Giuseppe Quintarelli Cabernet Alzero 2008

WA95: This wine was first produced in 1983, and production remains unbroken because no vintage was ever skipped. The 2008 Cabernet Alzero is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with 20% Merlot. These are the first grapes to be picked in September. After harvest, the grapes go through two or three months of appassimento and up to nine years of aging in large oak casks. Indeed, the winemaking process used here is identical to that of the Amarone, only this wine maintains a more international identity thanks to the grape varieties used. Dark plum, blackberry and raisin intermingle with spice, tar and tobacco. This vintage registers a 16.5% alcoholic content, and there is, once again, plenty of textural fiber and richness to support and cushion that heat.