In the glass
Aroma: dried cherry, dark chocolate, violets, dried fig, cinnamon, incense
Palate: chocolate-covered cherry, raisin, espresso, liquorice, dried orange peel
The sweet passito counterpart to Quintarelli's Amarone: residual sugar balanced by firm tannins and high acidity producing a luscious yet structured dessert red with decades-long ageing potential.
What it pairs with
-
Dark chocolate fondant
The wine's chocolate and dried-cherry notes echo the cocoa bitterness. -
Gorgonzola dolce
Sweet Recioto bridges the creamy saltiness of Gorgonzola beautifully. -
Dried fruit and walnut cake
The wine's raisin and fig notes harmonise with the concentrated baked fruit.
History
Recioto predates Amarone historically as the prestige wine of Valpolicella, using only the upper grape clusters (reci) with the highest concentration. Quintarelli's version is the gold standard, made in small quantity and aged with the same patience as his dry wines.
- 1960 — First documented Quintarelli Recioto bottling
- 1990 — Recioto della Valpolicella awarded DOCG status
Facts
- Producer
- Giuseppe Quintarelli
- Grapes
- Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara
- Classification
- Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG
- Oak
- Aged 5-6 years in large Slavonian oak
- ABV
- 14.0%
- Price
- €250-400 at retail (500ml)
- Drinking window
- 5-30 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1960