Quintarelli Valpolicella 2012

Dried cherries, dusty florals and exotic spice on the nose, with the wine opening gradually and gaining depth as it breathes. Silky-textured across a medium body, the red fruit is bright and mineral-edged, kept lively by crisp acidity. Toward the finish, the wine turns distinctly floral — geranium, violet, sweet lavender — with fine tannins providing gentle grip beneath. Made from equal parts fresh and air-dried fruit, aged six years in cask before release, the blend is built on traditional Venetian varieties with a touch of other indigenous Italian grapes. It's pretty and composed now, but another year or two in the cellar should allow it to fully flesh out.