November 29, 2008
Quintarelli New Arrivals & December Events
In This Issue
A Note
from Sergio
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but
any one bottle of Giuseppe
Quintarelli’s wines defies description.
This week
we are proud to be offering a selection of
Quintarelli’s magical, indefinable,
gorgeous and rare wines. I urge you to
get your hands on a bottle of
Quintarelli’s
Amarone, his Valpolicella, or any of his
other wines and try to describe the experience
of drinking it. It’s a beautiful, but
impossible, challenge.
Here’s my attempt
about the man and his legendary wines in my
book, Passion On The Vine:
I remembered the first bottle of
Quintarelli I’d ever drank, a 1980 Amarone
della Valpolicella. The year was 1992 and I
had gotten my job as sommelier two
weeks earlier. Tony May called me over to
his table.
“Taste this,” he said
nonchalantly, handing me a long−stemmed
glass
full of murky red liquid. Obligingly, I
took a sip. Then I didn’t move, I’m
sure, for quite some time.
If a normal wine is a paper airplane,
Quintarelli’s wine is a spaceship. Every
quality is overblown—its sweetness,
its sourness, its acidity, its tannins,
texture, flavors, smells—and at the
same time, all the qualities work
in tandem. The drink was an exercise in
contradiction, and the question it brought
up for me was: How, in the blast of
confusion created by such exaggeration,
could there exist perfect poise and
harmony? It was a mellow symphony. I looked
at Tony May in total disbelief.
Quintarelli is known for making wines of
appassimento, a purely Italian method.
Appassimento refers to the process of
drying grapes before you make wine from
them. It’s a risky business because
you’re working, essentially, with rotten
grapes that exude sugar and thus alcohol.
Done badly, an appassimento wine is
completely disjointed. Done well,
it’s concentrated and balanced. Done by
Quintarelli,
it’s a magical elixir.
Why his wines are so remarkable has never
been determined. In the lab, scientists
have re−created the environment of his
small working farm. They have reproduced
his chemical conditions, his materials, the
climate. They have used the same
grapes, grown in the same way. And
they’ve never made anything close to a
Quintarelli.
“I personally envision him as a wizard
in a long cape who waves his wand
over the barrels,” a friend told me.
It was puzzling, but it could also have been
as simple as accepting the fact
that the essence of a winemaker does indeed
enter his wine.
“He could have been the pope,” said
Quintarelli’s U.S. importer Robert
Chadderdon once. “He has more than a
normal person’s love of life and
people.”
I wasn’t the only one who responded to
Quintarelli’s wines. They were the hardest
Italian wines to find in the world, and his
cult-like following was constantly
scrambling for more—for his Amarone,
his Valpolicella, his Cabernet Franc,
his sweet reds, everything….
There’s nothing–
nothing–I know
that’s anything like a Quintarelli wine.
I am so pleased that this week we are able
to offer our clients an unprecedented
range of these hard-to-find and exquisite
wines. If you’re still not convinced,
let me offer one more anecdote from my book
to nudge you towards belief. One
of my friends, Mary, put it best.
“This stuff just makes me weak,”
she said, uncorking a bottle of Quintarelli
and filling the glasses with deep
red liquid. “It’s so damn sexy I
feel like I’m being seduced right in front
of my husband! You Italians are bad!”
A single, mystical sip of a Quintarelli
wine, and I’m sure you too will be
seduced.
My Best,
Sergio
For more accounts of Italian wine, food, and life reserve
my new book:
Passion
on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart
of Italy.
Quintarelli Holiday Primer
This marks the inaugural offering of Giuseppe
Quintarelli’s ripasso Valpolicellas
from the 2000 vintage, and indeed IWM is the
first in the US to offer the 2000 Valpolicella
Superiore and Ca’ del Merlo. The highly
sought-out Quintarelli is Veneto’s
most significant producer, retaining a
cult-like following for his fabled,
cellar-worthy
wines. Whether experiencing the new arrivals,
the 5-pack sampler, or classic vintages,
devoted followers, enthusiasts,
and recent converts alike are afforded
the opportunity to visit the depth of
Quintarelli’s output.
A second highlight of this package is
undoubtedly the rare Rosso del Bepi,
which has been produced in just three
vintages—1994, ’96, and ’99.
Often referred to as “Quintarelli
Amarone at half the price” by
insiders, it is, in fact, technically an
Amarone, declassified only because
it failed to satisfy Quintarelli’s
exacting standards. As such, the wine
invariably surpasses even most Amarones
released
in an exceptional vintage, thus truly
making it a gem to be discovered. With an
average case production of just six
hundred, allocations are extremely small.
Our allotment of the ’99 is
down to its final few bottles—and
represents what remains globally.
The same level of craftsmanship
seen in Quintarelli’s Amarone is
attained in his more introductory Valpolicella
Superiore and Ca’ del Merlo
bottlings, the latter of which is a
single-vineyard
expression. While less concentrated and
opulent than the Rosso del Bepi, these
wines possess the characteristics necessary
to occupy the “Baby Amarone”
class. Both are vinified in the ripasso
method, which entails passing a straight
Valpolicella through the lees of an Amarone
in order to enhance the wine’s
texture, complexity, and range of flavors
that include classic notes of dried
fruits and spice.
The final two wines in this sampler offer
even greater
approachability, while maintaining
Quintarelli’s
signature touch. His Primofiore (meaning
“first press”) is an easygoing
red that offers an explosion of juicy,
young fruit. In addition to the indigenous
Veneto grapes, you will find some of
Cabernet Franc’s (Alzero’s
main grape) personality in this wine. Last,
but not least, there’s the
crowd-pleasing white, Bianco Secco. This
artful blend of Garganega, Trebbiano
Toscano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and
Saorin the last of which is believed
to be a clone of Tai— formerly known as
Tocai Friulano— offers floral, honey,
and apricot notes.
Quintarelli Holiday Primer Includes:
Quintarelli 2006 Bianco Secco… $44.69
Quintarelli 2004 Primofiore… $49.50
Quintarelli 2000 Ca’ del Merlo…
$82.50
Quintarelli 2000 Valpolicella
Superiore… $82.50
Quintarelli 1999 Rosso Del Bepi…
$182.20
Five Bottle
Sampler:Quintarelli Primer
…$441.39‡
‡Free delivery in
Manhattan
**Indicates prearrival.
Quintarelli Classics
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,
Bianco Secco delivers a refreshing briskness,
finishing with a seductive hint of dried
honey and minerals.
Quintarelli
2006 Bianco Secco… $44.69
PRIMOFIORE
In the present context, Primofiore means
“first press,” and 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. The wine’s treatment with
Amarone
imparts rich flavors of cherry, olives,
spices, and oak; it is intended to be
consumed young. Production hovers around
460 cases.
Quintarelli 2004 Primofiore…
$49.50
Quintarelli 2004 Primofiore (1.5L)…
$105.88
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
2000 Valpolicella Classico Superiore…
$82.50
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
2000 Ca’ del Merlo…
$82.50
Quintarelli
2000 Ca’ del Merlo (1.5L)
… $181.50
Quintarelli 2000 Ca’ del Merlo (3.0L)
… $375.00
ROSSO DEL BEPI
As aforementioned, Quintarelli only 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 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 and became our fastest
selling wine of 2004. The ’99 has
followed suit, and we only have a small
amount remaining from a case production of
700. The Rosso del Bepi, while delicious
upon release, acquires further complexity
when cellared.
Quintarelli 1999 Rosso del Bepi…
$182.20
Quintarelli 1999 Rosso del Bepi
(1.5L)… $393.53
AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA
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
(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 (1.5L)… $699.99
ALZERO
This is it. This is what collectors and
enthusiasts around the world are seeking.
Predominantly Cabernet Franc, produced from
old vines and made by the same method used
for Amarone production (appassimento), the
Alzero has
become Quintarelli’s cult offering.
Even more to the point, just a few bottles of
this 1985 Quintarelli exists. You might find
a bottle or two on the auction market,
but at IWM these are the wines of provenance
that started the Quintarelli legend. Alzero
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. Though regarded as the
consummate traditionalist, Quintarelli does
engage in experimentation; the vinification
of the Alzero represents his sole
use of small barrels of French oak.
Quintarelli 1985 Alzero… $799.00
**Indicates prearrival.
December Tasting Events
Tastings to Consider for Early-Fall
A Taste of Winter Reds-Barolo to Amarone
Saturday, December 13, 2008 1:00-3:00 P.M.
$65.00
Special Event: White Truffles & Vintage
Barolo
Saturday, December 13, 2008 7:30 P.M.
$595.00
A
Taste of Super-Tuscans, Brunello, &
Barolo
Saturday, December 20, 2008 1:00-3:00 P.M. $65.00
To learn more about IWM’s Studio Regionale
Saturday Tasting Series, or to make
a reservation over the phone, contact Maryellen
Philipps at 212.473.2323, x129.
For more information on the White
Truffles & Vintage
Barolo Event, please contact Caroline
Mirschel at 212.473.2323, x 109.
News from Italy
For Italian wine followers wanting to stay in
the know, we’ve launched a Daily
Wine News section that dials you into the
latest news, trends, innovations, and
often bold new projects of our producer
friends in Italy. It’s a window into the
past, present, and future of all things
Italian wine. Written from a local perspective,
these articles offer a daily dose of snippets
from the world of Italian food and
wine that we think you will enjoy. We invite
you to keep looking for new additions
as we expand this section in the coming weeks.
2008 Holiday Catalog
We’re not returning to the same holiday terroir that you’re accustomed to. Rather, we’re going to show you the finest of IWM–our classic wine offerings featuring significant producers and programs that have redefined the wine-tasting genre. Our working philosophy at IWM continues to evolve even as it retains Sergio’s pre-eminent challenge to present to our clients "Italian wines as they’ve never been presented before." With our robust on-line wine shop, interactive Cellar Management and exclusive events suite, we’re working to surprise you, our IWM clients, with the very best wines–better, faster, and more easily than ever before.
Holiday
Catalogue/Downloadable PDF
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