2011 Amarone della Valpolicella
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Tasting notes
Marco Dal Forno was kind enough to send me this back vintage from one of the first years to show the "abnormal" heat patterns that we associate with climate change today. I remember the hot winds from North Africa that blew across Italy during the scorching summer of 2011. The Dal Forno Romano 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is 20 steps beyond the most extracted wine you have ever tasted. Its 17% alcohol content is daunting and extreme, as is the wine's concentration. It shows bitter tannins with hints of tree bark and all kinds of Christmas spice. You'll notice a drop in score from my last tastings of this vintage (down from 97 given in 2019 and 96 awarded in 2017). That difference reflects my changing tastes and personal evolution. I find the wine to be intellectually fascinating, and I recognize the precision behind its realization. But I am hard-pressed to imagine a scenario in which I could pair a wine like this with the lighter fare I enjoy today. When gauging its aging potential—which is the true point of this tasting—I can confirm that the tannins have gone a long way to become more approachable. But still, this is one massive red wine that is not yet resolved. Production was 22,000 bottles.
Critic scores
Average Score
Decanter
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Deep, inky ruby colour with just a hint of garnet. Lots of complexity on the nose and palate; there’s a notable balsamic character along with raisins and baked plums, leather, espresso, bitter cocoa and blood. It’s sweeter, richer and more viscous than their 2018 Amarone (which was tasted alongside this) and is ageing very well. (JRL)
A dark, deep and super-complex wine, profound in its earthy aromas of coffee, leather, prunes, milk chocolate, game and meat, enhanced by dried figs and toast. Lush and powerful, with a smooth palate, a full body and zesty acidity that’s slightly lifted in the finish. Ripe, velvety tannins with a chewy aftertaste. Drink or hold.
This is a real bruiser of a wine, and it marks the first of three excellent back-to-back vintages (2011, 2012 and 2013). The growing season was full of surprises and many farming decisions had to be made at the spur of the moment. The 2011 growing season started off cool, but there was an explosion of heat in mid-August that remained intense until a final cooling period at harvest. Fruit ripening had been behind schedule, but that August heat helped to pick up the pace. (By the way, this is also the year Michele Dal Forno got married). The 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is an incredible wine that has magically managed to maintain the fresh acidity associated with the cooler part of the growing season. It also shows the inky black concentration and ripeness that is reflective of the hottest part of the summer. I am impressed by the tannic management, as the wine is silky and fine at this young stage; however, the underlying structure promises a long aging future, should you chose to put your bottle aside. Overall, this vintage is slightly more accessible and ready to drink if you don't have the patience for cellar aging.
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.