Lot presentation

Amabile del Cerè IGT Giuseppe Quintarelli (37,5cl) 2017

The wine

A Glenlivet single cask (#900248) distilled in 2007, matured in a first-fill sherry cask and bottled in 2019 by Signatory Vintage for The Un-Chillfiltered Collection. Signatory Vintage’s founder Andrew Symington first started out in the whisky industry selecting casks for the Prestonfield House hotel in Edinburgh. In 1988, he set up his own company, investing in a small bottling chain, which he installed in his warehouses in Edinburgh. His first bottlings were released at cask strength and without chillfiltration or colouring, all of which was still fairly rare in the late 1980s. The legendary “Dumpy bottle” series also provided information not generally shared by bottlers, including the cask number, cask type and the number of bottles produced. Bottles were numbered by hand. Signatory Vintage developed a solid reputation not only for its legendary whiskies from iconic distilleries (Springbank, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bowmore) but also for its bottlings from very rare distilleries such as Ben Wyvis, Glen Flagler and Killyloch, And, of course, the many expressions distilled in a Lomond still from Miltonduff (Mosstowie), Glen Keith (Craigduff, Glenisla) and Glenburgie (Glencraig). In 2002, he bought the Edradour distillery in Pitlochry, in the Highlands of Scotland and moved Signatory Vintage vintage to the site, including the warehouses opposite the distillery. A limited edition of 890 bottles.

About the Producer Giuseppe Quintarelli

Giuseppe Quintarelli is considered to be quite simply a legend of Italian viticulture, notably of Amarone, a globally-renowned Venetian wine. He unfortunately passed away in 2012, having spent many years managing his 12-hectare domain in the northern hills of Verona at the heart of the Valpolicella appellation. A perfectionist, this wine maker made a name for himself with his Amarone della Valpolicella Classico and his Recioto, selling his cuvées only after many years of ageing. Giuseppe's daughter Fiorenza took up the domain with her husband and two children, Francesco and Lorenzo, and a team of four works at the domain throughout the year.
The viticulture at the domain is traditional, inspired by ancestral practices. The vines are treated only when necessary (when it rains, for example), and no herbicides are used. The yields are kept to a minimum with rigorous pruning and green harvests. The grapes are picked by hand before being dried for 4 months (when destined to become Amarone). The winery has been modernised to improve the quality of the wine even further. An exceptional domain.

Detailed characteristics