2018 Amarone della Valpolicella
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Tasting notes
Made from grapes dried for up to 90 days. Much denser and weightier on the palate than their Valpolicella Superiore, but it has enough acidity to balance the hint of sweetness. Abundant, grainy tannins. There are layers of raisins, dried blackberries and blueberries, chocolate, espresso, marjoram and oregano. The alcohol howls out of the glass, but that’s simply a feature of this opulent, hedonistic style of wine, not a fault. (JRL)
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Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
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The Dal Forno Romano 2018 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta shows similar intensity and complexity compared to the 2019 vintage, but these remain two very different wines at the end of the day. The 2018 vintage shows extra fruit ripeness and even some jammy flavors with cherry confit and blackberry coulis. The tannins also appear softer (comparatively, although we are still talking about a Dal Forno Amarone—probably the wine with the biggest tannins I taste from Italy). That velvety structural texture gives this wine a more accessible approach, although the wine's ideal drinking window remains a far way off. The 2018 delivers pretty floral aromas of rose or dried lavender that seem specific to this vintage with a hot summer and cooler harvest conditions. This wine will be released in 2025.
Dark inky color with a restrained nose of cloves, cassis, macerated violets, earth, graphite and a hint of Band-Aid. Full-bodied with a dense palate of black licorice and dark chocolate flavors, refreshing acidity and firm tannins. It’s youthful, chewy and dynamic. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.
About the producer
Along with Giuseppe Quintarelli, Dal Forno Romano makes the best wines in the Veneto. The history of Dal Forno Romano, however, is much shorter, and its rise to fame much faster.