1997 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Giuseppe Quintarelli, Veneto, ItalyPossibly the greatest of all Amarones. The grapes are left to dry on rush matting until the end of January. After 20 days of maceration, a long, slow fermentation takes place over the next 45 days. After the initial fermentation the wine is put into Slavenian oak barrels to mature for seven years, refermenting from time to time as the temperature rises in the summers. At the end of seven years a very serious, dry wine emerges with amazing complexity