Giuseppe Quintarelli
by Dixon Brooke
The Quintarelli family continues to produce some of the most exquisite wines in all of Italy. Here is your chance to own and enjoy two of their most iconic wines, works of art and distinctive examples of Italy’s viticultural heritage. Both were recently released after spending seven years in large casks in the family’s stunning cellars carved into the hillside underneath their home and surrounded by their vineyards in Negrar, Valpolicella, just north of Verona.
2017 Valpolicella Classico Superiore
Italy | Veneto
This dry red, crafted from a blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara, is the quintessential expression of the Quintarelli style. By that I mean it takes a historical region and technique and enhances every possible element in an uncompromising and unrelenting quest for quality, creating a Valpolicella that is in every way “superior.” With a beautiful aroma of toasted hazelnuts, and tannins that are now silky smooth and polished to perfection, this stylish wine invites you to dive in right away—just don’t forget to tuck a few bottles (or cases) away for the future. Don’t overthink what to serve alongside, either, as it will enhance anything you prepare!
2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Italy | Veneto
Quintarelli’s dry Amarone is crafted from a selection of their most flawless grapes, picked at the perfect moment, and then left to slowly dehydrate on special racks in a custom-built, ventilated loft above their home. The grapes slowly concentrate their flavors as the water in them evaporates naturally. They are pressed around Christmastime, and the wine is fermented largely dry, then left to age and refine for many years in large Slavonian oak casks. The resulting wine is the grandest expression of these Veronese hills, a full-bodied, kaleidoscopic wine, to be enjoyed with fine roasts and cheeses.