Pinotman /// Andreas

8.9

An OK Chianti. Widely available. — 2 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

One of my absolute favorite California wines. The California Latour. ‘97 is superb—vividly detailed and complex with both power and elegance. A masterful balance of fruit, tertiary character and cooling acidity with a silky palate and melting tannins. Hard to beat for a Wagyu pairing. — 3 months ago

joy horn

9.9

Bought at Pine Orchard 11/25 $70 after tasting at Ridge in 10/25. Less expensive here. The 2023 is rated at 100 pts. Absolutely delicious. Floral aromas, lightly crisp, subtle oak, smooth finish. — 5 months ago

Erik Longabardi

9.4

Pelaverga — 5 months ago

Damian

9.3

Cedar, fruit in the background, coconut?. Mature and delicious — 6 months ago

Randy Fillingim

9.0

Still drinking, wonderfully after 12 years. A fine example of this variety from Italy. — 2 years ago

John Knudsen

9.0

Decanted for 2 hours. Still big, no signs of fading. Did not drink enough before it was consumed to review properly, but seemed a touch sweet. — 3 years ago

Muralee Murugesu

9.3

Last bottle of this earthy, leathery still powerful super Tuscan. Stellar. — 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Sant’Urbano, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020, Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
Produced by Speri in the historic hills of Valpolicella Classico, the Sant’Urbano Amarone is one of the estate’s flagship wines and a benchmark expression of the style. Crafted from the traditional Amarone blend, primarily Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, the grapes undergo the classic appassimento drying process for several months before fermentation, concentrating flavors and structure. The 2020 vintage shows remarkable balance between richness and freshness, delivering depth while maintaining precision and lift.

Aromas & Flavors
Subtle yet expressive layers of dried raisin, marmalade, and dark fruit compote emerge alongside notes of ripe cherry, fig, and delicate spice. The aromatic profile reveals the classic Amarone character without becoming overly heavy, allowing fruit purity and complexity to remain in focus.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet remarkably lively, the wine moves across the palate with impressive energy. Structured tannins and vibrant acidity provide a firm backbone, giving the wine lift and elegance. The texture is rich but polished, and the finish is long, layered, and persistent, suggesting a wine that will continue to evolve and climb with further aging.

Food Pairings
This Amarone pairs beautifully with slow-braised meats, roasted lamb, venison, and rich game dishes where its concentration and acidity complement savory depth. It also shines alongside aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, where the wine’s structure and lingering finish enhance the richness of the pairing.

Verdict
A beautifully balanced Amarone that combines power with finesse. Structured, energetic, and elegant, it delivers both immediate pleasure and strong aging potential.

Did You Know?
The Sant’Urbano vineyard from which this wine takes its name is one of Speri’s historic crus in Valpolicella Classico and is considered among the estate’s most important sites for producing Amarone with both structure and longevity.

🍷 Personal Pick
An Amarone that truly danced across the palate, rich yet vibrant, with subtle dried fruit, marmalade, and compote supported by strong structure and acidity. Delicious now, but clearly a wine that still has room to climb. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and no obvious signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of ripe and some dried fruits: bramble berries, slightly stewed black cherry, dried herbs, stony earth, baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. The alcohol is high.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Grenache-based blend, Corvina-based blend or Sangiovese-based blend from France or Italy. I felt the combination of slightly stewed cherry and spices ruled out what I would want from a Sangiovese blend. Which, left me to decide between Southern Rhône or Valpolicella. I liked this wine…the oak treatment was interesting. I was getting a French barrique. Hmmm…

So, for my final conclusion: I’m calling this a Grenache-based blend, from France, from Southern Rhône, from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2017, from a more modern leaning producer using a good portion of barrique. I’ll be damned! I don’t hate my call but I gotta get better at distinguishing these wines from Southern Rhône. I probably just need to drink more of both, lol. Tasty stuff! Drink now through 2039. — 5 months ago

Joe Fischer

9.2

Try this with a filet mignon with a bourbon cream sauce! Superb! Ruby with blackberry, cherry, and plum aromas. Nice spice, acidity, and mild tannins. Smooth with a medium finish. — 7 months ago

Jamie Lauder

9.2

2016 vintage.
80% Sangiovese, 13 % Merlot and 7% Malvasia Nera.
Dark, shiny red ruby in colour.
Red/black berries, cinnamon and pomegranate on the nose.
Bright acidity and the tannins are softening.
Dark cherries, leather, black flowers, walnuts and a light, herbal earthiness.
— 3 years ago

Nick Coveney

9.8

Just like back in montalcino — 6 years ago

with Kate, Bob and 1 other

Mary H

8.9

Simple and classic chianti but that’s about it. Cherry red fruit and light oakiness. — 3 months ago

Amy

9.0

mtw- liked! — 3 months ago

Andrea Watt

9.4

Oak, chocolate, and leather. Big, rich, and full. — 3 months ago

Carter Snead

9.0

A little past peak, but delish — 5 months ago

Colleen Tomasello

9.4

Excellent cab! Always great from Ridge, this one is full bodied, nicely aged (still has room to age more, but wonderful right now!, wish i had a couple more) — 6 months ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

This up-front, fleshy Chianti is drinking really nicely right now. Pretty extroverted nose shows dark, macerated cherry, iodiney minerality, and a little loamy soil. In the mouth it’s pretty full, with a big whack of fruit initially, some tertiary notes developing and becoming apparent in the back half of the palate. Decent acids and still some soft tannin providing some scaffolding. I’d like a bit more linearity and persistence in the finish but for a ‘18 it’s darn nice. — 8 months ago

Jody Wycech

9.2

A delicious primitivo. Paired well with some Italian food (pasta, wine, can’t remember). Is good, would have ‘gan — 3 years ago

with Ethan, Peter and 1 other