2019 Giuseppe Quintarelli Rosso 'Ca del Merlo', Veneto, Italy

Giuseppe Quintarelli is the benchmark estate of Valpolicella, run by the Quintarelli family from the hills above Negrar and known for its handwritten labels and patient, long-aged wines. Rosso Ca' del Merlo is a single-vineyard red of 55% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese. Half the grapes are dried for two months, the wine undergoes ripasso on the Amarone lees, and it then rests for seven years in large Slavonian oak barrels. Savoury, long-aged Veneto red for slow-cooked ragù, wild mushrooms or braises.