March 9, 2007
Quintarelli: Amarone Riserva and Beyond
In This Issue
A Note from Sergio
“The basic problem in wine today is that
nobody has any patience,” Giuseppe
Quintarelli said to me. “They hurry the fruit in
the vineyard, speed
through the vinification process, rush it into the bottle,
and run it to the
store. But patience is the most important thing a
winemaker must have. Patience
in all areas.”
I suppose I could say that patience is his secret, that
his slow and steady
pace accounts for the fact that he makes some of the
most sought-after, difficult-to-obtain,
life-altering wines in the world. It would make it much
simpler to justify
why enthusiasts and collectors descend into
feverish, irrational states when
presented with a Quintarelli bottle.
But the fact is that
all the patience
in the world can't explain how Giuseppe does what
he does. There have even
been several attempts undertaken by the
industry’s leading consultants
to recreate Quintarelli’s wines in a controlled
environment. The results
have proven that Quintarelli cannot be captured
through the most rigorous and
fastidious of attempts. Like all gold-standard wines,
the stuff is a complete
and utter mystery -- a treasure forever sought and
never found.
Patience is, however, the key to drinking
Quintarelli wines. They are
thinking wines, meaning that they tend to force you to
shut up and reflect.
You need to consider their unique qualities, because
nothing else even comes
close. You may confuse a Giacomo Conterno
Monfortino with a Bartolo Mascarello
Barolo, a Château Lafite with a Château
Haut-Brion, a California
Cabernet with a first-growth Bordeaux, but once you
taste Quintarelli Amarone,
Alzero, or Recioto, you'll never forget them. They're
like no other wines on
earth.
Today, I’m offering Quintarelli’s latest
releases: the 1998 Amarone
della Valpolicella, the historic ’95 Amarone
della Valpolicella Riserva,
an unprecedented offering of aged Valpolicella, and
some classic representations—from
the engaging Primofiore to the emotive and
dramatically riveting Alzero. So
don’t rush -- take your time -- follow the
lesson of a viticultural genius.
It’s the only way to begin to fully enter all the
areas that Quintarelli’s
wines open….
My best,
Sergio Esposito
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Quintessential Quintarelli
Amarone della Valpolicella
Known as “the Master of the
Veneto,”
Giuseppe Quintarelli crafts
some of the world’s most sought-after
wines,
and his uncompromising protocol
precludes him from producing Amarone in
vintages
beneath his standards. A staunch
traditionalist, Quintarelli continues to
adhere to the
traditional techniques
of his father and grandfather. These are not
discernible in the wine’s
character, given the intense richness he
derives
through extended cask maturation
and his fastidious regard for details,
practicing a
form of rigorous grape
selection that rivals that of the great
châteaux of
Sauternes.
The 1998 vintage wrought the
perfect
preface to the vinification of Amarone,
affording a winter that catered to the
health of the
vines. The harvest was
abundant and realized grapes of the highest
caliber,
placing 1998 among the
most esteemed vintages of the last 40 years
(with
the others being ’83, ’88,
’90,
’95, ’97, and ’00). This
eminent
collectible is comprised of the indigenous
Corvina
and Rondinella, with small
portions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo,
Croatina,
and Sangiovese. It possesses
exceptional potential for long-term aging.
Quintarelli 1998 Amarone della Valpolicella $340.99
Quintarelli 1998 Amarone della Valpolicella $699.99 (1.5L)
Quintarelli 1998 Amarone della Valpolicella $1,699.99 (3.0L)
Quintarelli 1997 Amarone della Valpolicella $395.99
Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva
One of the collector highlights of the year
is the
release of this particular Riserva. The
’95
vintage,
as with the ’90
and ’97 vintages, represents a
historic one for
the region.
Given the impeccable
nature of the ’95 vintage, this
bottling is virtually unrivaled in the genre
of collector
wines. Please take special note that this
historic wine
will be offered at the current price for a
very finite
period of time. It will appreciate
substantively in price
in the upcoming months.
Quintarelli
1995 Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva $565.00
Quintarelli 1995 Amarone della Valpolicella
Riserva $1,395.10 (1.5L)
Quintarelli 1995 Amarone della Valpolicella
Riserva $2,903.00 (3.0L)
Recioto della Valpolicella Classico
Recioto is Valpolicella’s initial
incarnation—a sweet wine that
dates back to the Romans, who are credited
with
having developed the appassimento
process
(drying of the grapes). The sweetness
derives
from an arrested fermentation,
a procedure that stops the conversion of
sugar into
alcohol, thereby leaving
residual sugar. It is widely believed that
Amarone
emerged as the dry counterpart
to Recioto when an unattended barrel of the
latter
fermented fully. For Giuseppe,
like his father, the challenge of crafting
Recioto
represents a labor of love.
Following the arrested fermentation, this
wine’s vinification regimen
follows the same protocol utilized for the
Amarone.
Quintarelli 1995 Recioto della Valpolicella $329.99
Quintarelli
1995 Recioto della Valpolicella $169.99 (375ml)
For further information on these limited
production
cellar wines, please contact Augusto Cardona at
212.473.2323x114, or via email
augusto@italianwinemerchant.com
The Rare and The Cult
Rosso del Bepi
As aforementioned, Quintarelli crafts his
Amarone
only in vintages that he
deems exceptional, foregoing Amarone
production in
poor years. In fair years,
in lieu of offering a lesser wine, he
declassifies the
Amarone’s would-be
fruit and issues an IGT bottling that is
nearly an exact
rendering of the Amarone’s
composition (primarily Corvina and
Rondinella, with
smaller portions of Cabernet,
Nebbiolo, Croatina, Molinara, and Negrara).
This
wine’s career has
seen only three vintages thus far—1994,
’96, and ’99. The release
of the ’96 was met with a tremendous
reception at IWM, becoming our fastest
selling wine of 2004. The ’99 has
followed
suit, selling out before making
it to the shelf; in fact, today's offering
represents our
second installment.
The Rosso del Bepi, while delicious upon
release,
acquires further complexity
when cellared.
Quintarelli 1999 Rosso del Bepi $132.99
Alzero Cabernet
“I can only describe this rare
and brilliant
take on Cabernet Franc
as Cheval Blanc on
steroids…”
–Sergio
Predominantly Cabernet
Franc, the Alzero—which has become
Quintarelli’s cult offering— is
produced from old vines and made by the same
method used for Amarone production
(appassimento). It
is massive in its density, tannins,
acids, and
alcohol, with only a hint
of sweetness left to restrain them. With
tremendous
richness of color, aroma,
and flavor, the wine’s unctuous palate
reveals dried dark fruits, roasted
meats, pepper, and exotic spices. While
it may be
opened at present, it is
a profound selection for the cellar.
Though regarded
as the consummate traditionalist,
Giuseppe does engage in experimentation; the
vinification of the Alzero represents
his sole use of small barrels of French
oak.
Quintarelli 1997 Alzero $340.99
Quintarelli 1997 Alzero $1,860.00(3.0L)
Two of a Kind
Valpolicella Classico Superiore
This wine’s initial blend is
comprised of old-
vine Corvina, Rondinella,
and Molinara, with smaller percentages of
Negrara,
Cabernet, Nebbiolo, Croatina,
and Sangiovese. Five to six months after
the first
stage, it is blended with
the lees of Quintarelli’s Amarone.
The second
fermentation incited by
the ripasso method endows the wine
with a
more decadent character. It
is then aged in Slavonian oak for a period
of six
years—a longer timeframe
than many producers accord their Amarones.
Quintarelli’s Valpolicella
is one of the greatest of its kind, and is
superior
to many Amarones.
Quintarelli 1999
Valpolicella Classico Superiore $75.62
Quintarelli 1998 Valpolicella Classico Superiore $79.99
Ca’ del Merlo
The Ca’ del Merlo (meaning House of
the Blackbird) is a single-vineyard
Valpolicella. As the grapes for this
Valpolicella derive
exclusively from one
site, it expresses the influences of a
specific terroir,
yet represents the
composition and vinification method
(ripasso)
utilized in the crafting
of Quintarelli’s other Valpolicella.
Listed
below is an unprecedented offering of aged
Valpolicella, as well as the recent 1998
offering.
Quintarelli 1998 Ca' del Merlo $79.99
Quintarelli 1997 Ca' del Merlo $79.99
Quintarelli 1994 Ca' del Merlo $75.99
Quintarelli 1993 Ca' del Merlo $75.99
Quintarelli 1992 Ca' del Merlo $75.99
Quintarelli's First & Only
Primofiore
The grapes utilized for this
wine—Corvina
Veronese, Corvinone, Cabernet
Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc—complete
their ripening during a period
of storage in wooden boxes, a technique that
produces a more full-bodied, voluptuous
character. In the present context,
Primofiore
means “first press.” The
wine’s treatment with Amarone imparts
rich
flavors of cherry, olives,
spices, and oak; it is intended to be consumed
young.
Quintarelli 2003 Primofiore $44.99
Bianco Secco
In addition to his catalogue of legendary
reds,
Quintarelli makes a stunning
white—an artful blend of Garganega,
Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon Blanc,
Chardonnay, and Saorin (the last of which,
meaning
“flavor” in
Veronese dialect, is believed to be a
clone of
the Tocai grape). While
full on the palate, it delivers a
refreshing briskness,
finishing with a seductive
hint of dried honey and minerals.
Quintarelli 2005 Bianco Secco $36.95
Signature Samplers
As promised in our Veneto: Amarone to
Prosecco e-
Letter (2/17/07), we are pleased
to present a dedicated offering of the
wines of
Giuseppe Quintarelli. While
a profusion of superlatives dominate
dialogues,
essays, and reflections on
his wines, many writers decline to
delineate specific
characteristics, finding
the experience of his Amarone to be beyond
their
proficiency in wine’s
specialized vocabulary. In the words of one
such
admirer, they simply “inspire
contemplation and wonder.”
Perhaps Quintarelli says all that is
needful in his
handwritten label—a
profound and articulate expression in our high
tech–conscious world—and
the perfect opening to a wonderland of
profound
adventure. Explore this place
through our signature Six-Packs for the
collector and
the enthusiast….and
write your
own translation.
Quintarelli for the Collector Six-Pack
Includes:
Quintarelli 1998 Amarone della Valpolicella
Quintarelli 1997 Amarone della Valpolicella
Quintarelli 1995 Amarone della Valpolicella
Riserva
Quintarelli 1995 Recioto della Valpolicella
Quintarelli 1999 Rosso del Bepi
Quintarelli 1997 Alzero
Quintarelli
Collector's Six-Pack...$2,105.95*
*Free delivery in Manhattan
Quintarelli for the Enthusiast Six-Pack
Includes:
Quintarelli 1999 Rosso del Bepi
Quintarelli 1999 Valpolicella Classico
Superiore
Quintarelli 1998 Valpolicella Classico
Superiore
Quintarelli 1997 Ca' del Merlo
Quintarelli 2003 Primofiore
Quintarelli 2005 Bianco Secco
Quintarelli Enthusiast's Six-Pack...$450.53*
*Free delivery in Manhattan
Quintarelli Olive Oil
At first, a discussion of olive oil seems
almost out of place in the present context,
particularly as it does not occupy an eminent
position in the Veneto region. However, olive
oil holds an integral place on the Italian
table—
a regular presence that is not routine
or overly familiar, but sacred in its
affirmation of culture. It is, therefore,
only appropriate that the revered focus of
today's e-Letter extends his profound vinous
touch to the olive branch. While his bottles
may grace some of the most profound
occasions, his olive oil features in the
everyday sacred....and with a name like
Quintarelli, well, you know the rest....
Quintarelli 2005 Extra Virgin Olive Oil $54.95 (750ml)
New Saturday Seminar: Studio Regionale
The Veneto: Amarone to Prosecco
March 17, 1:00–3:00 p.m., $50.00
It offers the romance of Romeo and Juliet,
serves as
home to the beloved city
of the sea, and produces the
ever-recognizable trio of
Soave, Valpolicella,
and Bardolino—as well as the uniquely
Italian
Amarone, the sweet Recioto
della Valpolicella, and the sparkling
Prosecco. While
the Veneto continues
to compete with Puglia and Sicilia in
regards to
overall quantity, the collective
reputation of its upper-echelon wines
maintains the
region’s status as
a quality producer. Like the natural
progression of an
Italian meal, this tasting
begins with Prosecco and concludes with
Amarone,
introducing guests to the
beguiling spectrum of flavors the Veneto
has to offer.
The tasting includes:
Education provided by an IWM
sommelier
Tasting Booklet that includes IWM's
proprietary
regional and producer notes, as well as a
recipe
Crystal tasting glass to keep following the
tasting
Sampling of regional foods prepared by
IWM chefs
paired with each wine tasted
To make a reservation via phone:
Contact Michann Thompson at 212.473.2323 x106 to
reserve your space, or to learn more about
IWM's new
Studio Regionale Saturday Tasting Series.
Click to Reserve Your Space in the Veneto Tasting |
