Quintarelli Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 2007

Drink now or cellar for up to 31 year. Serve lightly chilled.

This lusciously sweet Recioto wine is the handiwork of Valpolicella’s finest producer, the Quintarelli estate. Although originally founded back in 1924, the winery owes its modern day success to Giuseppe Quintarelli who chose to stick to traditional winemaking methods even as his neighbours championed modern mass production techniques. Today Quintarelli’s global reputation is built on their luscious, remarkably complex and ageworthy Amarone and Recioto wines which age for very long periods in large Slavonian oak casks.

There is a similar commitment to tradition and excellence in the vineyards with several passes made through the vines during the harvest to select only the ripest grapes each time. Once in the winery the grapes are left to dry out on straw mats over the winter before being fermented very slowly over a 45 day period.

The result is a sensational Recioto which was awarded 98 points for the 2007 vintage by Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate in recognition of its exceptional ageability and wonderfully complex flavour profile. The nose is bursting with baking spice, woodsmoke, dark chocolate, and freshly ground coffee beans, while the palate offers a luscious sweetness carefully balanced by refined tannins and a gentle streak of acidity. A magnificent wine to serve instead of dessert or as a sweet accompaniment to cheeses, fruit tarts, or a decadent chocolate coulant.