97 Points, Wine
Advocate
Only produced in select vintages when growing conditions are
deemed exceptional, this is one of the most coveted bottles in Italian wine. 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. I opened bottle number 1,443 of only 5,726 released. Drink:
2025-2060
Giuseppe established the winery as the source of the most
traditional styles of Amarone, ageing it for seven years in Slavonian oak; the result is one of the most
complex wines produced in Italy. Quintarelli wines are still the unmatched benchmark for Amarone. Even
though he is traditional in his Amarone production, it does not follow that Giuseppe is afraid of
innovation.