1978 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 94.3 points

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  4/6/2024 - Windacre in the Slope Likes this wine: 99 Points

  Just wow. The nose alone made me weak in the knees, with a rich deep musky scent. The wine left me speechless, fairly indescribable, harmonious. Just a gestalt of what a wine can be. Very lucky to have been able to share this with good friends.

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  11/27/2016 - 49RockVino Likes this wine: 95 Points

  More of an experience than a study in taste. Still in awe of Quintarelli's wines, the same way I was after my first sip a decade ago. Nothing in the vinous world quite prepares you for a bottle of "Bepi" masterpiece.
  
  If I had to attempt to describe it: light to medium in color out of the bottle, medium after 3 hour decant. Classic Quintarelli nose of raisin and dried fruit, adding in some secondary hints of cherry coke and cedar cigar box. The 15% alcohol is still present 38 years later. The last glass was the best one, could have been opened hours earlier.
  
  In short, nothing prepares you for a trip down Quintarelli lane -- you just have to jump in with both feet and enjoy the ride.

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  2/9/2011 - TomStephenson wrote:

  Served at 55 degrees, the first taste was like going home to Verona, with all the 'essential' amarone components. While it didn't give a whole lot initially on the nose, the palate thanked the 'pop and pour' with a subdued saturation, if that's possible, given that it also had a seductive, even feminine flair. Shocking, especially for a Quint and not showing a touch of its 15% alcohol, though it did have the classic Elmer's Glue nose that the wines can take on. A real joy to drink.
  
  Unfortunately, over two hours in the glass (and 10 degrees of warmth) the wine began to separate. The nose filled out beautifully and the attack was wonderful. But the finish was no longer as pleasant, marred a bit by its alcohol. A quick dunk in an ice bucket helped, but it never fully regained the tar and rose petal, Barolo meets Amarone delicacy of the first half an hour.

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  2/3/2004 - Spencer wrote: 89 Points

  First Tuesday Wine Group at Charlie's House. All of the wines were in impeccable condition. Dark purple. A bit hot with some unresolved acidity. Long, complex finish. I think we all would have enjoyed this wine more if it hadn't been paired with a horrible wine from Yorktown Heights, NY, called Mezzapesa. It almost destroyed all of our abilities to taste. Anyways, this wine is probably much better than an 89.

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