Quintarelli’s rendition of the ‘basic’ Valpolicella-styled wine is where to start when diving into the depths of this totally unique property. It’s ‘basic’ only in the sense that this is the one Quintarelli wine that doesn’t get ‘repassed’ over the previous year’s Amarone lees before barreling, but the grapes are, indeed, partially dried before fermenting, endowing the wine with a depth of flavor far beyond anything else called Valpolicella. It wears its IGT designation like a badge of honor. The wine is lively and ephemeral with a broad range of flavors that tend to dance over the palate before revealing an impressive core underneath. This is an amazing wine! Drink now or cellar.
This red is the exception to the rule at Quintarelli. It is aged for only two to three years—as opposed to seven—and only the Cabernet is partially dried. The Corvina and Corvinone are pressed directly after harvest. The resulting Primofiore, which translates to “first flower” because it is the youngest red-wine release every year, is the freshest rosso of the bunch.