Tenuta Scajari Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva D.O.C.G.

Gini

Tenuta Scajari Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva D.O.C.G.

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$156.00 $208.00/L

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The Product in Brief:

✓ Vintage 2011 – Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva D.O.C.G.

✓ Corvina 60%, Corvinone 25%, Rondinella 10%, Oseleta 5%

✓ Campiano – upper eastern Valpolicella (VR), 400–550 m above sea level

✓ Clay-limestone soils with scaglia rossa and volcanic lapilli

✓ Vineyards managed under certified organic farming

✓ Slow fermentation of 20–25 days and spontaneous malolactic fermentation

✓ Very long ageing in French oak, without filtration + at least 6 months in bottle

✓ Powerful and elegant, with dark cherry, cocoa, liquorice, tobacco, spices and minerality

✓ Wine for long ageing

✓ Alcohol content: 16% vol.

Scheda Produttore PDF

A question of time. Scajari Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva D.O.C.G. 2011 is born at Campiano, in the eastern Alta Valpolicella (VR), on the high hills where Gini has built over the years one of the most ambitious expressions of its viticulture. Among the flakes of stone that mark these soils, the vines sink their roots into clay-limestone soils with volcanic lapilli, giving rise to a complex and seductive Amarone that brings together structure, freshness and elegance. The vineyards cover about 15 hectares, between 400 and 550 metres of altitude, with south and south-west exposures. The vines, trained in bilateral Guyot and grown under certified organic cultivation, are on average about 20 years old. Density reaches 7.000 vines per hectare, while careful selection brings the yield down to barely 16 hl/ha: figures that speak of the search for concentration and quality behind this Riserva. The blend joins Corvina 60%, Corvinone 25%, Rondinella 10% and Oseleta 5%. After the harvest, carried out in early October, the grapes are left to macerate at low temperatures for the first 3–4 days.

This is followed by a slow alcoholic fermentation of 20–25 days, accompanied by gentle punch-downs and several pump-overs a day. Malolactic fermentation takes place spontaneously in the summer after the harvest. Then time comes into play. After the first months in temperature-controlled steel, the wine is moved into wood for long years, part in French oak casks of 25 hl and part in pièces of 228 litres, in contact with its own natural yeasts. No filtration is carried out and, after bottling, ageing continues for at least another six months, in the ideal temperature and humidity conditions of the Gini cellar dug into the rock. In the glass Scajari shows an intense and impenetrable ruby red. The nose is fine, deep and complex: red fruit, with dark cherry to the fore, meets cocoa, liquorice and tobacco, accompanied by spicy and mineral shades. On the palate it is dry, warm and elegant, with a robust structure supported by good acidity. Dense, round and intense, it keeps a clean and persistent finish.

“A question of time” is not merely Scajari's claim: it sums up its identity. An Amarone Riserva in which the long years of ageing do not seek concentration and power alone, but preserve freshness, elegance and the ability to evolve over a long time.

Product Sheet:

Appellation: Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva D.O.C.G.

Vintage: 2011.

Grape variety: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta.

Production area: Tenuta Scajari – Campiano, eastern Alta Valpolicella (VR).

Soils: Clay-limestone soils marked by the presence of red scaglia and volcanic lapilli, with mineral stratifications that add to the particular identity of the wine.

Sensory notes: Intense and impenetrable ruby red colour. On the nose it is fine, complex and deep, with hints of red fruit, cherry and blackberry in particular, followed by notes of cocoa, liquorice and tobacco and by spicy and mineral shades. On the palate it is dry, warm and elegant, with a robust structure supported by good acidity. Dense, round and intense, it develops towards a clean and persistent finish. A wine of great complexity, particularly suited to long ageing.

Vinification: The grapes are left to macerate at low temperatures for the first 3-4 days, followed by a slow alcoholic fermentation lasting 20/25 days, during which gentle punch-downs and several pump-overs a day are carried out. Malolactic fermentation: spontaneous, in the summer after the harvest.

Ageing: The wine rests for the first months in temperature-controlled steel, then it is placed in wood for long years: part in French oak casks of 25 Hl, part in pièces of 228 L, in contact with its own natural yeasts. No filtration is carried out. Bottle ageing lasts at least six months. All at ideal temperature and humidity, in the cellar dug into the rock.

Serving temperature: 16–18°C.

Alcohol content: 16% vol.

Food pairings: Red meats, game and mature cheeses. The depth and complexity of the Riserva also make it an important meditation wine, to be enjoyed on its own and with the right amount of time.

Production philosophy: A Riserva in which land and time become part of one and the same expression. The mineral character of the Tenuta Scajari soils, the selection of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta and the long ageing all lead to a powerful and complex Amarone that still keeps freshness, elegance and harmony.

Between Verona and the hills overlooking Lake Garda, a valley of stone, vineyards, and history welcomes the most authentic essence of Veneto wine.

Situated between Verona and Lake Garda, Valpolicella is a mosaic of hills, vineyards, and stone villages that tell the story of centuries of civilization, work, and beauty. It's a valley that breathes the rhythm of the earth, where every season has its own scent and every gesture preserves an ancient knowledge. The name "Valpolicella" likely derives from the Latinvallis poli cellae, "valley of many cellars": a destiny written from the very beginning, when wine was already an integral part of life and culture in these hills in Roman times. The first evidence of vine cultivation dates back to the 1st century AD, and over the centuries, Valpolicella wine has become a symbol of a patient art, passed down from generation to generation. Among the Romanesque churches, rural courtyards, and Venetian villas, one can read the layers of a history that has united nobility and peasants, faith and work, land and spirit. Every stone, every row of vines, every village like Fumane, Marano, Negrar, or San Pietro in Cariano, tells of a community that has built its identity around wine.

Valpolicella is a unified yet complex territory, divided into three large areas, each with a distinct character that contributes to the overall harmony of its wines.

The Classic ValpolicellaThe oldest and most well-known, Valpolicella includes the historic municipalities of Fumane, Marano, Negrar, San Pietro in Cariano, and Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella. Here, vines grow on limestone and white marl soils, in a landscape of extraordinary beauty. It is the birthplace of Amarone and Recioto, intense and complex wines born from a perfect balance between nature, technique, and human intuition.

The Valpantena, located further east, is a green and harmonious valley, where vineyards alternate with olive groves and forests. It's known as the "valley of all gifts" thanks to its ideal exposure and mineral-rich soils. The wines here express elegance, freshness, and verticality: another voice, more subtle but equally profound, in the great chorus of Valpolicella.

Eastern Valpolicella, which encompasses the municipalities of Mezzane, Illasi, and Cazzano di Tramigna, stands out for the strength and structure of its wines. The volcanic soils and drier climate produce powerful, characterful, and long-lived reds, representing the boldest and most contemporary side of tradition.

The Valpolicella landscape is an open-air museum. Renaissance Venetian villas, built by noble Veronese families, alternate with Romanesque churches like San Giorgio di Valpolicella, one of the oldest and most evocative sites in the area. The rural stone courtyards, meanwhile, tell the story of rural life, the toil and joy of a profession that is still evident in the daily gestures of winemakers today. In Valpolicella, time is the true protagonist: the time of appassimento, when the grapes are laid out in drying rooms and the winter air slowly dries them, concentrating their aromas and flavors; the time of fermentation and waiting, which transforms the must into wine; the time of memory, which links each vintage to the next like chapters in the same story. Amarone, Recioto, and Valpolicella Superiore are not just wines, but forms of storytelling: stories of hands, patience, and vision. Each bottle captures the essence of this valley: the strength of the stone, the gentle hills, the wisdom of man. Today, Valpolicella is one of Italy's most prestigious winemaking regions, yet it remains faithful to its authentic soul. New generations of producers have respectfully innovated, keeping the culture of the vineyard and the community alive. Every winery, large or small, cherishes the same conviction: that wine here is born not only from the land, but from the encounter between memory, identity, and time. Valpolicella is a valley that never ceases to teach the value of slowness, listening, and continuity. It is a place where wine is not just drunk: it is lived.

There are wineries that have helped write the history of Italian wine, and others that have been living that history for centuries. Ginibelongs to this second category. In Monteforte d'Alpone, in the heart of Soave Classico, the family has been cultivating vines since at least 1570, spanning fifteen generations without ever breaking their bond with the land. A journey of over four centuries that not only tells the story of a continuous surname but also the extraordinary ability to preserve a heritage made of vineyards, knowledge, and sensibility, handed down from father to son to the present day. The symbolic date chosen by the family is January 22, 1570, the wedding day of Giobatta, son of Antonio Gini. From that moment, one of the oldest winemaking stories in Veneto began to take shape. Over the centuries, the family has experienced wars, social changes, and evolutions in viticulture, remaining faithful to their territory and a deep conviction: wine cannot be built, but only accompanied with respect, experience, and patience. This philosophy finds its maximum expression in the concept that has always guided the Gini family's work: time. The time needed for a vine to slowly sink its roots into the volcanic rock, the time of the seasons that mark the life of the vineyard, the time of waiting during aging, and the time of evolution in the bottle.

For Gini, time is not simply a measure, but the first ingredient of every great wine. It is on the hills of Monteforte d'Alponethat the historical soul of the company was born. In the heart of Soave Classico, the ancient Garganega vines sink their roots into volcanic soils, rich in basalt, tuff, and limestone veins formed millions of years ago. From this extraordinary geological heritage, great white wines for aging are born, capable of evolving slowly while maintaining acidity, freshness, and a distinct mineral imprint. The longevity of the vines, the complexity of the soils, and the variety of microclimates define the vocation of a unique terroir, capable of producing Soave of depth, elegance, and surprising evolutionary capacity. Among the most precious assets preserved by the family are the old Garganega vines, some over a century old, many still pre-phylloxera and ungrafted. In an era when renewing vineyards was the simplest choice, Gini decided not to uproot its historic vines, preserving a genetic and clonal richness that is practically unique in the Soave landscape. The roots penetrate deeply into the volcanic rock, reaching water and mineral salts even in the most difficult vintages. It is precisely this radical depth that contributes to the sapidity, complexity, and longevity that distinguish the family's wines.

For Gini, nature has never been something to dominate, but a reality to observe and listen to. The company manages its vineyards according to the principles of certified organic farming, respecting the natural rhythms of the plant and even paying attention to lunar phases. Green manure, grassing, protection of woods and trees surrounding the vineyards, preservation of soil fertility, and safeguarding biodiversity are practices adopted long before they became central themes in contemporary viticulture. In the Contrada Salvarenzacru, ecosystem studies have identified over two hundred insect species, testifying to the vitality of a healthy and harmonious agricultural environment. In the 1980s, brothers Sandro and Claudio Ginibrought a new turning point to the company's history. Sandro delved into the world of indigenous yeasts, discovering extraordinary microbiological biodiversity in the cellar and eventually eliminating sulfur dioxide during grape vinification to preserve its purity. This pioneering choice anticipated many of the themes that would mark enology in the following decades. Claudio, on the other hand, consolidated an agronomic vision linked to organic and biodynamic viticulture, strengthening the relationship between natural balance, grape quality, and wine identity.

The pursuit of the highest expression of Soave Classico led the family to enhance two vineyards that would become authentic benchmarks of the appellation: La Froscà, established in 1985, and Contrada Salvarenza, introduced in 1989. Each cru tells a different personality, shaped by the geology, exposure, altitude, and microclimates of Monteforte d'Alpone. The grapes are interpreted without forcing, allowing the harvest and the vineyard to guide decisions in the cellar. This is how Soave Classico wines are born that do not chase immediacy, but find their best ally in time, growing in minerality, depth, and complexity. The search for authenticity did not stop at the hills of Soave Classico. Among the reliefs of eastern Alta Valpolicella, the Gini family created one of its most ambitious projects: Tenuta Scajari. Among the hills of Campiano, in the municipality of Cazzano di Tramigna, at altitudes between 400 and 600 meters, a landscape of rare beauty unfolds, where woods, cherry trees, olive groves, and vineyards coexist in a still-intact natural balance.

The name Scajariderives from the dialect word scaja, used to indicate the small yellowish-reddish limestone flakes originating from the slow disintegration of the stratified rock of the subsoil. Tenuta Scajari represents the desire to establish an even deeper connection with nature: a small earthly paradise where constant ventilation, excellent sun exposure, significant temperature excursions, and the richness of calcareous, stony, and clayey soils, enriched with volcanic components, allow for the production of dynamic, elegant wines with intense mineral complexity. Since 1987, an important environmental recovery project has restored the ancient beauty of the Campiano lands, preserving the natural characteristics of the landscape and the vitality of the ecosystem. This work gives rise to the High Altitude Pearls: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon cultivated in high-altitude vineyards, where the cool climate and temperature excursions favor slow maturation, aromatic precision, and surprising evolutionary capacity. These are wines that reveal a lesser-known side of Veronese viticulture, where altitude becomes an extraordinary ally of elegance and longevity.

In eastern Alta Valpolicella, the great red wines of Tenuta Scajari also take shape. Constant ventilation keeps the grapes healthy and accompanies a natural drying process in the fruit cellar, without forcing. This results in Amarone della Valpolicellaand Valpolicella Superiorewines capable of combining structure, freshness, aromatic intensity, and mineral depth, interpreting the territory with a measured style far from excesses. The same culture of waiting accompanies the elegant Metodo Classicoand the precious Gocce Nobili. In sparkling wines, patience and daily care transform time on the lees into finesse and harmony; in Recioto, the drying process concentrates aromas and sweetness, giving life to an enveloping wine capable of narrating the value of rare things. From Ancestral Method Reciototo great aging white wines, time continues to be the invisible thread that unites every expression of the winery.

For fifteen generations, the Gini family has demonstrated that time is the most precious interpreter of wine. From the historic vineyards of Soave Classico to the pristine landscapes of Tenuta Scajari, every bottle is born from the encounter between nature, experience, and a patience that only great winemaking families know how to preserve. From Soave Classicoto eastern Alta Valpolicella, Gini continues to interpret wine with the same philosophy that has accompanied the family since 1570. The great Soave wines, the historic crus Contrada Salvarenzaand La Froscà, the Amarone and Valpolicella wines of Tenuta Scajari, the High Altitude Pearls, the Metodo Classico, and the precious Reciototell a unique story of territory, biodiversity, and time. It is this extraordinary consistency, preserved through fifteen generations, that makes Gini one of the most authentic and authoritative expressions of Italian viticulture.