A gorgeous, captivating wine, the 2006 soars out of the glass with the most exotic display of amarena cherry, leather, sweet pipe tobacco, lavender, spice and amaro herbs. It is the sort of very rare wine that captivates all the senses, from the intellectual to the most hedonistic. Time in the glass brings out seemingly endless layers of floral and spice inflections. More than that, the 2006 is a rare wine that constantly develops in the glass, showing myriad layers of dimension as time passes, almost without notice. There are a few wines in the world that are more than just wine, they represent the history of a family, a place, an appellation. This is one of them.

Deep, bright red-ruby. Extremely pure aromas of raspberry, black cherry, crushed flowers, cigar wrapper and aromatic herbs. Sharply chiseled, sappy and weightless in the mouth, but with very deep, brooding flavors of raspberry, candied violet, marzipan, flint and wild herbs. Saturates the entire palate with polished tannins and creamy, concentrated ripe red and black fruit flavor, finishing long, tactile, and bracing, showcasing nearly endless perfume. It will be fun to see how this wine develops and compares with Quintarelli’s 2007 Amarone over the years; right now, it’s hard to pick a favorite.

Lively deep but shaded ruby. Dusty and rich but not as freshly fruited as I would have liked. Rather short. (JR)