Quintarelli Amabile del Cerè 2012

Baked apple, fig paste, candied orange peel, honey and a trace of burnt caramel, Quintarelli's rare sweet white announces itself with considerable richness. The texture is full and lush, yet a thread of lifted acidity keeps it from tipping into heaviness, with floral-edged peach and butter cream giving way to spiced citrus and brown sugar on the mid-palate. Layer after layer of sweet and sour contrast keeps the wine animated rather than cloying. It lingers for well over a minute, trailing off through tropical fruit and dried flowers. Produced from the same Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Saorin blend as the Bianco Secco, but air-dried before vinification, the Amabile del Cerè is only made in years when Quintarelli believes the Bianco Secco can stand alone. 2012 is one of those years, and the result is not to be missed.