Quintarelli Valpolicella 2008

Dark cherry, sweet tobacco, dried herbs and mocha, with a lick of bittersweet chocolate and a trace of espresso. The acidity is vivid and persistent — a direct consequence of the partial appassimento, with roughly half the fruit air-dried for two months before fermentation. That brightness keeps everything honest, cutting through the richness and giving the wine a lift that defies its age. Quintarelli's characteristic decision to hold bottles back means this arrives already showing real aromatic depth and flavor development. Drink now through 2028 — it's at a lovely plateau, though don't expect it to climb much higher.