Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2018

Quintarelli is one of the most revered and iconic estates in the Valpolicella Classico zone of Veneto, northern Italy, with roots dating back to the early 1900s when Silvio Quintarelli founded the family property. The estate became legendary under Giuseppe Quintarelli, who refined traditional methods and elevated the quality and reputation of Valpolicella and Amarone wines to world class status. The vineyards are located in the hills around Negrar, planted on calcareous, clay and limestone soils that benefit from cool breezes off the nearby Lessinia hills. Farming is conducted close to nature with minimal intervention. The wine is vegan friendly.

Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2018 is crafted as a ripasso style Valpolicella, blending mainly Corvina and Corvinone with Rondinella. After harvest the grapes undergo a short maceration on the skins with indigenous yeasts, followed by a refermentation on the Amarone marc, and then a prolonged ageing of around six to seven years in large Slavonian oak barrels before release. The wine displays an intense ruby colour and a compelling bouquet of dried roses, violets, sour cherry, blood orange and spice, leading to a nuanced, elegant palate with silken texture and refined tannins. It pairs beautifully with roast meats, game, rich pasta dishes and mature cheeses. Drinking superbly now, the 2018 has the structure to continue evolving over the next decade.