Giuseppe Quintarelli 2023 Primofiore Veneto IGT 750ml

Every year, Giuseppe Quintarelli's estate releases exactly one red wine built for immediate drinking rather than a decade or more of patient cellaring — and that wine is Primofiore, "first flower," the freshest and most approachable expression to come out of a portfolio otherwise defined by extraordinary patience and extended barrel aging. One respected critic put it directly: "if you want the Quintarelli magic without waiting a decade or spending hundreds of dollars, this is your ticket... it doesn't have the heavy brooding weight of the Amarone or Valpolicella; instead, it jumps out of the glass with high-toned, crunchy red fruit. Every year this is my favorite wine out of my home region."

Primofiore is a genuinely unusual "field blend" for a house so closely associated with Corvina and traditional Veronese varieties: 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Corvina, and 25% Corvinone — an even, deliberate split between the native grapes that define Valpolicella and the two Bordeaux varieties Giuseppe Quintarelli, at once conservative and quietly experimental, chose to introduce to the estate decades ago. The Cabernet grapes are dried briefly on straw matting, roughly a month to two months, while the Corvina and Corvinone are fermented entirely fresh, without any raisining at all — a hybrid technique that captures the sweetness and concentration of appassimento in the Cabernet component while preserving the Corvina's own natural brightness. The finished wine ages 10 to 12 months in large Slavonian oak barrels — a fraction of the seven years the estate's Valpolicella Classico Superiore or Amarone require — before release.

Vinous awarded the 2023 vintage 93 Points, finding the wine "more savory than sweet." Eataly Vino's own tasting note describes something "perfumed and elegant, with notes of sweet tea leaf, dried flowers, mint, and worn leather" playing against "a backdrop of ripe red berries," with "a vein of minerality" running throughout. XtraWine found "intense ruby red" color, with the nose "immediately captivated by vibrant floral notes of violet and fruity notes of black cherry and red berries," the palate bringing back "fruity aromas and sweet spiciness" alongside "herbaceous and earthy notes" — "soft, fresh, savory, medium-bodied, and well-balanced." This is, as close as it gets, the entry point into one of Italian wine's most legendary and most patient family estates — a wine meant to be opened now, not decades from now, carrying the same uncompromising family standard in a lighter, more immediate register.

Origins & Craftsmanship

The Quintarelli cantina was founded in 1924 and taken over by a 22-year-old Giuseppe Quintarelli in 1950. Over the following decades he became, by wide consensus, the defining reference point for Valpolicella winemaking both in Italy and internationally — a winemaker who was simultaneously deeply traditional and quietly experimental, introducing non-native grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to an estate otherwise built around Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella. Following Giuseppe's death in 2012, the estate has passed through two successive generations of his family: first his daughter Fiorenza and son-in-law Gianpaolo, and today his grandsons Francesco Grigoli, who leads the estate, and Lorenzo, the family's enologist.

Primofiore is sourced from vineyards in the prized areas of Sant'Ambrogio, Montorio, and Valgatara, on predominantly calcareous and basaltic limestone soils, at the foothills of Negrar approximately 350 meters above sea level — the same rural, centuries-old Valpolicella landscape of vineyards, olive groves, and cherry trees that Giuseppe worked to preserve throughout his career. The wine is Primofiore's estate's youngest annual red release, built from an even blend of 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Corvina, and 25% Corvinone. Following harvest, the Cabernet grapes are dried on straw matting for approximately one to two months, while the Corvina and Corvinone are fermented fresh, without any drying. All grapes are initially left in wooden boxes after harvest to continue ripening before pressing and fermentation. The finished wine ages 10 to 12 months in large Slavonian oak barrels before release. Bottled at 14% ABV.

Critics Reviews

Robert Parker — 93 Points:
"The 2023 Primofiore is more savory than sweet, opening with dusty rose tones, a beguiling whiff of tangerine, wild strawberries and stone dust. It is round and energetic in style, perfumed with violet and lavender tones as ripe blackberry fruits swirl throughout. The finish is classically dry and long, yet remarkably fresh, leaving a subtle tannic crunch and a hint of wild blueberry to linger."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Intense ruby red in color. Vibrant floral notes of violet lead, joined immediately by black cherry and red berries. Sweet tea leaf and dried flowers add perfumed elegance, alongside mint and worn leather. Gaeta olives, spice, and vanilla round out a genuinely complex, high-toned aromatic profile for a wine this young and immediate.

Palate
Soft, fresh, and savory, medium-bodied and well-balanced. Fruity aromas and sweet spiciness carry the entry, joined by herbaceous and earthy notes. Ripe red berries form the core, with a distinct vein of minerality running throughout — more savory than sweet, as Vinous specifically noted for this vintage.

Finish
Delicious and clean, with the fruity and spiced character lingering pleasantly. Crunchy, high-toned red fruit persists without any of the heavy, brooding weight the estate's Amarone or Valpolicella Classico Superiore carry — a genuinely lighter, more immediate close built for drinking now.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• White meats
• Soft cheeses
• Red meats
• Light Italian first courses
• Charcuterie