94+ pts Vinous
Drinking Window 2026 - 2034
The 2021 Pario (a blend of Amarone and Ripasso) takes its time in the glass as a brooding blend of crushed violets, cloves and cocoa complicate citrus-inflected wild berries. It displays remarkable balance, cooling and sleek, with textures of pure silk and an elegant wave of ripe red and blue fruits. A mélange of spice tones and inner florals linger over a saturation of blood orange and hints of cedar as the 2021 finishes incredibly long, structured and classically dry. Give this a few hours open in the bottle or in a decanter. Don’t miss it.
- By Eric Guido on September 2025

The tasting at L’Arco included both new releases and a very rare look back into library vintages of Rubeo, an appassimento-driven blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 30% Corvina, 15% Rondinella and 15% Molinara. In last year's article, I explained Luca Fedrigo's very close ties to Quintarelli and how he has chosen to uphold those teachings to the letter. The wines possess that same magic and soulfulness that make Quintarelli an icon to this day. As such, they also require similar attention. For instance, Fedrigo clarified that the wines are best opened no less than eight hours prior to tasting, if not the night before. This visit was particularly interesting, as I recalled the first time I tasted these wines, including the 2003, 2004 and 2006 vintages, which we revisited. I still have a 2003 L'Arco Amarone in my cellar, waiting for a special occasion. The new releases show the same energy, verve and depth of fruit that I’ve come to know from these wines. However, Fedrigo decided not to bottle his 2018 Amarone in response to the year's conditions, a choice I wish more producers had made. That said, both the Rubeo and Pario from the vintage are both terrific, just more immediate. As for 2019, my interests are truly piqued after tasting the Pario, a blend of half fresh and half appassimento Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. It’s a serious wine that will require patience.

Composition: Traditional grape varieties of Veneto. Vine age and soil type: Mature vines on diverse, mineral-rich soils.
Winemaking: Utilizes the appassimento process, with fermentation in stainless steel.
Aging: Aged in a combination of stainless steel and oak barrels to achieve a harmonious balance.

L'Arco Pario is not labeled as an Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG because it is a blend of 50% Amarone and 50% Valpolicella Ripasso, rather than being made exclusively from air-dried grapes (appassimento). It is classified as an IGT Veronese Rosso (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), which allows for this blending technique and offers a more approachable, fresher, and less expensive style compared to the high-alcohol, ultra-concentrated Amarone. 

Here are the key reasons why L'Arco Pario is not an Amarone:

• Production Technique (Blending): Pario is designed as a hybrid. It takes the "dried fruit" intensity of Amarone and blends it with the lighter, higher-acid style of Ripasso (which is made by passing wine over fermented Amarone skins). This mixture creates a "baby Amarone" style that is not allowed under the strict Amarone DOCG regulation.
• Intention and Style: Winemaker Luca Fedrigo created Pario to offer a "fresh" alternative to his own, more intense, top-tier Amarone. It is inspired by the "Rosso del Bepi" style (a wine from his mentor, Giuseppe Quintarelli), which is made in a similar, lighter, but high-quality manner.
• Classification (IGT vs. DOCG): As a "Veronese IGT," Pario allows the winemaker to blend different components (like Ripasso and Amarone) that would not fit the traditional Amarone DOCG rules.
• Vintages: L'Arco only produces its true Amarone in top vintages. In other years, the dried grapes are used for the Pario blend, ensuring that only the absolute best grapes go into the flagship Amarone bottle.