2015 Giuseppe Quintarelli Recioto della Valpolicella Classico (375ml)

An Italian icon, the Quintarelli Giuseppe 2015 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico represents the estate's special blend of air-dried grapes (with Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Cabernet, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese). Production of this wine is rare and sporadic. The last time we saw it was in 2011. In terms of the 2015 vintage, it takes a little while before you recognize its sweetness (this bottle has 70 grams per liter of residual sugar, which is much lower compared to the 2011). First impressions resolve around savory tones of Indian teak, resin and waxed furniture. It takes a little while to unfold, but the wine eventually appears very generous, soft and velvety with candied plum, prune and sweet tea. The alcohol content is 15%, and production is between 5,000 and 6,000 bottles, with both 750-milliliter and 375-milliliter formats made (the price listed here is for the small bottle).