Valpolicella Quintarelli 2016

Quintarelli Valpolicella 2016 is a full-bodied red wine produced by the estate of the late Giuseppe Quintarelli in the Veneto region of northern Italy. A 50/50 blend of air-dried and fresh grapes, this iconic wine is matured for six years in large Slavonian oak casks. Giuseppe (Bepe) Quintarelli was one of the true icons of Italian wine until his death in 2012, celebrated for his hedonistic and long-lived Valpolicellas, reciotos and Amarones. Bepe worked with uncompromising attention to detail and patience at a time when the rest of Italy was embracing the efficiencies occasioned by the industrialisation of wine. "Masses of red and blue florals mix with hints of mint and wild berries to create a lifted and inviting bouquet on the 2013 Valpolicella Classico Superiore. It’s soft in feel and more savoury than sweet, with a pure display of tart cherries and spices coasting across a core of salty acids and minerals. The 2013 has energy to burn, remaining juicy and spry, while tapering off to wild herbal notes and sour red fruits. While I don’t see this vintage as one to forget in the cellar, there’s certainly a lot of pleasure to be found here over the short term." Vinous, 2021