Giuseppe Quintarelli Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2011 [375ml HALF BOTTLE]
(Veneto, Italy) - [JS 97] [VM 95]

About the Winery:
The late, great Maestro del Veneto, Giuseppe Quintarelli, fondly known as “Bepi” to those closest to him, was a perfectionist in every way. From the beautiful handwritten labels, to the best possible quality cork, to the exquisite wine in the bottles, the Quintarelli name is a stamp of authenticity and the ultimate indication of an artisanal, handmade, uncompromising wine of the highest quality. Over the course of an amazing sixty-year career, he succeeded in establishing his legendary estate. Today, the winery continues under the guidance of grandsons Francesco and Lorenzo, still producing artisanal, handmade, uncompromising wines of the highest quality. 

Quintarelli is considered the father of Amarone, with an ancient history that dates back to the early 1900s in Negrar, the epicenter of Valpolicella, where between 12 hectares of vineyards and with the utmost respect for tradition, about 50,000 bottles a year are produced. The property grows Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, plus small amounts of Sangiovese, Oseleta, Croatina and Saorin, the latter an ancient local white variety that they are looking to propagate with the help of the local nursery. The average age of the vines is roughly 25 years old, resulting from the combination of recently planted young vineyards that are only 7-8 years old and others that are about fifty years old.

Notes from the Winemaker:

• Careful selection of grapes from specific vineyard parcels that are uniquely suitable for Recioto
• Recioto refers to the “ears” of the grape clusters, the upper shoulders of the bunches that get the most sunlight and are the most ripe. The wine must have significant sugar to go through two alcoholic fermentations and remain sweet.
• Recioto must have significant levels of residual sugar after alcoholic fermentation
• After harvest, grapes sit in wooden boxes or on rush mats
• Careful attention is paid to the positioning of the grapes so the appassimento can occur naturally
• Noble rot starts to appear in November and develops mostly in January
• Grapes are pressed at the end of January and after 20 days of maceration, alcoholic fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts
• Fermentation lasts 45 days
• Wine is then racked and ages in Slavonian oak barrels for five to six years
• All of Quintarelli’s wines are capable of very, very long aging, but none more so than the Recioto

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - James Suckling:
"A totem of the region, this is a stunning recioto born of six-months appassimento and a decade in barrel. Riffs on Chinotto, alpine spruce, bitter cherry, clove, mahogany and walnut husk, with a waft of something more exotic akin to incense and Chinese medicine cabinet. The finish is uncannily dry of feel, sooty and almost gritty, such is the tannic exactitude. Compelling gear, like discovering a new needle in a haystack of overwhelming complexity with each fresh sip. Drink or hold." (Apr 2023)

95 Points - Vinous Media:
"Dark and rich in the glass, the 2011 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico smolders up with brown spice, cocoa and balsam herb notes as hints of dried citrus rinds and cherries evolve over time. A pleasant inner sweetness greets the palate, with pure silk textures and racy acidity that maintain a fantastic balance, as liquid mineral stone offsets rum-soaked currants and dark chocolate. The 2011 resonates with traces of medicinal wild berries and licorice, finishing incredibly long and with an exoticism that screams Quintarelli." - Eric Guido (Apr 2023)