2017 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto, Italy

Winemaker Notes
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.

Press
A total seductress, the 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is a dark beauty. It opens with a dusty bouquet of dried flowers and masses of cherry sauce, offset by spiced orange and nuances of violet pastille. It sweeps across the palate, a model of purity, with crisp wild berry fruits energized by tantalizing acidity and shavings of dark chocolate. Crunchy mineral tones emerge toward the close. The 2017 lingers impossibly long yet remains completely fresh. Grippy tannins remain as hints of dried blueberry and lavender resonate throughout. The Quintarelli winery has been working hard to perfect a style that mixes the magic of older vintages with a new level of freshness, and the 2017 is a big step in the right direction. Bravo.
Rated 96+ Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate