Opens up very nicely in the glass showing some refined and balanced dark cherry fruit. It has aged very nicely and still has a touch of dried fruit. Lovely nose with plenty of flowers but also some dried earth and mushrooms. It seems to be fully mature due to the lovely balance and intensity. Very lovely wine that shows what age can do to a fairly simple wine when it was released!
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Unfortunately a flawed bottle. Nose was ok, but the palate seemed incredibly flat and a bit madierized. Probably saw some heat along the way. Purchased at auction from Brentwood.
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With a pan-roasted veal chop and morels. I thought I had a couple of 2004 or 2005 Primofiore left in the wine fridge, but found 1999 Valpolicella instead. Given I was in a Quintarelli mood, I gave this a quick decant. The nose took a bit of coaxing, but dried cherries, spice, cafe au lait, and balsam notes emerge. The wine is rich and concentrated (and a broad 15 degrees alcohol), with loads of spice, red plum, dried cherry, and menthol notes dancing across the ripe, concentrated palate. Signore Quintarelli didn’t release an Amarone only Rosso del Bepe in 1999 and it isn’t hard to imagine some of what would have been the big wine having made its way into the “humble” Valpolicella or Rosso Ca’ del Merlo. The wine is delicious, if a bit zaftig for what’s on the plate, but a hunk of Vacche Rosso Parmigiana awaits, so there’s hope. As for the veal and morels, I suspect Primofiore would have been a prettier and more felicitous selection. And given that I have a couple of the Valpolicella remaining, perhaps Fall, polenta, short ribs, and porcini will prove more rewarding. And should you have a bottle, the structure is resolving nicely, but this shares more with Amarone than your typical Valpolicella, so plan your meal accordingly.
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4/13/2024 - canan wrote: 92 Points
Opens up very nicely in the glass showing some refined and balanced dark cherry fruit. It has aged very nicely and still has a touch of dried fruit.
Lovely nose with plenty of flowers but also some dried earth and mushrooms. It seems to be fully mature due to the lovely balance and intensity. Very lovely wine that shows what age can do to a fairly simple wine when it was released!
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7/24/2022 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 92 Points
open and ready
will not get better but can stay at this level for some time
comparable to the other 1999 italian wines this evening
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4/16/2022 - jviz wrote: flawed
Unfortunately a flawed bottle. Nose was ok, but the palate seemed incredibly flat and a bit madierized. Probably saw some heat along the way. Purchased at auction from Brentwood.
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10/20/2021 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 95 Points
in terrific shape with dark fruit raisin and cassis
backbone and structure are intact
went so well with the food at Marea and worth the corkage fee
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6/10/2021 - JohnMcIlwain Likes this wine:
With a pan-roasted veal chop and morels. I thought I had a couple of 2004 or 2005 Primofiore left in the wine fridge, but found 1999 Valpolicella instead. Given I was in a Quintarelli mood, I gave this a quick decant. The nose took a bit of coaxing, but dried cherries, spice, cafe au lait, and balsam notes emerge. The wine is rich and concentrated (and a broad 15 degrees alcohol), with loads of spice, red plum, dried cherry, and menthol notes dancing across the ripe, concentrated palate. Signore Quintarelli didn’t release an Amarone only Rosso del Bepe in 1999 and it isn’t hard to imagine some of what would have been the big wine having made its way into the “humble” Valpolicella or Rosso Ca’ del Merlo. The wine is delicious, if a bit zaftig for what’s on the plate, but a hunk of Vacche Rosso Parmigiana awaits, so there’s hope. As for the veal and morels, I suspect Primofiore would have been a prettier and more felicitous selection. And given that I have a couple of the Valpolicella remaining, perhaps Fall, polenta, short ribs, and porcini will prove more rewarding. And should you have a bottle, the structure is resolving nicely, but this shares more with Amarone than your typical Valpolicella, so plan your meal accordingly.
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