Amarone Classico Quintarelli 2011

Quintarelli Amarone Classico 2011 is a full-bodied red wine produced in the appassimento style from partially air-dried grapes in the Amarone DOCG of Valpolicella in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Giuseppe (Bepe) Quintarelli was one of the true icons of Italian wine until his death in 2012, celebrated for his hedonistic and long-lived Valpolicellas, reciotos and Amarones. Bepe worked with uncompromising attention to detail and patience at a time when the rest of Italy was embracing the efficiencies occasioned by the industrialisation of wine. His Amarones are matured for a minimum of seven years in Slavonian oak and are among the most sought-after wines in Italy. The estate is now run by Bepe`s daughter, Fiorenza, and her husband, Giampaolo Grigoli. "The Quintarelli Giuseppe 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva represents the last vintage seen by Bepi himself. Giuseppe Quintarelli died in January 2012 at age 84 following his struggle with Parkinson`s disease. There`s magic in this wine, and we raise a glass to the master of Negrar. It delivers elegant class and concentration, fruit freshness and the power (plus 16.5% alcohol) that comes with appassimento. It`s an ethereal wine from a hot and dry vintage. There are many contradictions within the bottle, but it ultimately settles on a place of balance and beauty." Wine Advocate, 2021