Nick Jackson, MW | May 22, 2025
In the quiet hills of Valpolicella, above the beautiful city of Verona, one of Italy’s most celebrated and long-lived reds is produced: Amarone. The product of grapes dried for three months after harvest, Amarone is a rich, powerful red that continues improving in bottle for decades.
An important influence behind the fame of the wine is one man: Giuseppe Quintarelli. He started running his family’s estate in Negrar, in the best part of Valpolicella, in the mid-1950s, and oversaw the production of 60 vintages. As with so many leading producers across the world, Quintarelli was obsessive about quality at every stage. His wines show this in their dazzling complexity and depths. We are pleased to offer two mature vintages, 2000 and 2003, respectively, from a cooler and a warmer year, that showcase the master’s skill.
The dal Forno estate is a newer property (first vintage 1983) that, for many drinkers, can rival Quintarelli in quality, if not in style. Quintarelli’s traditional large oak and extended aging is not the fashion at dal Forno, who instead use small oak barriques to add additional spicy complexity to their wines.
Two styles, two celebrated estates, and with four vintages available: that sounds like a party!
