GUISEPPE QUINTARELLI Passito Bianco Amabile del Cere 2006 HALF BOTTLE

Description

Giuseppe Quintarelli is an Italian wine estate located in the hills north of Verona in the heart of the Valpolicella appellation. It is regarded by many as the greatest of all Amarone producers, and is known for its traditional deep, complex wines packaged with distinctive handwritten labels. The great man Quintarelli himself, known as il Maestro del Veneto, died in 2012 aged 84 but the winery remains family-owned and managed. The Amarone wines, the Recioto, and the Valpolicella Classico Superiore all have a similar blend of around 55 percent Corvina and Corvinone, 30 percent Rondinella, with the remaining 15 percent comprising of Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese.

The various wines are drawn from the across the entire vineyard, and require multiple passes at harvest time. Quintarelli also produces an Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva, which is selected from the very best barrels of the generic Amarone, as well as a very rare 'Selezione Giuseppe Quintarelli' from a particularly extraordinary barrel. Quintarelli's Amarones are only released in excellent vintages; in average years the wine is released as Rosso del Bepi Veneto IGT.

This is unrelenting pleasure and opulence in a glass, as layer upon layer of contrasting sweet and sour notes repeatedly thrills the senses. It lingers for well over a minute with hints of tropical fruit and florals. The Amabile del Cere uses the same mix of Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Saorin as the Bianco Secco, yet it’s air-dried prior to vinification. It’s only produced in years when Quintarelli feels that the Bianco Secco is strong enough to stand on its own without the addition of the Amabile’s fruit.