Quintarelli Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 2015 375ml

97 points CellarTracker.com community score.

96 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "[$200/375ml list] An Italian icon, the Quintarelli Giuseppe 2015 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico represents the estate's special blend of air-dried grapes (with Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Cabernet, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese). Production of this wine is rare and sporadic. The last time we saw it was in 2011. In terms of the 2015 vintage, it takes a little while before you recognize its sweetness (this bottle has 70 grams per liter of residual sugar, which is much lower compared to the 2011). First impressions resolve around savory tones of Indian teak, resin and waxed furniture. It takes a little while to unfold, but the wine eventually appears very generous, soft and velvety with candied plum, prune and sweet tea. The alcohol content is 15%, and production is between 5,000 and 6,000 bottles, with both 750-milliliter and 375-milliliter formats made. Drink: 2025-2055. (12/5/24)"

Importer notes: "Careful selection of grapes from specific vineyard parcels that are uniquely suitable for Recioto. Recioto refers to the “ears” of the grape clusters, the upper shoulders of the bunches that get the most sunlight and are the most ripe. The wine must have significant sugar to go through two alcoholic fermentations and remain sweet. Recioto must have significant levels of residual sugar after alcoholic fermentation. After harvest, grapes sit in wooden boxes or on rush mats. Careful attention is paid to the positioning of the grapes so the appassimento can occur naturally. Noble rot starts to appear in November and develops mostly in January. Grapes are pressed at the end of January and after 20 days of maceration, alcoholic fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts. Fermentation lasts 45 days. Wine is then racked and ages in Slavonian oak barrels for five to six years. All of Quintarelli’s wines are capable of very, very long aging, but none more so than the Recioto."