Amarone, Dal Forno Romano 2011

“A black wine, and a velvet nosebox: pressed black fruits, seeping with fruit essences; smoke and cinders; herbal complexities; teasing floral notes, too, to lighten the tone a little. The alcohol level on the label might lead you to expect a gobstopper – so you’ll be taken aback by the fine-milled elegance of this wine, by its disposition and organization, by its fleet-footed elegance and freshness, even though its concentration, power and textural presence make it a wine of absolute authority. There isn’t a trace of superfluous fat in the mid-palate – though it’s tongue-coating, head-turning, inspiring: a gathering of sumptuous fruited energies. “It’s very difficult to for my father to feel happy about any of his wines; he’s very critical,” said Michele. “But with this vintage, he didn’t have anything to say.”

Sweet smoke, Asian five spice and cacao accents mix with crème de cassis, cured tobacco and anise notes in this seamless, fullbodied red. A dense and concentrated version, with the long, savory finish firmed by supple, well-knit tannins. Drink now through 2030.

Very dark fruits on the nose with hints of bark and dried flowers. Full body, soft and silky tannins with a chewy finish. Loads of dark chocolate and berry. Flavorful and balanced. Drink now.

The 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is another extreme wine from Romano Dal Forno and his family. It is almost impossible to wrap your head around the intensity and richness that is so expertly delivered by this monumental wine. The bouquet is sweet and heavy with luscious tones of black fruit, prune, dried rose bud, cherry liqueur, spice and tarry asphalt. The wine oozes forth with impactful thickness and generosity. Rather than a companion to a meal, this wine is a meal in itself. It goes over and beyond traditional Amarone. This was a hot vintage, but the brunt of the heat came towards the middle/end of the growing season, followed by cooler temperatures at harvest.