Lugana, devoted to Trebbiano di Lugana, and on the Costalunga estate in Valpolicella, home of Zenato’s famous Amarone, which is home to the renowned Corvina, Rondinella and Oseleta grape varieties.

Sergio Zenato manicured the morainic hills for years, from the most strategic observation point on Lake Garda in Peschiera. His reflection was cast over the largest body of blue in Italy. And since the 1960s, he saw in Trebbiano di Lugana something that few others had intuited: that the color, aromas, and favors of the white wine it produced could travel the world.”

In the flash of an eye and the wonder of Lake Garda is all there: in the beauty of the landscape; in the naturalist, historic, and artistic value of the land; in the mild climate. The secret of Trebbiano di Lugana, a native grape variety planted on the southern banks of Lake Garda, is hidden in its origins.

With the backdrop of this pristine setting, the gates of the Santa Cristina estate open up on to a broad road with elegant red rose bushes on either side. They are the silent sentinels to whom the Zenato family has entrusted their rows of vines.

All of the incredible things that have happened in this little corner of the world are thanks to the extraordinary intuition and entrepreneurial power of a grape grower who was in love with his land and absolutely convinced of the quality of the wines that only this land could produce. It all began with a white wine, Lugana: Sergio Zenato’s Challenge and Dream since the 1960s.

Taking over the Costalunga estate, in the heart of Valpolicella Classica, Sergio Zenato wanted to measure himself in a new venture, after making the most out of his Lugana vineyards: to make it a model vineyard, beautiful to look at, cared for in every detail, in which to apply modern agronomic techniques and at the same time resume the traditional methods that had defined the Valpolicella landscape

In a thorough manner, Sergio Zenato drew the distribution on the land of the vines selected for the production of the different wines, going so far as to indicate the direction of the rows so that the vines could receive maximum benefits from the sun. He took special care to make the soil work well to achieve a dry and permeable soil without water retention.

A passionate dedication that we read in the construction of the characteristic dry-stone walls, at first sight elegant support structures, in actual fact an efficient containment system that guarantees the vine the three fundamental elements it needs: the warmth of the sun and the ventilation of air and water thanks to the gaps existing between the stones of the walls and the flaky crumbles of the subsurface.

Discover the world of Zenato ….

…take a look at their website:

amarone awards italianwines james suckling Lugana valpolicella winelovers zenato

Mundus Vini: outstanding results for Zenato

Mundus Vini: outstanding results for Zenato

1 Grand Gold, 4 Golds and 1 Silver for Zenato at the Summer Mundus Vini Competition.
Well done!!!!

GRAND GOLD

CORVINA VERONESE CRESASSO 2018

Made from Corvina Veronese, this single-vineyard designate wine is deeply connected to the land where it is grown.
Its intense, deep ruby red color tinges the glass as its thick, lingering legs slide down the edges.
On the nose delicious and enchanting red fruit, blueberry, and blackberry notes that evolve into intense aromas of black cherry, cooked prune, and jam.
It’s ideal for grilled meats, roast meats, game, and grilled sausage. It also pairs wonderfully with aged cheeses and rich tomato sauces prepared with herbs.

GOLD MEDAL

LUGANA SAN BENEDETTO 2023

The Zenato Lugana San Benedetto is made from a selection of the best grapes from the eponymous estate. The vineyards are some of the appellation’s most historic and are considered to be among its best.

Rich in personality and with great depth, this wine delivers a wide spectrum of fresh and complex aromas on the nose.

It’s full-bodied and full-flavored in the mouth, with notes that shift from dried apple and pineapple to pear and vanilla. Its long, brilliant finish lingers with delicious results.

LUGANA SANTA CRISTINA 2023

Produced with 100 percent Trebbiano di Lugana, this wine brightens up the glass with its straw yellow color.

Its multifaceted nose is aromatic, fresh, and fruity, with notes of grape, peach, citron, grapefruit, and a hint of pineapple, which adds tropical character.

On the palate, the wine is approachable, fresh, and has good minerality.

EVALUNA GARDA SANSONINA 2020

The second Sansonina red wine, made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vineyards, is the expression of the enormous potential that the extraordinary terroir of Lake Garda can also express with red varieties.
A Garda red, with its characteristic complexity of the important international varieties involved; easy to drink, fresh, fine and elegant.
Tribute to femininity, even its name evokes the symbol of genesis, the origin of the world and the star that represents the feminine world: “Eve” and “Luna”, creative forces, mystery and inspiration, direct link between the earth and the sk

AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2019

The jewel of Zenato’s production, this wine is made from a selection of top grapes from Valpolicella Classica grown in Sant’Ambrogio township (Corvina, Rondinella, Oseleta, and Croatina).
The grapes are dried for 4 months and crushing is not carried out until January. Slow fermentation with skin contact follows and then the wine is aged for 36 months in large-format Slavonian casks.
It is then aged in bottle before being released
This is a majestic wine, intense, and ethereal, with notes of bay leaf and distillate-cured cherries.
The impressive balance between all its com-ponents makes it ideal for long-term aging.

SILVER MEDAL

RIPASSA VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO SUPERIORE 2020

As soon as the dried grapes for the winery’s Amarone have completed fermentation, a top selection of Valpolicella grapes “passes over” (ripassa) the Amarone pomace, thus resulting in a second brief fermentation.
This helps to obtain higher alcohol content, deeper color, and rich flavor and aroma. Af-ter aging in French tonneaux for 18-20 months, the wine is cellared for another 6 months in bottle before release.
The process makes for a refined and concentrated wine, extremely smooth and velvety, with vibrant red fruit aromas.
On the palate, it delivers fruity notes and elegant tannin with hints of chocolate and spice. Ripassa has played a highly important role in the Zenato winery’s evolution over the years.

Fancy more info?
Check their website