In the first foothills of Negrar in Valpolicella, at around 350 meters of elevation, Giuseppe Quintarelli crafts one of the estate’s most extraordinary wines: the Alzero 2017. West-facing vineyards rooted in calcareous soils laced with basalt form the foundation for a wine that, while composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, transcends any conventional notion of a Venetian Cabernet in style. Here, Quintarelli marries the structure and savor of international varieties with the traditional drying of the grapes that plays such a central role in the great wines of Valpolicella.

For the Alzero 2017, meticulously selected bunches are laid out to dry after harvest and vinified only at a later stage. The concentrated fruit then undergoes a very slow fermentation with indigenous yeasts followed by an unusually long maturation in wood. It is precisely this union of appassimento and extended cask aging that defines Alzero’s singular personality. The 2017 vintage brings generous ripe fruit and power without sacrificing Quintarelli’s hallmark freshness and aromatic articulation.

In the glass, the Alzero 2017 reveals an exceptionally deep, multi-layered bouquet. Ripe black cherry, plum, and raspberry meld with dried fruits, herbs, and a fine balsamic spice. Beneath emerge mint, black pepper, graphite, and dark chocolate, complemented by hints of tobacco and dried flowers. With air, the wine shifts progressively away from primary fruit concentration toward a more intricate tapestry of spice, herbs, and dark minerality. The aromatics feel powerful, yet never heavy-handed.

On the palate, the Alzero 2017 possesses extraordinary density and suppleness. Ripe cherry and plum fruit are buoyed by vibrant acidity, lending tension and length despite the wine’s immense concentration. Tannins are abundant yet fine-grained and remarkably polished. Cabernet Franc contributes a savory, herbal dimension, while Cabernet Sauvignon provides darker fruit and structural depth, and Merlot rounds out the ensemble with ripe, velvety fruit. Across the long progression, licorice, cocoa, pepper, and balsamic notes come increasingly to the fore.

A defining trait of Giuseppe Quintarelli is the long, deliberately unhurried evolution of its wines. In Alzero, too, the focus rests not on immediate fruit impact, but on the synthesis of concentration, freshness, tannin, and aromatic depth. Extended aging in oak gives the wine time to resolve its initially immense density into an ever finer texture, while both its Valpolicella origin and the distinctive character of this remarkable Cabernet blend remain unmistakable.

The Alzero 2017 is still in a phase where its formidable fruit concentration and structure are vividly present. At the same time, the more complex aromatics that make this wine so compelling with bottle age are already beginning to unfold. With further cellaring, herbs, tobacco, spices, cocoa, and balsamic nuances will knit even more closely with the dark fruit as the fine tannins grow increasingly silken.

The Alzero 2017 is thus a profoundly original interpretation of Cabernet. While the grape varieties impart structure, savor, and depth, the drying of the grapes delivers extraordinary concentration. Yet Quintarelli does not fuse these elements into a heavy or merely opulent wine; instead, they are held in poise by fresh acidity, refined tannins, and remarkable aromatic precision—a characterful, profound wine whose special standing within the Quintarelli portfolio is unmistakable even in youth.