Quintarelli 1999 Rosso Del Bepi

winemarauder

i recently had the great pleasure of purchasing a case of this exceptional wine. those who know giuseppe quintarelli know him as one of the undisputed masters of the veneto region. this wine is a declassified amarone. from what i've been told, it's better than a majority of the amarones out there but not good enough to live up to the exacting standards of this enigmatic winemaker. to fully enjoy this wine you need to decant it and let it breath for about 2-3 hours. the nose is unbelievable - you could smell it for hours without taking a sip and be able to die happy. but the taste of it... pure bliss. the long, complex finish of deep berries with a hint of smoke and anise just goes on forever. this is a wine to savor. i haven't yet had been fortunate enough to try one of his "real" amarones but if this bottle is any indication, i may explode as soon as it hits my mouth.

Tasting Tags: berries cherries complex finish long velvety