Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2018

Giuseppe Quintarelli | Veneto
Az. Agr. Quintarelli Giuseppe | Via Cerè, 1 | IT 37024 Negrar

03282518 · 0,75 l · 420,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately
Limitation of 3 articles per customer

This is not a wine – this is a legend. Giuseppe "Bepi" Quintarelli, the "Maestro del Veneto", is considered the father of Amarone, the man who redefined an entire appellation over six decades and inspired generations of winemakers. His Amarone is only produced in exceptional years; in normal vintages, the "Rosso del Bepi" is produced, in weak years nothing at all. The 2018 marks one of these rare moments. The cuvée of 55% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese follows a ritual that extends over many years: half of the grapes are processed fresh, while the other half dries for five months in ventilated chambers until the end of January, losing up to 30% of its water content and concentrating sugar, flavours and structure. Botrytis – noble rot – is deliberately encouraged, a risky endeavour that only masters can master. Pressing is followed by 20 days of maceration, then 45 days of slow fermentation with wild yeasts. What follows is a patience that seems almost forgotten today: seven years of ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels.

Deep ruby red in colour with garnet-red nuances, it unfolds a kaleidoscopic bouquet of dried sage leaves, Indian spices, crushed white pepper and delicate wild berries, accompanied by cherry liqueur, fig jam and fine vanilla wood notes. The palate reveals unexpected elegance – no heaviness, no breadth, but crystal-clear intensity with a silky texture, carried by lively acidity. The exceptionally long finish combines ripe fruit, spicy complexity and balsamic freshness – a wine that will live for decades and whose every bottle bears the legacy of a giant. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2018 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico slowly evolves with a whimsical mix of dusty dried violets, cedar box, cardamom, stone dust and dried black cherries. It displays textures of pure silk, lifted and feminine in nature, as bright red berry fruits wash across the palate, leaving a tactile staining of minerals and sweet tannins. The 2018 shows incredible length and poise, leaving blue and purple inner florals over notes of licorice and clove through the lightly structured and completely harmonious finale. Bury this radiant beauty deep in the cellar." Vinous