Tasting Notes
Will Di Nunzio 95
Giuseppe Quintarelli Ca’ del Merlo Veneto IGT 2015
Ca’ del Merlo, meaning “house of the blackbird,” is a single-vineyard Valpolicella, so it’s influenced by its clayey, rocky terroir, but it’s also a ripasso Valpolicella, so it’s racked on the lees of the estate’s Amarone, adding intensity and depth. Peppery spices, wild herbs, pretty florals, sun-warmed earth, and touches of violet pastilles and minerals frame the pure red and blue berries in this utterly gorgeous 2015 Ca’ del Merlo. Now with almost a decade of maturity, this wine’s silky tannins meld flawlessly with zesty acidity, while subtly smoky minerals counterbalance the wine’s sweet inner lift. Gorgeous and drinking for the next decade, likely longer.
