Quintarelli
This is a legendary estate founded in 1924 in Negrar (Veneto) in Italy. Giuseppe (Bepi) Quintarelli, “Il Maestro del Veneto” became THE reference for “Amarone” and was regarded the greatest of all Amarone producers. He ran the business from 1954 until he passed away in 2012, because of Parkinson’s disease.
He was a very traditional winemaker, well known for his complex wines which aged for up to 8 years in large Slavonian oak barrels. Nowadays, the family company is run by his heirs: Daughter Fiorenza together with her husband Giampaolo Grigoli and their children Francesco and Lorenzo.
The other famous Amarone producer, Romano dal Foro, was Giuseppe’s protégée. At present, various wines are produced at the domaine, which covers approximately 11 Ha. The “Valpolicella Classico Superiore” is made from Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella grapes, with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Croatina, Sangiovese and some other varieties. 50% of the grapes are pressed directly after the harvest, while the other 50% are dried for 2 months. After the fermentation, the wine is racked for 7 years into large oak barrels.
The “Amarone della Valpolicella Classico” is also made from the above-mentioned grapes, but they are all dried. This wine ages in large Slavonian oak barrels for at least 7 years and during the aging period, the alcoholic fermentation continues, so the result will be a dry wine with an alcohol content of at least 15%. Amarone is only produced in exceptional years. The “Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva” is even more rare and is a personal barrel selection by the family.
Furthermore there is a “Recioto della Valpolicella Classico”, a sweet wine which is capable of keeping for decades, the “Alzero Cabernet”, made from the dried grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the “Rosso del Bepi” and the white “Bianco Secco” and “Amabile del Cere”. They are all true masterpieces and a benchmark for the Veneto region.
Read more