Gruppo Santa Margherita: Winery of the Year under the magnifying glass

Gruppo Santa Margherita

Ten estates in six Italian wine areas, with almost 23 million bottles produced annually and a turnover that in 2019 was close to 190 million euros. These are the incredible numbers of one of the most solid realities of the Italian wine scene: we are talking about Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo. The winery of the same name, Santa Margherita, was founded in Fossalta di Portogruaro in 1935 by the Marzotto family, which, over the years, has always faced new production challenges with great foresight, passing through targeted investments, acquisitions, managerial efficiency. In the Vini d'Italia 2021 guide, the Group received the prestigious award of Winery of the Year, because in the face of large numbers (over 700 hectares) it has managed to offer wines of excellent level from all the territories where it is present, starting with the flagship winery, Santa Margherita; "An award that fills us with pride in an exceptional period like this that requires steady nerves and renewed attention to the people who are part of our community" comments CEO Beniamino Garofolo.

The award

The award is the result of the commitment of the Marzotto family, which over time has brought together brands of absolute importance on the Italian scene: from Ca' del Bosco to Cà Maiol in Lombardy, passing through Kettmeir in Alto Adige, Lamole di Lamole in Chianti Classico and Mesa, in Sardinia. "The Group is our strength––continues Garofolo––generated both by our history and by the value of the individual wineries. Without rhetoric and for the sake of understanding: without the Group, some very beautiful realities, which represent exceptional territories, which produce excellent wines, would not––despite all this––have the strength to present themselves in the world. At the same time, the Group would not have the market value it has if it could not present, together with the great wines we all know, the excellence of some niches, some pearls of Italian wine production. There is always a balance to be achieved between these two souls, and it is the beauty––if I can say so myself––of Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo."

The wines

Exploring in depth the wide range of wines offered by Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo is impossible in a single article. This is why below you will find only a few wines from the various companies that belong to the group, the ones we liked the most and which are reviewed in the guide Vini d'Italia 2021 with the Tre Bicchieri.

CA' DEL BOSCO

Franciacorta Dosage Zéro Vintage Collection Noir '11 – Tre Bicchieri

Tasting the Vintage Collection Dosage Zéro Noir '11 we experienced a thrill of irrepressible pleasure that led us to bestow the Tre Bicchieri recognition to this label. Made with Pinot Noir grapes grown in the magnificent scenery of the Belvedere Estate, three vineyards surrounded by a dense forest at over 460 meters above sea level, the wine is broad and deep, elegant and complex, irresistibly rich in fruit and freshness. Memorable.

CA' MAIOL

Lugana Fabio Contato Ris. '18 – Tre Bicchieri

The Lugana Fabio Contato Riserva '18 stands out in our tastings for elegance, depth and pleasant drink. The best expressions of the company's grapes, coming from the oldest vineyards, contribute to the creation of a wine that presents itself with a deep and brilliant straw colour and a complex olfactory profile where the fruit––lemon and yellow peach––are added to woody and incense components; on the palate it is rich, dense and savoury, with a beautiful and fresh acid vein.

KETTMEIR

A. Spumante Extra Brut M. Cl. 1919 Ris. '14 – Tre Bicchieri

The fresh 2014 harvest allowed the production of a fantastic Extra Brut 1919, a sparkling wine made from chardonnay and pinot noir which presents itself to the eye with a delicate and continuous perlage. The aromas range from fragrant ripe white fruits, accompanied by citrus nuances, to notes of toasted bread, while in the mouth the mineral contributions emerge in an energetic sip of great tension.

LAMOLE DI LAMOLE

Chianti Cl. Gran Selezione Vign. di Campolungo '16 – Tre Bicchieri

The floral aromas of violets and the intriguing spicy and balsamic accents characterise the nose of this Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto di Campolungo '16 in the first place; then it's up to an explosion of small red and black fruits ferrying the aromatic profile into a pleasantly juicy, articulated palate that extends to a broad and sweet finish in the mouth.

by William Pregentelli