Giuseppe Quintarelli : Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 2015

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 2015 by Giuseppe Quintarelli

Tasting

Color

A deep ruby hue with purple highlights dresses this wine, reflecting the remarkable concentration of the grapes.

Nose

The nose initially reveals itself with restraint, requiring a few moments of aeration to unveil its full complexity. First impressions suggest savory notes of precious woods and resin. Gradually, the bouquet opens generously, revealing aromas of candied plum, prune and sweet tea, joined by nuances of black cherry and wild berries, lifted by a core of blood orange.

Palate

On the palate, this wine captivates with its velvety, warming texture. Despite its sweetness, it retains remarkable freshness and refined elegance, with no heaviness. Bright acidity brings tension and energy, while the tannins remain light and delicate. The finish stands out for its exceptional persistence, with flavors that continue to evolve at length across the palate.

Food and wine pairings

This Recioto della Valpolicella Classico pairs wonderfully with dried-fruit desserts, dry cakes and cookies. It makes a particularly harmonious match with dark chocolate, where the bitterness of cocoa balances the wine’s sweetness. Aged cheeses are also an excellent choice: creamy blues such as gorgonzola, or hard cheeses like parmigiano reggiano, create delicious pairings. Fresh figs offer a traditional match that works especially well.

Serving and cellaring

The Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 2015 is ideally enjoyed at a temperature between 16 and 18°C. It is recommended to open the bottle 15 to 30 minutes before serving to allow the wine to gradually reveal its full aromatic range. This wine can be cellared until around 2055.

An exceptional Recioto della Valpolicella Classico, an emblem of Veneto

The estate

Founded in 1924 by Silvio Quintarelli in the hamlet of Cerè near Negrar, the Giuseppe Quintarelli estate embodies the winemaking excellence of Veneto. Giuseppe Quintarelli, nicknamed the "Maestro del Veneto", ran the estate from 1950 until his passing in 2012, developing a philosophy of absolute quality and meticulous respect for traditional methods. Today, his daughter Fiorenza Grigoli, her husband Giampaolo and their sons Francesco and Lorenzo carry on this legacy across the estate’s twelve hectares. The estate remains family-owned and independent, with an uncompromising commitment to excellence, even refusing to produce certain cuvées in vintages deemed not up to standard.

The vineyard

The Recioto della Valpolicella Classico comes from vines located in the Negrar valley, the historic heart of the Valpolicella appellation in Veneto, around fifty kilometers north of Verona. The main plots lie on Monte Ca' Paletta, at around five hundred meters above sea level, as well as in Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella, Valgatara and Montorio. The soils are composed mainly of limestone and volcanic basalt, giving the wines minerality and complexity. The vines, averaging thirty years of age, are farmed sustainably without chemical herbicides, with deliberately low yields to favor quality.

The vintage

The 2015 vintage proved exceptional in Veneto, offering favorable weather conditions that enabled the grapes to reach optimal ripeness and to concentrate remarkably during the appassimento process.

Winemaking and aging

To produce this Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 2015, the bunches are carefully laid out on wooden racks in traditional lofts, where they dry for three to four months. This ancestral appassimento technique naturally concentrates sugars, acids and aromatic compounds. Noble rot is encouraged during this period. At the end of January, the dried grapes are pressed, then macerate for around twenty days. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless-steel tanks at low temperature with indigenous yeasts, over approximately forty-five days. The wine then ages in large Slavonian oak casks for five to six years, allowing for harmonious development without marked oaky flavors.

Grape varieties

Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella complemented by Cabernet, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese.