Giuseppe Quintarelli, ook wel de ‘vader van de Amarone’ genoemd, is op 84-jarige leeftijd overleden. Hij was niet afkerig van innovatie, maar ‘Bepie’ deed geen concessies als het om ‘zijn’ Amarone ging. Die rijpte liefst 7 jaar in vaten van Slavonisch eikenhout. Decanter meldt verder:

“Tributes are pouring in on social media for a winemaker described as ‘maestro’ whose ‘stunning Amarones were legendary’, and who was respected as an uncompromising perfectionist.

The Quintarelli estate, which dates back to 1924, is considered by many to be the best producer of Amarone della Valpolicella, producing one of the most complex wines in Italy, London wine merchant Berry Brothers and Rudd says.

Quintarelli was one of the most traditional of the Amarone producers, ageing his wine for seven years in Slavonian oak 'bottis'.

But, as many tributes pointed out, Quintarelli may have been traditional but he was not afraid of innovation, producing a dry white, Bianco Secco, from the rare local variety Saorin, and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Corvina called Primo Fiore.

Italian critic and blogger Franco Ziliani, on his blog Vinoalvino, said that after the death of Guilio Gambelli at the beginning of the month, this was turning into ‘a cruel January, with another serious loss to the world of Italian wine…Giuseppe ‘Bepi’ Quintarelli was ‘the true soul of Amarone della Valpolicella.’

Others paid tribute to his uncompromising nature and his ability to craft wines that were ‘light years away from commodity wines,’ as Ziliani said.

Polish blogger Wojciech Bońkowski wrote, ‘Quintarelli was uncompromising as a person and as a winemaker. Although firmly of the Old School, he did allow new things to be introduced, he grew some Cabernet and Merlot in the vineyards and even used small oak barriques in Alzero, his stunning reinterpretation of Amarone.’

David Gleave MW, managing director of Liberty Wines, told Decanter.com, ‘The most amazing thing about him was the fact that about 20 years ago he passed on the business but found the quality of the wines dropped, so in his 70s he took over and started making the wine again.’

Many tried to copy the wines, which were ‘traditional but without defects,’ Gleave said. ‘They were not in the modern style but it’s important to have that diversity.”