2017 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella Superiore Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta
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Tasting notes
Rich black-cherry fruit aromas beautifully integrate with peppery spice from the top-quality oak. Lifted, floral scents and raisin cherry tones combine for a lovely nose. The tannins in the Valpolicella are very refined – almost silky soft but they still provide the textural depth you have come to expect from Dal Forno. The 2017 is very precise and pure-fruited, as the oak tannins nicely frame the luxurious fruit. This is an Amarone in all but name, and the quality here is nothing short of outstanding.
Critic scores
Eric Guido, Vinous
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
More reviews and scores
Taking in the 2017 Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta reminds me of all of the desserts, spices and confections experienced on Christmas day. An array of medicinal cherries, plum sauce, ginger cookies, cloves, cinnamon and dried roses captivate. There's tremendous depth here, but it maintains fantastic freshness. This is wildly spicy and intense, yet deep, with brilliant acidity adding energy seldom found in Valpolicella, which enlivens the crunchy red fruits and pretty inner florals within. The 2017 finishes dramatically long and perfumed, resonating on sour blackberries, currants and a bitter hint of cocoa. This goes far beyond the expectation of Valpolicella, with the power and aromatics of an Amarone but with a liveliness that will allow it to excel at the dinner table.
Smoky tar, grilled toast, rubber, this is packed with powerful raspberry fruits that are crushed and cooked, set against peach pit, orange zest, coffee bean, woodsmoke and spice. Good quality, clear signature flavours. This is the first time on the Place for this 34ha estate from winemakers Romano and Marco Dal Forno.
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.