2003 Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva

The 2003 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva awards a truly exceptional emotional charge for reasons that go beyond the technical tasting attributes of the wine. There is the nostalgic recognition that this would be one of the last vintages made, all hands on deck, by Giuseppe Quintarelli before his struggle with Parkinson's disease and his death at 84 in 2012. I tasted bottle number 4,780 of only 5,973 made. The Riserva is only produced in truly exceptional years and represents the single-best barrel of the bunch. Sadly the wine is heavily saddled with overripe aromas and a strong blast of 17% alcohol that are hard to see past. Of course, 2003 was an extremely hot vintage. The bouquet here is overplayed with heavy-footed aromas of dried fruit, smoked cedar wood, crushed brimstone and balsam herb. Given the greatest of the estate's other wines, my expectations of this wine were not met. May 2017, www.robertparker.com