Giuseppe Quintarelli Rosso Ca' del Merlo IGT 2013 [3.0L]
(Veneto, Italy)

About the Winery:
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 for a production niche and therefore of great quality. In praise of the native grapes that are raised here in total respect for nature and following a very tight selection, 

About the Wine:
• A single vineyard bottling
• 50% of grapes are pressed immediately after harvest, 50% are dried for 2 months
• After 3-4 days of maceration, primary fermentation starts with indigenous yeasts
• Wine is racked and then sits until February
• Wine is racked onto the lees of the Amarone which starts a second alcoholic fermentation (this process is called ripasso)
• After this fermentation, the wine is racked into large Slavonian oak barrels for seven years

Tasting Notes

Rosso Ca del Merlo is the brother of the Valpolicella Classico Superiore of Quintarelli. They are made the same way - 50/50 fresh grapes and dried grapes (appassimento) then re-fermented on the gross lees of the Amarone, a process that they call Ripasso. The wine comes their beautiful vineyards on basalt and limestone slopes, harvested for ripeness and acidity with the utmost care and precision given to every step of the complicated winemaking process. 

The wine itself is a combination of richness and density, but like all Quintarelli's wines, never heavy. The fruit is darker than it's Valpolicella sibling and shows the tannic grip of the Cabernets. It has fruit, of course, particularly black plums, prunes, maybe a touch of black olive, but the nose and palate are complex with notes of forest floor, roses, tobacco, and minerals.

Varietal Composition: 55% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc Nebbiolo, Croatina, Sangiovese
Age of the Vines: 30 years average
Soil: Limestone and Basalt

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2012 vintage):
"The 2012 Secco Ca' del Merlo shows a light and luminous appearance with elegant tones of crushed mineral, flint and talc powder. There's a hint of natural rubber followed by fresh tones of peach, apricot and dried garden herb. The close is fresh and super-crisp. Drink 2014-2016." - Monica Larner (Oct 2013)