Amarone della Valpolicella DOP Classico 1997
€1,516.00
Only 2 bottles left, rare vintage
Italy: shipping from €13 · Free over €99Change
- Drink
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Bottle: 750ml
Vintage: 1997
Alcohol: 16%
Grapes: Corvina 55%, 25% rondinella, 20% cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese
Ageing: 7 years in Slavonian oak prior to bottling.
Aromas: Dark-fruit foundations through coffee, leather and mushroom notes all the way to touches of lavender and violets.
- 1 to 3 bottles
- 4 to 6 bottles
- 7 to 12 bottles
Vintage 1997
Stars from the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella, for Amarone della Valpolicella
An excellent year. A small, healthy harvest and ideal weather for drying the grapes, the key step in making Amarone.
Excellent quality with peaks of brilliance, and an exceptional year for the drying grapes.
Budbreak came ten days early. April frosts touched some valley floor sites, and a violent hailstorm on 4 July hit Negrar and San Pietro in Cariano, with losses above 50% in places. Little rain followed until after the harvest, which ran from 25 September to 20 October. Wide swings between day and night temperatures helped ripening, and a small crop kept the grapes healthy. Loose bunches and dry nights made it an exceptional year for drying.
Amarone della Valpolicella DOP Classico 1997 by Quintarelli
From arguably the greatest vintage of the ’90s, one of the greatest producers in Valpolicella, indeed all of Italy, at their very best. Indeed, this highly collectible wine is peaking round about now, providing a drinking experience truly for the ages.
Winemaking: All of Giuseppe Quintarelli’s skill and philosophical commitment went this one as ever, with trademark slow ripening, slow macerating and slow fermentation followed by the slowest of oak ageing, in the traditional Slavonian oak botti, for 7 years prior to bottling.
Assemblage: Corvina 55%, 25% rondinella, 20% cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese.
Soil: Mostly calcareous with basaltic areas.
Alcohol: 16%
Colour: Translucent red brick.
Aroma: A full choir-range, from the dark-fruit foundations through coffee, leather and mushroom notes all the way through to touches of lavender and violets.
Palate: Full, but now deceptively soft and velvety, whose acidity and tannins are perfectly integrated while still providing the backbone of the wine.
Ageability: Peaking now, but still with a decade or so left without doubt.
United States
- 1 to 3 bottles€85
- 4 to 6 bottles€94
- 7 to 12 bottlesRegular price €168, now €134
- 13 to 18 bottles€223
- 19 to 24 bottles€273
Customs and the 15% tariff are paid by us
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico: €70 extra per shipment
Canada
- 1 to 3 bottles€55
- 4 to 6 bottles€70
- 7 to 12 bottlesRegular price €100, now €70
- 13 to 18 bottles€170
- 19 to 24 bottles€195
Customs and local taxes are paid by the recipient
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
United Kingdom, 
Norway, 
Switzerland
- 1 to 3 bottles€30
- 4 to 6 bottlesRegular price €48, now €30
- 7 to 12 bottlesRegular price €60, now €30
- 13 to 18 bottles€84
- 19 to 24 bottles€108
Customs and local taxes are paid by the recipient
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
Singapore, 
South Korea, 
Hong Kong, 
Japan
- 1 to 3 bottles€70
- 4 to 6 bottles€100
- 7 to 12 bottles€100
- 13 to 18 bottles€240
- 19 to 24 bottles€295
Customs and local taxes are paid by the recipient
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
Australia, 
New Zealand
- 1 to 3 bottles€70
- 4 to 6 bottles€100
- 7 to 12 bottles€100
- 13 to 18 bottles€240
- 19 to 24 bottles€295
Customs and local taxes are paid by the recipient
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
Taiwan
- 1 to 3 bottles€70
- 4 to 6 bottles€100
Customs and local taxes are paid by the recipient
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
For more than 6 bottles to Taiwan, write to us for a quote
Germany, 
Belgium, 
Luxembourg, 
Netherlands
- 1 to 3 bottles€18
- 4 to 6 bottlesRegular price €28, now €18
- 7 to 12 bottlesRegular price €36, now €18
- 13 to 18 bottles€52
- 19 to 24 bottles€68
Customs included
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
France, 
Austria, 
Denmark
- 1 to 3 bottles€20
- 4 to 6 bottlesRegular price €36, now €20
- 7 to 12 bottlesRegular price €40, now €20
- 13 to 18 bottles€56
- 19 to 24 bottles€76
Customs included
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
Portugal, 
Spain
- 1 to 3 bottles€26
- 4 to 6 bottlesRegular price €44, now €26
- 7 to 12 bottlesRegular price €52, now €26
- 13 to 18 bottles€68
- 19 to 24 bottles€92
Customs included
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
Ireland, Northern Ireland, 
Sweden, 
Finland
- 1 to 3 bottles€30
- 4 to 6 bottlesRegular price €48, now €30
- 7 to 12 bottlesRegular price €60, now €30
- 13 to 18 bottles€84
- 19 to 24 bottles€108
Customs included
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
Rest of the European Union
- 1 to 3 bottles€34
- 4 to 6 bottlesRegular price €56, now €34
- 7 to 12 bottlesRegular price €68, now €34
- 13 to 18 bottles€92
- 19 to 24 bottles€124
Customs included
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
Italy, mainland
- 1 to 3 bottles€13
- 4 to 6 bottles€15
- 7 to 12 bottles€17
- 13 to 18 bottles€24
- 19 to 24 bottles€32
Free on orders over €99
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
Italy, islands and Calabria
- 1 to 3 bottles€20
- 4 to 6 bottles€22
- 7 to 12 bottles€25
- 13 to 18 bottles€30
- 19 to 24 bottles€35
Free on orders over €99
Certified isothermal packaging, temperature controlled transport
Insured in full, at our cost
Quintarelli Winery lies in the Valpolicella area, north of Verona. Known for producing Amarone, Recioto, Valpolicella, and other traditional labels, it is associated with Giuseppe “Bepi” Quintarelli, who began focusing on premium bottled wines in the 1960s. The family’s approach remains discreet: the property in Negrar has no prominent signs, and there is no official website. This modest style protects the calm atmosphere that has guided their work for generations.
The vineyards span multiple zones, including Valgatara, Sant’Ambrogio, and Montorio. Here, soils vary from gravelly alluvial deposits to limestone-rich layers and, in some spots, volcanic rock. The main grape varieties are Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, joined by Croatina, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and both Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The winery also makes a white blend using Garganega, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and Trebbiano.
Appassimento, a longstanding approach in Valpolicella, plays a key role. Grapes, often picked slightly earlier to preserve acidity, dry on straw mats or racks for several weeks to months. This controlled dehydration boosts sugar concentration and flavours. If the dried grapes ferment fully, Amarone is produced, while stopping fermentation earlier yields the sweet Recioto style.
After appassimento, the family relies on slow fermentations and extended aging in large wooden casks. This measured process highlights depth and structure, reflecting decades of practical knowledge. Only the best grapes become Amarone Classico and, in exceptional seasons, Amarone Riserva. Each vintage reflects the steady methods passed down in the family. Today, Bepi’s daughter Fiorenza leads the estate, carrying on the quiet traditions that give Quintarelli wines their recognizable character.
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