“Rosso del Bepi” Veneto IGT 2016 · MAGNUM

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

03283216 · 1,5 l · 259,33 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping1 unit available
Limitation of 1 articles per customer

The name already gives away the meaning: "Bepi's red wine", dedicated to Giuseppe "Bepi" Quintarelli, the man who took over his father's winery after the war and led it to worldwide fame. But this wine is not a nostalgic gesture – it is the answer to one of the most difficult questions in viticulture: what does a perfectionist do in a year when nature does not give enough for an Amarone? 2016 was such a year. Cooler conditions, demanding ripeness – not an Amarone vintage by Quintarelli's uncompromising standards. So the family vinified Rosso del Bepi instead, that rare wine that is only produced in such years and shows what great producers can achieve with patience and mastery, even from difficult harvests. The grapes – 55% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese – are dried as for Amarone. Twenty days of maceration, followed by 45 days of slow fermentation. This is followed by 84 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, seven years of patience.

The wine presents a deep ruby red colour and unfolds a complex bouquet of dried roses, violets, incense, cherry sauce and dark chocolate. The palate reveals rich complexity with remarkable energy, carried by a tactile mineral core that emphasises the tart red berry fruit. Tart orange adds a cheek-cracking acidity. The medium length finish leaves a chalky impression with hints of liquorice and tangerine – a sexy, energetic wine of great finesse. SUPERIORE.DE

"As the Quintarelli family did not produce a 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, the fruit was used for this wine instead. The 2016 Rosso del Bepi has a hint of green herb flavour, followed by pressed blackberries and cherry liqueur. I also detect a pinch of dark chocolate. However, this is a declassified Amarone, and you get a good sense of its depth and complexity." Wine Advocate

"There will be no Amarone in 2016, but there will be a new vintage of Rosso del Bepi. This is dark and brooding in the glass, youthfully restrained, with a bouquet of dried roses and violets. An intricate hint of incense gives way to cherry sauce and dark chocolate. It's rich and complex, but also remarkably energetic, with a tactile mineral core highlighting the tart red berry fruit, while a hint of sour orange provides a tart note towards the finish. The 2016 finishes with medium length and a chalky feel that tapers off with hints of liquorice and tangerine. This sexy and energetic Rosso del Bepi will win many hearts." Vinous

"Restrained black cherries, elegant spices, incense and eucalyptus leaves. The attack is soft and refined with a full body, velvety tannins and a savoury but integrated acidity. Long and intense flavours of cherries and spices. Toasty finish." James Suckling