Vinous: 96+ Points
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. - By Eric Guido on December 2023 Quintarelli has been working hard to perfect a style that mixes the magic of older vintages with a new level of freshness and purity. The 2017 Amarone is a big step in that direction. What?s more collectors can plan on enjoying a sexy and energetic 2016 Rosso del Bepi as the winery decided not to produce an Amarone. While the Rosso doesn?t possess the depth of a Quintarelli Amarone it remains a serious wine worthy of attention. I?m a fan of this cool vintage which in this case didn?t quite fit with the Amarone house style. However both Valpolicella Superiores from 2016 are stunning with the Ca? del Merlo taking things to another level. I also tasted the 2015 Amarone again. It remains intense and youthfully coiled yet full of potential. Of note there will be a 2015 Riserva which will be released in late 2024 to early 2025.
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Wine Advocate: 95 Points
This was a very hot and dry vintage that created the conditions for especially intense and structured wines made with air-dried grapes. The Quintarelli Giuseppe 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is indeed a wine of power and heft. This blend of Valpolicella grapes (Corvina Corvinone Rondinella Cabernet Nebbiolo Croatina and Sangiovese) is sourced from 11 hectares of vines in limestone and basalt soils. The 2017 vintage delivers dried fruit aromas of plum and blackberry over an open-knit oxygen-rich and accessible approach. There is tar spice and sweet cherry confit at the back. A theme of sweet brandied fruit links into a well-balanced 16.5% alcohol content. This wine was bottled in November 2023 and has been on the market since March 2024. This wine was not made in 2016 and the fruit went to the Rosso del Bepi instead. I always try to schedule my tasting trips to Valpolicella during appassimento or when harvested fruit is left to air-dry in specially ventilated hangars. The fruit loses much of its water mass during the process thus increasing flavors concentration and alcohol. Of the many estates I regularly visit Giuseppe Quintarelli is among my favorites because of the traditional approach taken. There is one hangar dedicated to grapes drying in plastic crates and on the other side of the winery there is a second hangar with grapes carefully laid out on bamboo racks. You also see the celebrated trecce or "braids" of grapes hung from a ceiling rafter. Each braid weighs 30 kilograms. It is such a beautiful site. While visiting the Giuseppe Quintarelli winery with its cramped spaces and dark corners I tasted with grandsons Lorenzo and Francesco in the very same tasting room I first visited 20 years ago with the master himself. Carved oak botte stand outside the tasting room. One shows an enormous peacock a symbol of purity and around it are symbols of the family and their vineyards. The Giuseppe Quintarelli estate counts 11 hectares of vines on limestone and basalt soils. Annual production is 60000 bottles. Only estate fruit is used although extra fruit is purchased in some years if there is an emergency such as significant hail. Published: Dec 05 2024
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