A bit closed at first, but opened nicely with time. Not heavy, but explosive and well integrated flavors with a really long finish. Quintarelli is a genius imo
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Everything Quintarelli did was, at a minimum, special--and often extraordinary. This wine shows as well the amazing transformation of Valpolicella-type blends that he took from mediocrity into the fine wine category. Over the years, the Rosso ca del Merlo has evolved from a more rough-hewn wine into a more integrated melange. In that journey, however, I think that it has lost a little bit of its edge, and this bottling was very pleasant, but not exceptional. It needed two hours of decanting and developed a very nice lush, chocolate and tobacco undertone with the usual very dark black/red hue. The complexity was decent, the marriage with a gutsy Italian meal was very nice, but the satisfaction was not on the level of his great Amarone or the DFR Valpolicella.
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this was closed at first but after 5 hours in a decanter showed plenty of dry hot exquisite red and blue fruit. very clean elegant wine, not super extracted or rich, more balanced. very good bottle. not sure there's huge upside to holding for super long.
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Recent notes here are on point, plus licorice, kirsch and campfire smoke. Bursting with flavor. Lively and delightful. If I had any of these in my cellar, I would try very hard to resist drinking them for another 5-10 years.
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Italian night (Washington, DC): What a gorgeous wine. Loving the smoky, anise, pepper, tobacco complexities on the nose, along with dark, rich currant and plums. Full and grippy but suave and lively. Pretty fruit, but I’m most fascinated by these smoky, peppery, savory, earthy complexities that come out with air. Many years of sleep ahead.
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A very nicely blended Quintarelli, lacking the jarring edges that so wonderfully capture most of his wines. This step up from his Valpolicella is smoothly integrated, with a medium body, dark raisiny color, and a good mixture of mildly expressed, prune, chocolate, fig, moist earth, leather and smoke. Overall, not the wine for a massive steak but rather poultry or cheese. Decant for 2 hours.
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given a 4 hour slow ox before serving. brilliant dark cranberry color. nose is classic quintarelli with sweet ripe tobacco, cherry, fig, resin, and herbs. medium bodied and a fresh acidity that is less characteristic of other bottles i've had but gives the wine a nice lift. the mouth feel is impeccable as always. ripe red cherry, maraschino cherry, and and earthy, herbal finish. mild smooth, round, fine tannin on the end. finish is lengthy. some how a bit brighter and lighter than some of his other bottles.
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7/27/2023 - Inforred Likes this wine: 95 Points
A bit closed at first, but opened nicely with time. Not heavy, but explosive and well integrated flavors with a really long finish. Quintarelli is a genius imo
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10/3/2020 - Sotto325 wrote: 91 Points
Everything Quintarelli did was, at a minimum, special--and often extraordinary. This wine shows as well the amazing transformation of Valpolicella-type blends that he took from mediocrity into the fine wine category. Over the years, the Rosso ca del Merlo has evolved from a more rough-hewn wine into a more integrated melange. In that journey, however, I think that it has lost a little bit of its edge, and this bottling was very pleasant, but not exceptional. It needed two hours of decanting and developed a very nice lush, chocolate and tobacco undertone with the usual very dark black/red hue. The complexity was decent, the marriage with a gutsy Italian meal was very nice, but the satisfaction was not on the level of his great Amarone or the DFR Valpolicella.
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4/19/2020 - mike l. Likes this wine: 93 Points
this was closed at first but after 5 hours in a decanter showed plenty of dry hot exquisite red and blue fruit. very clean elegant wine, not super extracted or rich, more balanced. very good bottle. not sure there's huge upside to holding for super long.
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6/20/2019 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 95 Points
Recent notes here are on point, plus licorice, kirsch and campfire smoke. Bursting with flavor. Lively and delightful. If I had any of these in my cellar, I would try very hard to resist drinking them for another 5-10 years.
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3/23/2019 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 93 Points
Italian night (Washington, DC): What a gorgeous wine. Loving the smoky, anise, pepper, tobacco complexities on the nose, along with dark, rich currant and plums. Full and grippy but suave and lively. Pretty fruit, but I’m most fascinated by these smoky, peppery, savory, earthy complexities that come out with air. Many years of sleep ahead.
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12/24/2018 - Sotto325 wrote: 93 Points
A very nicely blended Quintarelli, lacking the jarring edges that so wonderfully capture most of his wines. This step up from his Valpolicella is smoothly integrated, with a medium body, dark raisiny color, and a good mixture of mildly expressed, prune, chocolate, fig, moist earth, leather and smoke. Overall, not the wine for a massive steak but rather poultry or cheese. Decant for 2 hours.
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12/5/2018 - bps2266 wrote: 94 Points
given a 4 hour slow ox before serving. brilliant dark cranberry color. nose is classic quintarelli with sweet ripe tobacco, cherry, fig, resin, and herbs. medium bodied and a fresh acidity that is less characteristic of other bottles i've had but gives the wine a nice lift. the mouth feel is impeccable as always. ripe red cherry, maraschino cherry, and and earthy, herbal finish. mild smooth, round, fine tannin on the end. finish is lengthy. some how a bit brighter and lighter than some of his other bottles.
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8/10/2018 - PeterjW Likes this wine: 95 Points
succulent complex with cedar and spice with beautiful balance - fantastic wine
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1/14/2018 - franinnyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Even better than 7 months ago. Just excellent with my sausage and broccoli rabe.
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7/23/2017 - franinnyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Terrific. Very light easy delicious drinking. Earth tobacco with a hint of fruit. Smoooth
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7/1/2017 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fig, jam, tobacco central, candied cherries due to higher alcohol. Love it
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