Dal Forno Romano - Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta 2006
Price: $525.00
Sale Price: $439.95
| Producer | Dal Forno Romano |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Veneto |
| Subregion | Valpolicella |
| Varietal | Red Blend |
| Vintage | 2006 |
| Sku | 09731 |
Dal Forno Romano Description
Amarone differs from Valpolicella for two simple reasons.
The first concerns the duration of the drying process, which in the case of Amarone can be prolonged to three months instead of one and a half months.
The second instead refers to the age of the vines. Our company’s philosophy is that, in order to produce Amarone, only the grapes that are harvested from vines which are older than ten years can be used. The younger vines are therefore only used in the production of Valpolicella.
Not with standing these two differences and other small variations with regards to the percentage of the different grapes used, it can be said that these two wines are almost identical, in the sense that the underlying process of their production and aging are exactly the same.
In saying this, Amarone can be distinguished from its smaller brother by its strength and elegance.
Undoubtedly the complexity of this wine is superior in respect to that of Valpolicella and has its place in the category of wines that are usually defined as “meditation wines”.
Subtle aromatic hints, that range from black cherry, blueberry to chocolate, anticipate the opulent expression of mature fruit that flows into the mouth with inadvertent persistence. Nuances of truffle, tobacco and new leather wrap around the finish.
It is a wine with undiscovered potential, but whose depth leaves one hoping that it has a very long development ahead of it.
Made with Corvina, Rondinella, Oseleta, Croatina grapes.
James Suckling: 98 Points
This is very lifted and intense with treacle tart, licorice, light asphalt, chili and chocolate. Full body with very intense dried fruits like raisins, sultanas and prunes, but there's a nutmeg and clove undertone to it. Very chewy and intense on the finish. Big wine but racy and fresh. Stunning Amarone.
Wine Advocate: 97 Points
Back in 2006, this estate farmed approximately 25 hectares of vines, and the Valpolicella was just beginning to feel its new celebrity status, thanks to a new generation of vintners (to come after Quintarelli and Dal Forno) showing impressive results. The 2006 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta was born in a vintage that was not easy: It saw hail and above-average rainfall for much of the growing season. This expression opens to an inky dark appearance and heavy aromas of dried fruit, pressed blackberries and sun-dried prunes. There is a slightly sweeter side to this vintage (the residual sugar is up to ten grams per liter), and the mouthfeel offers enormous volume and richness. You get some jammy and raisiny fruit at the back. Like the 1990 vintage also tastes in this retrospective, this bottle from the 2006 vintage was slow to open and felt a bit closed initially. In fact, I gave it 94 points at that time. However, I recently opened a bottle of this same wine that I had in my cellar, and it was just stunning. It showed none of the shyness that I described above.
Decanter: 96 Points
With high levels of sugar and acid, the grapes in 2006 were ideal candidates for appassimento. This is just as rich as the monumental 2004, with even more wood showing on the palate. It has powerful dark fruit, but takes a more herbaceous line that finishes slightly shorter.
Wine Enthusiast: 95 Points
Dal Forno delivers one of the world’s most impossibly rich and concentrated red wines. Using grapes sourced from the high-density Monte Lodoletta vineyard, this inky, dark expression oozes with syrupy tones of maraschino, dark chocolate fudge, cinnamon spice, crushed clove and barbecue smoke. In keeping with the wine’s legendary reputation for long aging potential, the tannins are rock solid at the moment.
Wine Spectator: 94 Points
Polished and expressive, this shows a smoky baseline of graphite-laced minerality, with fine-grained tannins and mouthwatering acidity focusing the flavors of date, kirsch, ground anise and clove, with a touch of cocoa powder.
| Quantity: |
