Quintarelli Cabernet Alzero 2017

Alzero is an IGT wine produced in Veneto by the renowned Giuseppe Quintarelli winery. The Alzero IGP Veneto red wine is one of the finest red wines in Italy and the world, a Venetian masterpiece made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot grapes. The name of this still red wine comes from a small plot of land located next to the winery’s estate, once overlooked and then developed to create a true example of Venetian and Italian winemaking excellence. The vines are grown on the first hills of Negrar, approximately 350 meters above sea level, where the basaltic limestone soil and the vineyards’ western exposure give the wine its distinctive organoleptic characteristics. The harvest, which takes place between late August and early September, involves a careful selection of the grapes, which are then transferred to the drying room and left to rest in small wooden crates and on racks. The high temperatures typical of the period allow the grapes to dry quickly, with excellent results. At the end of December, the grapes are pressed and then alcoholic fermentation takes place. Thanks to the use of native yeasts, it begins slowly, after about 20 days of maceration, and lasts approximately 50 days. The aging, which initially lasts 30 months and takes place in various French oak barrels (Limousin, Allier, Tronpais), continues for a further 30 months in a single medium-sized Slavonian oak barrel.