DOCG Red

Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

Giuseppe Quintarelli
Region
Veneto
ABV
16.5%
Body
Full
Drink
Now–2050

Quintarelli's Amarone is Valpolicella's benchmark: Corvina and Corvinone dried for months, then six years in botte at Negrar. Dense dried fig, cocoa and licorice at 16.5%, built to age decades. A collector's red for braised game and aged cheese.

Best price
£295.00

2018 · 75cl · checked 3 Sep

Prices read daily from 3 UK retailers. We earn a commission on some links; it never changes the order.

Where to buy Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella

£295.00 best price · 3 retailers in stock · checked 13 Sep 2026

Stock is shown where the retailer publishes it, offers are sorted by price, and unavailable offers can’t be clicked.

Hedonism Best price 2018 · 75cl · checked 3 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£295.00 £393.33/L
Friarwood Best price 2015 · 75cl · checked 3 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£336.75 £449.00/L
Orchardwines Best price 2015 · 75cl · checked 13 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£600.00 £800.00/L
Hedonism Best price 1997 · 75cl · checked 3 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£625.00 £833.33/L
Hedonism Best price 2018 · Magnum 150cl · checked 3 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£650.00 £433.33/L
Hedonism Best price 2000 · 75cl · checked 3 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£700.00 £933.33/L
Hedonism Best price 1997 · Magnum 150cl · checked 3 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£1,005.00 £670.00/L
Hedonism Best price 2000 · Magnum 150cl · checked 3 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£1,015.00 £676.67/L
Hedonism Best price 1985 · 75cl · checked 3 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£1,500.00 £2,000.00/L

Stock status is read from each retailer’s page once a day and may lag. Case and magnum listings show a per-bottle or per-litre equivalent and sit outside the best-price figure.

Tasting Notes

Inside Quintarelli's appassimento Amarone

Dried fig, cocoa and licorice from Corvina and Corvinone shrivelled for months, then six years in botte at Negrar. Vivino's drinker consensus (4.7 from almost 11,000 ratings) tracks the same dense, balsamic profile.

Tasted by
ItalianWines editorial
Tasted on
12 June 2026
Source
Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
Taste profile
Body Light / Full
Tannins Smooth / Grippy
Sweetness Dry / Sweet
Acidity Soft / Crisp
Nose

The signature from grapes dried before pressing is unmistakable: dried fig, raisin and prune over macerated cherry and plum. Six years in large oak casks layer cocoa, sweet tobacco and licorice. A balsamic, leathery edge that Vivino drinkers flag repeatedly adds the savoury lift that sets this apart from sweeter Amarone.

CoffeeCoffee
Black cherryBlack cherry
FigFig
PrunePrune
RaisinRaisin
AlmondAlmond
LeatherLeather
LiquoriceLiquorice
CocoaCocoa
Palate

Full and warm at 16.5% alcohol, it carries the glycerol weight of raisined Corvina and Corvinone without tipping into heaviness. Cabernet Sauvignon in the field blend firms the tannin and adds a blackcurrant edge. The long ageing in small oak barrels folds in dark chocolate and espresso. The Amarone hallmark of bitterness keeps the dried-fruit sweetness in check.

Finish

The finish is long and savoury. It closes on bitter almond, balsamic and cocoa rather than fruit sugar. That is the fine persistence vino.com's tasters note and cellar collectors prize.

Overall

One of Italy's benchmark Amarones and Quintarelli's flagship. Drinkers rate it 4.7 across nearly 11,000 Vivino ratings and consistently praise its depth, longevity and balance. This is a special-occasion red for braised game and aged cheese that rewards a decade or more in the cellar.

Drink now Best by 2050
Live UK pricing

What sits behind a 270-pound Quintarelli Amarone

Two vintages, 2017 and 2018, sit live across UK fine-wine merchants from about 266 pounds. Quintarelli releases tiny quantities six to seven years after harvest, so stock is thin and prices firm.

Best price · 75 cl £295.00 at hedonism
Price spread £295.00 - £1,500.00 Across 3 UK retailers tracked
Retailers tracked 3UK 9 in stock
Vintages live 2018 · 2015 · 2000 Current release: 2018
Per-litre (75 cl basis) £393.33 Per-litre price for the lowest current offer
Last checked 13 Sep 2026 Refreshed once every 24 hours
Wine fit score

How Quintarelli Amarone scores

A benchmark for cellar and occasion, less so for everyday value: this is a 270-pound collector's bottle, not a midweek pour.

Best for cellar 9.5/10

DOCG appassimento red with six years in botte; Quintarelli vintages from the 1990s still rate 4.7 to 4.8, so it ages for decades.

Best for an occasion 9.5/10

High-classification, high-prestige and Parker-scored: a flagship bottle for the most important occasions.

Best with food 8.2/10

A benchmark food Amarone: superb with braised game and aged cheese, though too rich and high in alcohol for light dishes.

Best intro to this style 3.5/10

Powerful, 16.5% alcohol, complex and expensive: a connoisseur's Amarone rather than an easy introduction.

Best value 3.2/10

At about 266 pounds it sits far above the Amarone category median; the price reflects cult scarcity and critic pedigree, not everyday value.

Best everyday bottle 0.8/10

A 266-pound, 16.5% special-occasion bottle is the opposite of a midweek pour.

Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our Wine Fit Score methodology.

Denomination Compliance Snapshot

Amarone della Valpolicella in five fields

A compact view of what the Amarone della Valpolicella denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.

Allowed grapes
3 varieties listed
This bottle: Cabernet Sauvignon, Rondinella, Corvinone, Croatina, Molinara, Nebbiolo, Corvina.
Minimum ageing
24 months minimum
No oak ageing required.
Region / area
Verona
Source: Disciplinare.
Style
DOCG · Amarone della Valpolicella
Minimum ABV at this colour: 14.0%.
Classification
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita)
Vintages

Quintarelli Amarone: 2017 and 2018 compared

The torrid 2017 gave a denser, higher-glycerol Amarone; the more balanced 2018 earned Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri. Both are built to age past 2045.

2018 Current release
Lowest price
£295.00
Retailers
2 in stock
ABV
16.5%
Window
Drink now through 2050

A more balanced Veneto vintage than the torrid 2017, with healthy ripening that kept acidity alongside the appassimento sweetness. Recognised with Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri, the 2018 drinks with more freshness and should hold for decades.

2017 Sold through
Lowest price
not listed
Retailers
0 in stock
ABV
16.5%
Window
Drink now through 2047

A hot, dry Veneto growing season concentrated the Corvina and Corvinone, and the long appassimento turned that ripeness into a dense, high-glycerol Amarone. With six years in botte behind it, the 2017 is built for the cellar; give it time past 2025.

2015 Previous release
Lowest price
£336.75
Retailers
2 in stock
2000 Previous release
Lowest price
£700.00
Retailers
2 in stock

Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.

The disciplinare, the place, the label

Why Quintarelli is the maestro of Amarone

From the Monte Ca' Paletta vineyards above Negrar, Giuseppe Quintarelli's estate set the traditional Amarone benchmark; Robert Parker scored the 2011 release 97 points and the 2013 release 96.

01

DOC, DOCG, IGT: what the badges mean

Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.

Amarone della Valpolicella is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.

02

The denomination rules, in detail

  • Allowed grapes. 3 varieties listed in the disciplinare
  • Yield ceiling. 12.0 tonnes per hectare
  • Minimum ABV. 14.0% vol
  • Minimum ageing. 24 months total
  • Tasting panel. Mandatory pre-release tasting commission
03

Region and area context

Amarone della Valpolicella falls within Veneto, covering Verona. The denomination is further divided into 2 sub-zones.

Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG zone The producer Wine routes in the zone

Made at Giuseppe Quintarelli, Negrar di Valpolicella. Directions

Wine routes in the zone: Valpolicella Classico Loop, Strada del Vino Soave.

04

Reading the label

  • Giuseppe QuintarelliProducer / estate
  • Cabernet Sauvignon · Rondinella · Corvinone · Croatina · Molinara · Nebbiolo · CorvinaGrape varieties
  • Amarone della Valpolicella DOCGGeographic indication and quality tier
  • 2018Vintage (year of harvest)
  • 16.5% vol · 75 clAlcohol by volume and bottle size
  • Imbottigliato all’origineEstate-bottled
05

What sits behind the price of Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella

Tracked from
£295.00
Direction
Mostly cost up
Drivers
5 up / 1 down
Main factor
Cult-producer scarcity and critic pedigree
  1. 01

    Appassimento: ~120 days drying hand-picked grapes

    Cost up

    Quintarelli dries the Corvina and Corvinone for around four months, losing much of the weight to water, so several kilos of grapes go into each 270-pound bottle.

  2. 02

    Six to seven years ageing in large botte before release

    Cost up

    The wine spends roughly 72 months in barrique and botte at Negrar, tying up cellar space and capital far longer than the DOCG's two-year minimum.

  3. 03

    Cult-producer scarcity and critic pedigree

    Cost up

    Robert Parker scored the 2011 release 97 points; tiny volumes from the Monte Ca' Paletta estate and global demand hold the wine near 270 pounds a bottle.

  4. 04

    Hand-harvest and strict bunch selection for drying

    Cost up

    Only the healthiest, airiest bunches survive the long appassimento, so usable yields per hectare fall well below the Valpolicella norm.

  5. 05

    UK duty and 20% VAT on a higher-strength wine

    Cost up

    At 16.5% ABV this Amarone sits in HMRC's higher-strength duty band, not the flat still-wine rate, and the VAT element of a 266-pound bottle is over 44 pounds before the retailer's margin.

  6. 06

    Direct allocation sales, no marketing machine

    Cost down

    Quintarelli sells through allocation-list importers with almost no advertising, so the price reflects the wine and its scarcity rather than a brand budget.

01

Appassimento: ~120 days drying hand-picked grapes

Cost up

Quintarelli dries the Corvina and Corvinone for around four months, losing much of the weight to water, so several kilos of grapes go into each 270-pound bottle.

Perfect Pairings

Dishes that go with this wine

Food Pairing

Corvina power and balsamic depth: dishes for Quintarelli Amarone

At 16.5% with firm, Cabernet-bolstered tannin, this Amarone needs braised and roasted richness. Vivino drinkers reach most for beef, lamb, game and blue cheese.

Body matching Strong match

Braised beef and slow-cooked game

Sixteen-and-a-half per cent alcohol and the glycerol weight of raisined Corvina give this Amarone the body to stand beside the richest braises. Long, slow cooking and the wine's dried-fruit concentration meet as equals, while a balsamic savoury edge cuts the unctuous sauce.

Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Venison Stew · More pairings →

Fat cutting Strong match

Aged hard and Alpine cheese

Cabernet-bolstered tannin and the wine's balsamic acidity scour the fat of mature cheese, while the appassimento sweetness mirrors the crystalline nuttiness of long-aged curds.

Try with: Polenta alla Valdostana · Aged Monte Veronese · Parmigiano-Reggiano · More pairings →

Sweet balance Good match

Blue cheese and walnut

The residual sweetness of dried fig and raisin, lifted by high alcohol, balances the salty pungency of blue cheese where a dry red would clash. Walnut and pear echo the wine's nutty, oxidative edge.

Try with: Gorgonzola, pear and walnut risotto · Gorgonzola · More pairings →

Aromatic bridge Good match

Mushroom, truffle and umami

Leather, cocoa and dried-mushroom tertiary notes from six years in botte bridge directly to porcini and truffle, and the wine's concentration carries the earthy umami without being overwhelmed.

Try with: Porcini mushroom risotto · Truffle risotto · More pairings →

Body matching Good match

Roast and grilled red meat

Vivino drinkers reach most for this Amarone with beef and lamb: the ripe tannin and warming alcohol frame a charred, fatty cut, and the dried-fruit core flatters caramelised, Maillard-rich crusts.

Try with: Roast beef · Roast lamb · Grilled ribeye

Avoid Clash

Chilli heat and delicate fish

At 16.5% alcohol this Amarone amplifies chilli burn rather than soothing it, and its dried-fruit power flattens delicate white fish and sushi. Keep it away from fiery and fragile dishes alike.

Skip with: Vindaloo · Sichuan hotpot · Sushi · Oysters · Pairing guide →

Drinking + cellar

Cellaring a cult Amarone

Quintarelli's Amarone is among Italy's longest-lived reds: vintages from the 1990s still rate 4.7 to 4.8 on Vivino, and the current 2017 and 2018 will reward twenty years or more in bottle.

Drinking window
2026 → 2050

Peak around 2034. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.

Decanting
h1

A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.

Cellar potential
High

DOCG appassimento red with six years in botte; Quintarelli vintages from the 1990s still rate 4.7 to 4.8, so it ages for decades.

Buy now or wait?
Buy now

£295.00 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.

Sources & trust

Sources behind these Quintarelli notes

Prices & stock

Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 13 Sep 2026, 00:21 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.

Confidence · High
Tasting notes

Drawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.

Confidence · Medium
Appellation rules & ageing

From the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.

Confidence · High
Why it costs what it costs

Our reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.

Confidence · Medium
Drink window & cellar potential

Style guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.

Confidence · Medium

Common Questions

It is a field blend led by Corvina and Corvinone with Rondinella, plus Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Croatina, all grown on the Quintarelli estate above Negrar in the Valpolicella Classico zone.

Tiny hand-harvested production, around 120 days of appassimento drying and roughly six years ageing in botte before release combine with cult status; Robert Parker scored the 2011 release 97 points, keeping demand high and prices near 270 pounds a bottle.

For decades. Quintarelli vintages from the 1990s and 2000s still rate 4.7 to 4.8 on Vivino, and the current 2017 and 2018 releases should hold well past 2045.

Braised beef, slow-cooked game, mushroom or truffle risotto and aged or blue cheese. Vivino drinkers most often pair it with beef, lamb, game and blue cheese.

About 16.5% by volume, a result of concentrating sugars during the long appassimento drying of the grapes.

Yes. It comes from the historic Classico heartland of Valpolicella around Negrar di Valpolicella in the province of Verona.

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Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella
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