Quintarelli Primofiore 2023

Giuseppe Quintarelli built one of Valpolicella's most revered estates on eleven hectares in Negrar, in the hills of Valpolicella Classico north of Verona, and the winery is now run by his daughter Fiorenza. Primofiore is the entry point to the range, a fresher style that sets the Bordeaux grapes Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon alongside the native Corvina and Corvinone. The Valpolicella hills are limestone and volcanic, and the cool nights in these upland vineyards preserve acidity and aromatic detail, giving even a young wine its lift and savoury edge. Unlike the estate's dried grape wines, Primofiore is made from fresh fruit and aged twelve months in oak, where slow oxygen exchange rounds the tannins and adds a light cedar spice without masking the fruit. At 14% alcohol it stays fresh and balanced. It pours a bright ruby. The nose shows cherry and red currant with dried herbs, tobacco and a touch of oak. The palate is medium bodied and savoury, the tannins fine and the finish clean. Serve at 16 degrees. It suits red meat, game birds and mushroom dishes.