Michele Castellani San Michele Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2019 750ml

San Michele is Michele Castellani's own genuine expression of what Vine Connections calls a "baby Amarone" — a wine built through the classic Ripasso method, where a completed, fresh Valpolicella Classico is refermented directly on the unpressed skins of Castellani's own Amarone. Because those Amarone skins are never pressed, the fresh, flavorful slurry of fruit and juice left behind gives San Michele a genuine boost of complexity and aromatic intensity well beyond what a standard Valpolicella could achieve — Castellani's own copy calls this "gold-standard" Ripasso method.

The 2019 vintage is a blend of 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Corvinone, and 5% Molinara, sourced from Castellani's 17 hectares of certified organic vineyards near the family estate in Borgata, within Valpolicella Classico. Vines are trained using the traditional pergola method, well suited to Corvina in particular — the overhead leaf canopy shields the grapes from direct sun while heat radiates up from the ground, a natural temperature-control system that extends the ripening period. Following the Ripasso refermentation, the wine ages a minimum of two years total, 18 months of it in mid-size Slavonian oak barrels and French wooden casks, with the remainder completed in bottle before release.

James Suckling's tasting from October 2021 described "a tightly packed nose of plums, cherries and incense, following through to an equally compact, medium-bodied palate with intense flavor and tight, firm tannin," noting the wine was "drinkable now, but really needs a little more time in bottle, to expand and fully integrate." Vinous's September 2022 review found the wine lifting "from the glass with an alluring bouquet of sweet roses and bright cherries complemented by a hint of candied orange," describing it as "round and supple yet energetic, with ripe red fruits nicely balanced by a core of brisk acidity," noting "earth tones and savory spice add contrast through the finish as the San Michele tapers off with a lovely inner tension." Wine.com's own tasting found "complex and intense" character, with "aromas of blackberries, fruit in syrup, notes of leather, cedar, and spices." SaratogaWine's tasting confirmed a "strong ruby red color," with an "intense, classic bouquet suggesting ripe fruit, spices and tobacco," the palate "full-bodied, generous, warm, and long-lasting." This is genuinely serious, aromatically complex Ripasso — patient, well-structured, and built with real cellaring potential in mind.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Michele Castellani San Michele Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2019 is produced by the Castellani family, a family-owned estate farming 17 hectares of certified organic vineyard near Borgata, in the heart of Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy. The 2019 vintage is a blend of 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Corvinone, and 5% Molinara, with vines primarily pergola-trained, a method well suited to the region and to Corvina in particular.

San Michele is produced using the traditional Ripasso method: a completed, fresh Valpolicella Classico is refermented by placing the unpressed skins of Castellani's own Amarone directly on top of the finished wine. After pressing the skins off, the wine ages a minimum of two years, 18 months of it in mid-size Slavonian oak barrels and French wooden casks, with the remainder completed in bottle. Bottled at 15.5% ABV, 750ml.

Critics Reviews

James Suckling 92 Points (October 2021):
"A tightly packed nose of plums, cherries and incense, following through to an equally compact, medium-bodied palate with intense flavor and tight, firm tannin. Drinkable now, but this really needs a little more time in bottle, to expand and fully integrate."

Vinous 90 Points (September 2022):
"The 2019 Valpolicella Ripasso San Michele lifts from the glass with an alluring bouquet of sweet roses and bright cherries complemented by a hint of candied orange. It's round and supple yet energetic, with ripe red fruits nicely balanced by a core of brisk acidity. Earth tones and savory spice add contrast through the finish as the San Michele tapers off with a lovely inner tension."

Vine Connections (official tasting note):
"Complex aromas of blackberries, plums and fruit juice with light notes of leather, cedar and spices. Medium-bodied and supple on the palate, polishing tannins and balanced acidity."

Tasting Profile

Nose
An alluring bouquet of sweet rose and bright cherry, complemented by a hint of candied orange, alongside blackberry, plum, and fruit juice, with light leather, cedar, and spice, developing plums, cherry, and incense.

Palate
Round and supple yet energetic, with ripe red fruit balanced by a core of brisk acidity, tight and compact with intense flavor, polished tannin, and genuine structure.

Finish
Earth tones and savory spice add contrast, closing with lovely inner tension — a wine James Suckling notes will benefit from further bottle age to fully integrate.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Red meats and grilled meats
• Rich pasta dishes
• Spicy sausage and tangy BBQ
• Aged cheeses