Celestino Gaspari, the late Giuseppe Quintarelli’s son-in-law, was also seen as his heir apparent in the winery, before he struck on his own and openend Zymé, his own estate, in 2003. One can imagine that the obligatory reference to the former master of the Veneto will fade away with time, if the wines are all as good as his 2007 Valpolicella Classico Superiore. Precise, remarkably balanced and complex, this is not a light pizza wine with simple tart cherry flavors. Think of it more as an Amarone without the partial drying of grapes. It has the dried cherry, spice and tobacco profile that one would expect from an Amarone, but with the freshness and friendly fruitiness of a Valpolicella – all that with a depth and length that is truly remarkable. Better yet, it kept improving over four days after opening, hinting that this bottle could keep going for a good number of years. Highly recommended. RC.
WHO : Zymé – Celestino Gaspari
WHAT : corvina (40%), corvinone (30%), rondinella (25%), oselata (5%)
WHERE : Valpolicella DOP, Veneto, Italy
WHEN : 2007
HOW MUCH: $30
