Tenuta Santa Maria Harvest Report 2025: First Insights Into a Promising Vintage

The 2025 growing season proved to be a true test, even for the most experienced hands. After a mild winter and a steady spring, early summer brought high temperatures followed by a prolonged alternation of rainy and sunny days. This variability affected the veraison process and, with September rains, the final stage of berry ripening. To maintain vineyard health and ensure optimal grape development, we intensified our agronomic work in the weeks leading up to the harvest, an effort already carried out with care throughout the year. Managing the canopy and performing selective hand-defoliation allowed us to counter excess humidity from late August to early October. During harvest, the Lessini winds, channeling through the valley where our Negrar Estate lies, played a crucial role in drying the vines after rainfall, enabling us to resume picking quickly and efficiently. Those same winds supported the appassimento process as well, ensuring a gradual dehydration of the grapes on the arele in full respect of traditional methods.

Once again, human craftsmanship has proven to be our most reliable resource. It is through daily presence and attentive observation in the vineyard that we understand its needs and guide each phase of growth with care and precision.

Despite the challenges posed by the weather, meticulous vineyard management and rigorous grape selection allowed us to bring in fruit of excellent quality, although slightly lower in quantity compared to 2024.

The 2025 harvest in the Soave area began with our international varieties. Chardonnay, picked between August 22 and 25, exceeded expectations with its above-average acidity, promising an elegant, refined wine capable of long ageing in barrique. Merlot, harvested from September 4 to 15, was marked by September rains and an initial development of noble rot, an occurrence that will enhance its polyphenolic concentration, resulting in a wine with subtle and appealing herbal notes.
In Valpolicella, the grapes destined for Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella Classico were harvested as follows: Corvina starting on September 8; Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta between September 11 and 13. In the fruttaio, high humidity and stormy conditions required constant supervision and careful daily cleaning to control the development of botrytis while supporting a balanced concentration of the grapes.
To close the season, we harvested Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta for Valpolicella Superiore from September 22 to 24, and Garganega for our Soave Lepiga from September 16 to 24. These varieties also displayed a vibrant acidity, an encouraging sign for wines that will be fresh, well-balanced and with strong ageing potential.

The 2025 harvest proves once again that true quality arises from the interplay between nature and human expertise. Every bunch picked, every decision in the vineyard, every step in the cellar was guided by respect for the Valpolicella and Soave territories and by the desire to highlight their unique identity. The first fermentations already suggest wines of character, elegant, long-lived and capable of telling the story of a complex yet deeply rewarding vintage.

At Tenuta Santa Maria, we remain convinced that excellence comes from attentive listening to the vine and from dedicated, daily commitment in the field. With this belief, we eagerly await the evolution of the 2025 wines and look forward to sharing the results with you in the coming months.

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