I had the pleasure of visiting the Quintarelli estate and meeting the man himself in March of 2007 along with three wine loving friends, Gino, Tony & George. It remains one of my fondest wine memories. I was in awe of the humble and gentle nature of the man and the simplicity of his estate. He set his standards very high and rigidly adhered to them and as a result all of the wines he put his name on provide an incredible wine tasting experience. I only hope that his family continues on with his philosophy and continues to live up to the high standards he set.
At our visit in 2007 we were able to purchase 4 bottles of wine from his cellar. He sold us a bottle each of 1986 Amarone, 1990 Amarone Riserva, 1988 Amarone Riserva and a 1983 Ricioto della Valpolicella Gran Riserva. We took the wines to Ristorante Greppia in Verona, Italy where they gladly allowed us to drink them with their excellent food. Each Amarone was an amazing experience. Incredible purity, balance, complexity and a lengthy finish across the board. And as for the Ricioto, I can easily say it was the greatest bottle of dessert wine I have ever tasted and probably will ever taste. Words cannot describe it, so I will not even try.
While I am a big fan of Quintarelli, there are others who knew him well and spent time with him and are much more qualified than I to speak about him and his legacy. Here are some links to their comments and remembrances. Click on the links to read what they have to say, it is well worth the time.
Polish Wine Guide
Do Bianchi
Palate Press
If you have any of his wines in your cellar, open a bottle and toast life and his legacy. If not, please go out and buy one and discover what you have been missing.
Giuseppe you will be missed but long remembered. Rest in peace.
Mark
Had Amarone 2000 last evevning...RIP Maestro
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