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FrançaisGiuseppe Quintarelli — The timeless legend of Valpolicella
Giuseppe Quintarelli is one of Italy’s most mythical estates and the absolute reference for the great wines of Valpolicella Classica. Located in Negrar, in the heart of the Veneto hills, the estate has shaped a unique vision of Amarone: profound, slow, artisanal and concentrated, yet always carried by balance, freshness and an almost timeless elegance.
The late Giuseppe Quintarelli, often regarded as the master of Valpolicella, established a style based on patience, extreme grape selection, appassimento, long fermentations and extended ageing in large casks. Today, his family continues this philosophy with the same fidelity, preserving the identity of an estate that has become cult among collectors and lovers of fine Italian wines.
Quintarelli never seeks simple power. The estate aims for depth built through time: slowly dried grapes, natural vinifications, very long ageing, late bottling and a refusal to rush any stage. Its wines possess rare density, but also harmony, freshness and noble texture, setting them apart from more demonstrative Amarone wines.
History and identity of Giuseppe Quintarelli
The history of Quintarelli is inseparable from the figure of Giuseppe Quintarelli, a visionary winegrower and guardian of an exacting tradition. At a time when many Valpolicella wines were moving towards simpler or more commercial styles, he defended an artisanal, slow and deeply personal conception of wine.
His reputation was built on rare exacting standards: very low yields, severe sorting, perfectly healthy grapes, patience during fermentation, long ageing and a refusal to release a wine before it was ready. This approach made Quintarelli a house apart, respected as much for its Amarone as for its Valpolicella, Recioto, white wines and atypical cuvées.
Even today, the estate preserves this identity. Quintarelli wines do not follow trends: they express a slow, profound and classic vision of Valpolicella, where concentration only matters if it remains balanced by freshness, elegance and length.
Valpolicella Classica: hills, limestone and basalt
The estate is located in Valpolicella Classica, near Negrar, in a hilly landscape where exposure, altitude and soil composition play an essential role. The vines grow notably on limestone and basaltic soils, which bring structure, freshness and depth to the wines.
This terroir allows the region’s traditional grape varieties — Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and other local varieties — to express both aromatic richness and natural tension. This freshness is decisive in Quintarelli wines, as it balances the concentration obtained through appassimento and enables exceptional ageing capacity.
Terroir expression: Valpolicella Classica, Negrar, Veneto hills, limestone and basaltic soils, local grape varieties, natural freshness and aromatic depth.
Quintarelli signature: appassimento, long fermentations, extended ageing, velvety texture, controlled richness, spicy complexity and very long ageing potential.
Appassimento: patience and natural concentration
Appassimento lies at the heart of the Quintarelli identity. This method consists of drying the grapes for several months in order to concentrate sugars, aromas, polyphenols and substance. At Quintarelli, this practice is never used to produce a heavy or excessive wine: it is used to build depth, complexity and texture.
Grape selection is crucial. Only perfectly healthy bunches can withstand this long drying process. The grapes are then vinified slowly, with natural fermentations that may extend over a long period. The result is intense wines, always balanced by remarkable freshness and precision.
Viticulture, selection and artisanal work
The estate works with an artisanal approach based on observation, selection and respect for the natural rhythm of wine. Yields are deliberately limited, harvests are carried out by hand and grapes are sorted with great rigour, both in the vineyard and before drying.
This exacting approach explains the rarity of the wines. Volumes are limited, ageing is long and each cuvée requires several years before being released. Quintarelli does not produce immediate wines: it shapes bottles intended to evolve, gain complexity and stand the test of time.
Structure: deep, ample, velvety, powerful yet balanced by remarkable freshness.
Aromatic expression: black cherry, morello cherry, plum, fig, cocoa, sweet tobacco, fine leather, spices, dried herbs, liquorice and balsamic notes.
Texture: dense substance, polished tannins, enveloping palate, balance between richness and tension, very long finish.
Personality: wines of patience, depth and emotion, closer to great meditation wines than to simple wines of power.
Vinification and ageing
Quintarelli’s vinifications are based on slow, natural and minimally interventionist fermentations. The estate allows time to act, without seeking to artificially accelerate balance. This slowness enables the wines to develop progressive aromatic complexity and a deeply integrated texture.
Ageing is one of the essential markers of the style. The wines spend long years in large casks, notably Slavonian oak. Wood is never used to dominate the wine, but to accompany its breathing, refine its structure and allow it to gain stability, depth and harmony.
Harvest: manual, with rigorous grape selection and severe sorting before appassimento.
Vinification: natural, long and slow fermentations, with minimal intervention.
Ageing: extended ageing in large casks, in search of integration and depth.
Philosophy: preserving fruit intensity, natural balance, freshness and the wine’s ability to reveal itself over time.
Style of the wines
The Quintarelli style is immediately recognisable for its balance between richness and grace. The wines can be powerful, concentrated and profound, yet they always retain freshness, vibration and harmony, avoiding heaviness.
Amarone develops a velvety texture and aromas of black fruit, spices, cocoa, tobacco and dried herbs, while Valpolicella Classico Superiore stands out for its unusual complexity within the appellation. The great cuvées evolve for several decades, gaining notes of leather, truffle, balsamic nuance, candied fruit and softened spices.
Emblematic cuvées
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico: the estate’s mythical cuvée, deep, ample, velvety and highly complex. It embodies the most classic and patient vision of Amarone.
Valpolicella Classico Superiore: a wine of unusual richness and depth for the appellation, often produced in a ripasso spirit, with silky texture and great length.
Rosso del Bepi: a rare cuvée, often associated with vintages when Amarone is not released under its usual name. It offers a deep, complex and immediately recognisable expression of the Quintarelli style.
Alzero: an atypical and cult wine, produced from Bordeaux grape varieties dried in the spirit of appassimento. It combines intensity, exotic character, depth and exceptional persistence.
Recioto della Valpolicella: the historic sweet wine of the region, rich, opulent and complex, carried by candied red fruit, dark chocolate, spice and essential freshness.
Bianco Secco: a singular white wine from the estate, often discreet in the shadow of the reds, yet sought after for its originality, texture and artisanal expression.
Amarone, Rosso del Bepi and Alzero
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico represents the historic summit of the estate. It is not simply a rich or imposing Amarone, but a wine of great architecture, built through appassimento, slow fermentations and extended ageing. Its power is always tempered by balance and freshness.
Rosso del Bepi occupies a special place in the Quintarelli universe. This cuvée sometimes allows a vintage to be expressed in a different form, when the estate chooses not to release the classic Amarone. It preserves the depth, complexity and signature of the estate.
Alzero is one of Italy’s most singular cuvées. Produced from Bordeaux grape varieties using an approach inspired by appassimento, it offers an intense, dark, spicy and almost baroque expression, while retaining the precision and length typical of Quintarelli.
Vintages, ageing and collection
Quintarelli wines are among Italy’s most sought-after bottles for cellaring. Their natural concentration, acidity, structure and very long ageing allow them to evolve for several decades. Great Amarone, Alzero and Recioto gain complexity over time while retaining remarkable energy.
Older bottles should be chosen with care: fill level, colour, label condition, capsule, provenance and storage conditions are essential. When well preserved, they offer a rare experience, combining meditative power, spicy sweetness, aromatic depth and exceptional persistence.
Food pairings
The wines of Giuseppe Quintarelli naturally pair with deep and refined cuisine: braised meats, noble game, slow-cooked beef, mushroom risotto, truffle dishes, aged cheeses, wine-based sauces, Venetian cuisine and dishes with gentle spices. Amarone and Alzero suit rich, structured dishes, while Recioto can accompany dark chocolate, red fruit desserts or certain blue cheeses.
Country: Italy
Region: Veneto, Valpolicella Classica
Estate: Giuseppe Quintarelli
Village: Negrar
Emblematic figure: Giuseppe Quintarelli
Key method: appassimento, long fermentations and extended ageing
Main grape varieties: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, local grape varieties and, for Alzero, Bordeaux grape varieties
Cuvées: Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Rosso del Bepi, Alzero, Recioto della Valpolicella, Bianco Secco
Style: deep, velvety, artisanal, intense, spicy, fresh, harmonious and built for very long ageing.
In summary: Giuseppe Quintarelli embodies one of the noblest and most timeless expressions of Valpolicella. Through appassimento, slow fermentations, extended ageing and rare artisanal exacting standards, the estate produces deep, harmonious, complex wines capable of ageing for decades.
Dominant aromas: black cherry, morello cherry, plum, dried fig, cocoa, dark chocolate, sweet tobacco, fine leather, dried herbs, liquorice, spices, discreet truffle, balsamic notes and a long velvety finish.
Available bottles of Giuseppe Quintarelli
Discover our current selection of Giuseppe Quintarelli: Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Rosso del Bepi, Alzero, Recioto, mature vintages, great years and bottles intended for lovers of the greatest Italian wines from Veneto. Each bottle should be chosen according to its cuvée, vintage, condition, fill level, provenance and tasting potential.
