Giuseppe Quintarelli - Primofiore 2022 (750ml)
Price: $87.00
Sale Price: $74.00
| Producer | Giuseppe Quintarelli |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Veneto |
| Varietal | Red Blend |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Sku | 9205 |
| Size | 750ml |
Wine Advocate: 93 Points
The Quintarelli Giuseppe 2022 Primofiore is a blend of 50% local grapes (Corvina Veronese and Corvinone) and 50% international grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) with fruit that has been pressed fresh and some that undergoes appassimento. However the style of the wine is slowly moving toward a fresher and drier style with extra measures taken to avoid residual sugar and volatile acidity. The wine is expressed with floral and herbal elements over a medium-lean texture. There are earthy sensations with iris root and dark currant that give the Primofiore an especially food-friendly personality. 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
