Brigaldara winery is located just outside the village of San Floriano, in the heart of what is referred to as the Valpolicella Classico area. Situated on a beautiful hill at the entrance to the Marano Valley, the beautiful villa from the 15th century is surrounded by fields and olive trees. Behind the main house, the company’s winery is well integrated into the landscape and the wine cellar below the earth’s surface. The Cesaris family has owned the house since 1929, and wine has been bottled under its own name since 1979.
The producer himself emphasizes that one does not buy grapes or wine to produce more than 250,000 bottles annually from the 50 ha. The binding system is mainly Guyot, but Pergola also has fields. The leading grapes are Corvinone, Corvina and Rondinella. Also, a little Sangiovese finds its way to a couple of the wines. Stefano Cesari makes no secret of the fact that he could have increased production significantly in recent years. The reason why he has given up on this must be found in his “credo” about a so-called organic growth, where one respects the natural growth, achieves a balance between the age of the sticks and the size of the production. Brigaldara itself indicates the rather significant forest areas it possesses as a significant contribution to the area’s biodiversity, where it also has a small production of black summer truffles.
The name Brigaldara dates from the 15th century and refers to a cluster of farms, the family Cesaris villa, as well as the surrounding fields. One has more than 80 years of experience in interpreting the terroir from their vineyard. The house’s philosophy has always been to produce quality wines that are representative of the soil in which they have been created. One strives for a balance in the fields and does not overproduce in an area that is otherwise characterized by a very intensive agriculture.
Their wines are full-bodied but not overpowering, complex and juicy. Both small and large barrels are used in production. The house’s young Valpolicella is stored primarily in steel tanks, most often with a very short rounding on large barrels. The house’s Ripasso is stored on a large 25 hl. Botti. Both Amarone Marcellise and Amarone Classico are stored one year on barriques and two years on large barrels to give a too clear imprint of the barrel. The top field is the 7ha large field Case Vecie, located near the village of Grezzana. It has a unique microclimate at an altitude of 450 meters with something near perfect slope. The house’s Amarones can easily be drunk young, but they also develop significantly over time. Brigaldara also sells slightly older vintages.