The Quintarelli Giuseppe 2012 Cabernet Alzero (packaged in a heavy glass bottle) is a stunning wine that delivers a level of cautious brawn, intensity and fruit weight that sets this wine apart within the portfolio. The blend is 40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, and the grapes all undergo a few months of appassimento. I've been asked about possible perception of VA (volatile acidity) that can sometimes appear in wines made with air-dried fruit. As a much-respected Italian colleague once told me, "serve a dare spalla," ("it gives a shoulder to the wine"), and I can't help but admire the beautifully lifted and upright quality of the bouquet that appears especially radiant and buoyant in this wine. The magic, whatever it is, works.

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.

A blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, the 2007 Alzero is an Amarone-inspired red blend. The two Cabernet varieties undergo a three-month appassimento process and the Merlot is added at the last minute before bottling. This last grape adds a very evident layer of cherry sweetness and softness that goes a long way in defining this wine. Alzero has been in production since 1983 and no vintage has ever been skipped. This is a dark and brooding expression with a playful mix of sweet fruit intensity and dark tannic background shading.