2007 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
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Tasting notes
The 2007 Amarone della Valpolicella is a real stunner. Rich, seductive and generous, the 2007 captures all of the intensity of the year. Wild red cherry, licorice, menthol, spice, vanillin seem to envelop every corner of the palate. Sumptuous and yet very much classic in its weight and feel, 2007 Amarone is a winner. The 2007 can be enjoyed now, but it also has enough stuffing to drink well for many years to come, although it will likely not be as long-lived as some other recent vintages. I doubt that will be a concern for most readers. This is a fabulous wine by any measure. A 2007 Riserva, as well as Alzero, will follow.
Critic scores
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Ian D'Agata
More reviews and scores
The 2007 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico was bottled seven months before I tasted it. Grapes undergo a four-month appassimento for extra concentration and intensity. Despite this heavy-handed winemaking technique (in which the clusters lose up to 30% of their water mass in the air-drying process), this is a surprisingly delicate and nuanced wine. The aging process has definitely broken down and assimilated any of the hard edges that come from dried grapes. In its wake, the wine is polished and tight with a long, silky texture.
The 2007 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico was bottled seven months before I tasted it. Grapes undergo a four-month appassimento for extra concentration and intensity. Despite this heavy-handed winemaking technique (in which the clusters lose up to 30% of their water mass in the air-drying process), this is a surprisingly delicate and nuanced wine. The aging process has definitely broken down and assimilated any of the hard edges that come from dried grapes. In its wake, the wine is polished and tight with a long, silky texture. May 2017, www.robertparker.com, Drink: 2019-2035
Deep, bright red with a hint of orange at the rim. Knockout aromas and flavors of dried red cherry, raspberry, minerals, crushed flowers, sweet spices, aromatic herbs and licorice. Utterly seamless in the mouth, with the very silky texture lifted by harmonious acidity, giving this sneakily concentrated beauty a very light on its feet quality. Noble, utterly vibrant Amarone with near-perfect balance (7 g/L residual sugar and 6.2 g/L total acidity) and a rising, polished, glyceral finish. This vintage boasts the Quintarelli signature sweetness and depth of fruit but woven into a more refined, gentler, nuanced version of Amarone from Quintarelli than is usual. Those looking for a more powerhouse style may not be left as impressed by this wine as I am, but personally, I love this wine’s utterly magical balance. May 2017, www.vinous.com, Drink: 2021-2034