Dal Forno

By any independent measure the wines of Romano Dal Forno are the greatest of all Valpolicellas and Amarones produced, making the estate one of the icons of Italian wine. Moreover they form a part of new guard of producers ensuing the "old-fashioned" style of Amarone and Valpolicella and in its place producing wines that are modern and decadent but retain the unique character of the wine style. They do this via low yields (from 12-odd hectares), new oak ageing (American as a rule) and a fanatical attention to detail. The Valpolicella is not your ordinary medium-bodied luncheon quaffer; rather the grapes here are partially aged (like Amarone) and the resulting wine is more what most would understand as Amarone. In turn the Amarone itself steps up again taking the style into another dimension of layered richness and jaw-dropping complexity.

Amarone is often referred to by Italians as a  "meditation wine"; something to ponder and examine over hours. In the case of Dal Forno wines, it is hard to think of wines that better epitomise the byline. PWS