Arguably Italy's greatest sweet red wine, Quintarelli Recioto is one of IWM's fastest-selling dessert wines; the 2004 saw a benchmark vintage for the Veneto, and this Recioto vintage is a decadent delight that doesn’t sacrifice detail for power. Quintarelli’s '04 Recioto reflects its ideal growing season in its kaleidoscopic layers, velvety texture, and mind-blowing complexity. This wine layers its sweet black cherries and juicy figs with mentholated herbs, Christmas spices, roasted coffee, worn leather, and dark chocolate in a Port-like palate that marries lively acidity with intense dry extract. Velvety tannins provide a sensual backdrop, while savory earthy notes complement the wine’s sweet fruits into its lingering, extended finish. Rarely produced, this bottling appears only three to four times a decade because it requires thirty pounds of grapes (it’s a blend of mostly Corvina and Corvinone, with Rondinella, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Croatina, and Sangiovese) and at least ten years of aging to create one standard bottle. This hedonistic drink will recalibrate everything you thought you knew about dessert wine.
- Country: Italy
- Region: Veneto
- Subregion: : Valpolicella
Known as "the Master of the Veneto," Quintarelli makes some of the world’s most sought-after wines, and their releases always create commensurate fervor. Quintarelli’s limited production Amarones, Reciotos, and Valpolicellas are the benchmark for excellence. Their greatness stems from the inherent quality of the terroir and the natural talent of this master, whose concept of vintage standards and strict grape selection rivals the great Chateau of Sauternes. Quintarelli puts his wines on the market when he deems them ready, sometimes cellaring them for decades until the right moment arrives. True thinking wines that slow the pace and teach the drinker to be silent, Quintarelli’s wines are unlike any other in the world.
|