2011 Monte Santoccio Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Veneto 750 ml

Heir Apparent to the King of Amarone

It is impossible to speak about Amarone and not utter the name Giuseppe Quintarelli; if you knew the late master, you might say “Bepi.” You can thank Quintarelli for the high prices  Amarone fetches today, up to $400 a bottle. Luckily for us, Quintarelli mentored Nicola Ferrari for a decade before Ferrari launched his own winery, Monte Santoccio, and started making old-school, large cask-aged Amarone just like his mentor. Wine Access clients bought up 240 bottles last month in a flash. We asked for and received another 240 bottles — but this is surely it. Compared to the master’s $400 bottles, today’s 2011 Monte Santoccios from the apprentice are only $45/bottle.

In 2012, we joined the wine lovers of the world in mourning the loss of a legend when Giuseppe Quintarelli passed away. He had changed the way the world perceived Valpolicella and, most importantly, Amarone. What a legacy.

Quintarelli’s lifetime of hard work in the vineyards and cellar caused the wines of Valpolicella to become world-renowned, highly respected, and very expensive. Quintarelli also inspired many young people of the region to take up winemaking, including Nicola Ferrari. At the age of 26, Nicola took a winemaking job working side-by-side with the greatest winemaker ever to come from his region, the man he would come to call “Bepi.” It was a dream come true.

“Bepi” taught Nicola how to make great Amarone. Over a decade at Quintarelli’s side, Nicola acquired the knowledge and experience to venture out on his own and create Monte Santoccio. Ferrari’s homage to his mentor is still new to the U.S., flying under the radar and available at a fraction of the price fetched by Quintarelli’s Amarone.