Amarone Tasting including the legends Quintarelli, Dal Forno, Fumanelli and more

Friday, April 6, 2018 - 07:30 PM

This Event has been read: 3115 times.

http://www.qotd.org/portraits/Fuller,Thomas-physician.jpg

Wine hath drowned more men than the sea.
THOMAS FULLER

 

 

And if I drowned in wine, I can think of none better than Amarone!!

 

This is annual event here at the Wine Watch. We show the wines of these two producers every year at a "Once in a Lifetime" tasting event and then every other year we show them against each other but this year we decided to show them with a few friends.   

The styles are dramatically different between Dal Forno and Quintarelli but they both make Amarone at the top level of quality and both sacrifice quantity over quality.  They are also very expensive but the price reflects the demand for these wines in the marketplace.

Dal Forno is a bit more progressive thinking aging his wines in new French Oak and making a dryer style of Amarone by not drying the grapes for as long as Quintarelli.

Although Giuseppe Quintarelli passed away last year his wines will forever be iconic examples of this ancient style of making wine by drying the grapes before fermenting.  These wines are incredibly rare and to be opening up 6 bottles on one evening categorizes this evening as a "once in a lifetime" experience.

Join us as we experience some of the top vintages for this region and some of the most sought after wines from the Veneto in an all out battle over who's wine reigns supreme- the godfather of Verona, Giuseppe Quintarelli or the new kid on the block, Romano Dal Forno along with a few friends...

Toni Lampasone will be making a special menu to accompany the wines. The fee for this "Once in a Lifetime" wine tasting event is $350 per person + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  There are only 14 spaces available and 7 have already been spoken for so only 7 seats available as of Easter Sunday!

 

dal forno quintarelli tasting 4-6-18.jpg

 

Quintarelli VS Dal Forno and Friends Amarone Tasting at Wine Watch
Friday, April 6st, 2018
7:30 pm

Image result for 2016 Quintarelli Bianco Secco Ca Del Merlo

2016 Quintarelli Bianco Secco Ca Del Merlo
Price: $52.75    Your Price: $46.42

The master of red makes a stunning white as well, an artful blend of Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Saorin (believed to be a clone of the Tokay grape and meaning "flavor" in Veronese dialect). This marks the debut arrival of the 2015, providing a glimpse of what we can expect from Giuseppe in his standout reds. A pretty bouquet of tree fruit apples, pears, melon and lemon blossom with a touch of honey.  Nice weight on the palate, a texture of whole milk and lovely richness on the tongue, a good amount of ripe tree fruits and citrus with a tongue tingly mineral laced finish.  Finish 40+  Excellent +

Image result for 1994 Dal Forno Valpolicella
2001 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella
Price: $140.00    Sale Price: $115.00           Quantity in Stock: 21

Valpolicella offers hints of blueberry, blackberry, cherry and chocolate which emerge gradually as the wine breathes. The potent tannins, which give structure to this product, are in perfect symbiosis with the velvety aromas of sweet spices and jam which envelop the palate and excite the senses.

Image result for 2006 Quintarelli Rosso Ca del Merlo Valpolicella

2006 Quintarelli Rosso Ca del Merlo Valpolicella
Price: $101.25    Your Price: $89.10             Quantity in Stock: 34

The Ca del Merlo (NOT Merlot) is aged longer in large wood vessels and comes from a single hilltop vineyard named after a plot of land where a large Merlo (bird) sat perched on a tree overlooking the hillside.
Image result for 2010 Dal Forno Romano Amarone della Valpolicella
2010 Dal Forno Romano Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $389.25    Sale $342.54

(98 Points) This is a deeply communicative and articulate wine that boasts immense power and persistence. The 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is a creation of enormous beauty and unflinching intensity. The wine speaks at loud volumes with black cherry, spice, tarry smoke, barbecue marinade and grilled rosemary. Those balsam notes add length and continuity to the bouquet. In the mouth, the wine is complete and penetrating. It wraps thickly over the palate to soothe and entice your taste buds. Yet there is enough crispness to keep it from feeling cloying or too heavy. There is a point of tannic astringency on the finish that will accompany this wine over the next decade of its aging evolution. For that reason, it's best to wait before popping the cork on this memorable vinous experience. - Monica Larne Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, June 2017

 

Image result for 1999 Tommaso Bussola TB Vigneto Alto Amarone Della Valpolicella

2003 Tommaso Bussola Amarone Della Valpolicella TB Vigneto Alto
Price: $210.00    Your Price: $184.80          Quantity in Stock: 11

(94 points) "I remember tasting the 2003 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico TB Vigneto Alto when it was in barrel and the fermentations were very slow. Today, it is has emerged from that awkward state and developed into a very beautiful Amarone. Dried dark cherry notes meld into cloves, pipe tobacco and worn-in leather in a striking, beautifully delineated Amarone loaded with complexity. The flavors are a touch developed, making the 2003 an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. The 2003 doesn't quite reach the level of the very best years - which would have been nearly impossible in this vintage - but it comes very close. There is a lot to like here, especially for readers looking for a near-term fix of Amarone. Drink: 2014-2023. (Mar 2014)" Antonio Galloni (Vinous)

Image result for 2003 Quintarelli Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico Riserva
2003 Quintarelli Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico Riserva
Price: $700.00    Sale Price: $550.00           Quantity in Stock: 3

(93 points) Kirsch, cloves, leather and licorice are some of the many notes that emerge from Quintarelli’s 2003 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva. Dark, powerful and brooding, the Riserva is a bit less marked by the year than the straight bottling. Here it is the wine’s explosive, full-bodied finish that stands out most. This is a fascinating wine from Quintarelli. I am a bit surprised to see a Riserva in 2003, but it works, and beautifully. When they are on, these wines are utterly hypnotizing, as is the case here. (AG) (3/2014) Vinous

 

 

 

Image result for 1999 Tommaso Bussola TB Vigneto Alto Amarone Della Valpolicella

 

1999 Tomasso Bussola TB Vigneto Alto Amarone Della Valpolicella

 

(93 points)  The 1999 Amarone Vigneto Alto is powerful in aroma, ripe, sweet, and complex. It offers plum jam, grilled black cherries, chocolate, and sweet herbs in its flavor range. Dense, muscular, but warmly alcoholic and enveloping, it is built to last until 2020.  Wine Advocate #154, Aug 2004

 

Image result for 1997 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella (Magnum)

 

1997 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella

(94 points) Quintarelli's 1997 Amarone is seductive from the first aromas that float from the glass. It offers a myriad of dried cherries, plums, tea leaves, earthiness, spices, smoke and herbs in a deceptively medium-bodied style bursting with flavor. Constantly changing in the glass, this is a sensual wine of contrasts; it is sweet yet dry, rustic yet incredibly elegant, all at the same time. Unfortunately I have encountered a significant amount of bottle variation with this wine, most recently from two bottles purchased at the same shop. Bottle variation is always frustrating but at roughly $350 a pop this degree of inconsistency is especially painful. A bottle tasted several months ago showed levels of volatile acidity that are high even for this producer, and which obscured everything else in the wine. This bottle, though, tasted in August of 2007, was magical. The phrase caveat emptor has never been more appropriate. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2017. eRobertparker.com #173 Oct 2007

 

Image result for 1995 Quintarelli Alzero

1995 Quintarelli Alzero

(94 points) The 1995 Alzero (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot) was deep, rich and concentrated in its blackberries, cassis and grilled herbs. The sheer opulence of the finest vintages was missing, but it was nevertheless a beautiful wine to enjoy with our cheese course. (AG) (5/2009) Vinous

 

Image result for 1995 Dal Forno Romano Nettare 500ml

1995 Dal Forno Romano Nettare 500ml  

 

5000 bottles, 1/2 of this extraordinary dessert wine made with dried grapes, 80% Garganega, 8% Turbiana, 12% Trebbiano Toscano. Aged in barriques for 30-40 months. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate on Romano Dal Forno: "Romano Dal Forno is a humble, down to earth and extremely passionate person. Just a few minutes with Dal Forno are enough to understand his unwavering, some might say obsessive, pursuit of quality. I have never met a producer with such a maniacal approach to cleanliness in the cellar. Nothing is wasted here. As I tasted the drying grapes after the 2006 harvest one grape fell to the ground, but it was swiftly picked up by Dal Forno. The same aesthetic applies to Dal Forno’s work in the vineyards. Dal Forno’s newest plot is planted with an extremely dense 12,800 vines per hectare and can only be described as a work of surgical precision." (10/2007)

 

Image result for 1990 Quintarelli Amabile Bandito

1990 Quintarelli Amabile Del Cere
Price: $650.00    Sale Price: $499.00           Quantity in Stock: 2

Toffee, caramel, dates, figs, brown spice, very complex bouquet with incredible complexity with more spice and fruit coming out as the wine opens, coffee, dried apricots, clove and more.  Thick and unctuous on the tongue with wonderful intensity of fruit, dates, raisins and apricot with an array of spice and a firm hand of acidity holding things in place, this wine has a ton of sweetness but is balanced by intense acidity and it seems this wine will last a lifetime or two!!  Finish 50+                KILLER

 

Menu

Selection of Cheese: St. Andre, Blue Cheese, Beemster Gouda

Black Amarone Risotto with Reggiano Parmesan

Braised Beef Shortrib with Amarone Mole reduction

Cheesecake with Amarena Cherries and Recioto reduction

 

There are only 14 spaces available for this event.  The price is $350 per person + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail:  andy@winewatch.com

 

 

A bit about Giuseppe Quintarelli - The Godfather of the Veneto

 

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2012/01/18/sports/quintarelli/quintarelli-popup.jpg

Known as “The Master of the Veneto,” Giuseppe Quintarelli makes some of the world’s most sought-after wines. From aperitifs to digestifs, his limited production Amarones, Reciotos, and Valpolicellas are the benchmark for excellence. Their greatness stems from the inherent quality of the terroir and natural talent of this master, whose concept of vintage approval and strict grape selection rival great Chateau of Sauternes.  Quintarelli makes stunning wines in average vintages by hand picking everything and making severe selections- sometimes going cluster by cluster and selecting each individual berry!

Giuseppe puts his wines on the market when he deems them ready, often keeping them in the cellar for decades until the right moment arrives.  Quintarelli Produces around 2,500 cases of Valpolicella, 850 cases of Amarone and 300 cases of Recioto.  Valpolicella is a terroir with a long history.  It has weathered difficult times and has now been saved by the commitment of a large number of young producers, and the example of a great one, Guiseppe Quintarelli.  Giuseppe’s winery, situated at Negrar on the gentile Valpolicella hills, has 12 hectares of vineyards at an average altitude of 240 meters above sea level.  Some of the grapes are brought in bringing the average annual production up to 50-60,000 bottles.  In the best years, Giuseppe Quintarelli makes an Amarone Riserva, and of course 1990 was no exception.  Before release, this seriously good wine spent ten years ageing in Slavonian oak barrels.  The deep garnet hue is appealing and there are sweet cocoa powder and ripe berry fruit on the nose.  The palate is generous with plums, fruit liqueur and coffee in a harmonious, lingering profile.  The Alzero, made from raisined Cabernet Franc grapes is deep ruby red and proffers aromas of red peppers, vegetables and tobacco on the nose.  The palate has remarkable finesse and hints of cocoa, morello cherries, pepper and pencil lead create a very stylish, bitter-sweet effect.  The fresh-tasting nicely rounded Valpolicella has hints of aromatic herbs, cherry fruit and liquorice, as well as good extract.

According to archaeological evidence vines were growing in the Valpolicella area some 40 million years ago, but winemaking probably came about around the 5th century BC somewhere that is now referred to as Fumane, the home of one of the most famous Amarone producers, Allegrini.  This wine was referred to as Retico and came from the county of Catullus, Verona.  Late in the Roman period the name Retico changed to Acinatico.    Cassiodoro, a famous Italian minister to the Ostrogoth king Theodoric, has been quoted making reference to Acinato:  “It has a pure and exceptional taste and a regal color, so that you may believe either that purple got its colour from the wine or that the wine is the epitome of purple.  Its sweetness is of incredible gentleness, its density is accompanied by an indescribable stability and it swells over the tongue in such a way that it seems either a liquid made of solid flesh or else a drink to be eaten.”

Valpolicella, according to some accounts, means “valley of many cellars,” which seems fitting.  It is derived, they say, from the Greek word poli (many) and the Latin cella (cellar).   This area is approximately 27 miles long and 5 miles wide, it passes north and west of Verona, extending from the Adige River to the Cazzano Valley.  Bardolino and Lake Garda lie to the west and Soave to the east.  The land ranges in altitude from 490 to 1,475 feet above sea level.  The vines in the classico district to the northwest of Verona, are planted on the hillsides and mountain slopes of the valleys of the Adige tributaries and the Fumane, Marano, and Negrar torrents.  Some of the vineyards are terraced with stone.  The cretaceous, calcareous soil is of glacial origins.  And volcanic activity in this area contributed elements to the soil as well.  

The area around Sant’Ambrogio is considered the heart of the Amarone production zone.  Within this area, northeast of Gargagnago, is a valley called Vaio Armaron, which may have given the wine its name.   The blend of grapes typically used in Valpolicella is Corvina (40%-70%), Rondinella (20%-40%), Molinara (5%-25%) and may contain up to 15% Negrara Trentina, Rossignola, Dindarella, Barbera, and/or Sangiovese.  Before 1989 producers were allowed to add as much as 15% of grapes, must, or wine from outside the zone to correct problems from a weak vintage, but this practice is prohibited today.  Corvina contributes color, body, bouquet, flavor, and the basic Valpolicella character to the wine.   Rondinella, which is resistant to disease and rot, is added for its color and strength, tannin and vigor, it also adds some refinement to the azromas.  Molinara, or Mulinara, is also known as Rossara Veronese and Rossanella, is blended in to make the wine lighter and more drinkable.  It also contributes dryness and acidity, as well as that characteristic bitterness.  Negrara, adds softness, freshness and early drinkability.

The first dry Amarone, according to writer Cesare Marchi, was the result of a fortunate accident.  In the early 1950s, Adelino Lucchese, Bertani’s cellarmaster, discovered a barrel of wine in the cellar that had been overlooked and neglected for some time.  Certain that it had spoiled he was about to discard its contents, when curiosity prompted him to take a taste just to see what had happened.  He was astonished to discover that the forgotten wine had a velvety texture and a penetrating perfume, a slightly bitter taste, but not at all unpleasant.  There is however evidence that the Romans made a type of bitter Recioto for diabetics or other people who couldn’t take sugar.  Sandro Boscaini of Masi pointed out that some of the oldest families in Valpolicella, the Count Campostrini and Count Serego Alighieri, as well as his own produced an Amaro, a dry Recioto.  This would seem to indicate that Amarone is considerably older that Marchi admits.  According to another book called Valpolicella Spolendida Contea Dei Vino, written by Lamberto Paronetto, the name Amarone has been in use since the eighteenth century.  It became popular at the beginning of this century and the name could very well be derived from the Italian word amaro, meaning “bitter” (scholar Scipione Maffei, writing in the first half of the eighteenth century, refers to an amaro, a dry wine from the Valpolicella area), or it could come from Vajo Armaron, where some highly regarded Amarones have been produced for ages. 

 

Other Quintarelli Wines in the store:

 

2012 Quintarelli Primofiore
Price: $67.25    Your Price: $59.18               Quantity in Stock: 6

 

 

2008 Quintarelli Valpolicella
Price: $103.50    Your Price: $91.08             Quantity in Stock: 27

The wine of Valpolicella is made in various styles.  The most common is the light-bodied, dry, fruity red.  This wine is most appealing when drunk young and cool.  Some producers make a more serious style of Valpolicella using a method known as ripasso.  This word is derived from the Italian verb ripassare, meaning "to pass over" or "to do something again."  In the late winter or spring, occasionally later, the new Valpolicella is refermented on the grape pomace from the Amarone, which still contains a lot of sugar.  The wine is put into the barrels that had been used to ferment the Amarone immediately after the wine is drawn off.  The pomace, still high in sugar, nutrients, and extract, activates an alcoholic refermentation.  The temperature increases, due to the warming of the season combined with the warm pomace, causes the development of Saccharomyces bayanus yeasts, which bring about the refermentation of the Valpolicella.  This adds alcohol, total acidity, dry extract, and glycerine to the wine.  The alcohol increases 1.5 to 1.7 percent and total acidity 0.5 to 1 percent.  The wine becomes deeper in color, bigger in body, and richer in alcohol, extract and tannin.  In fact at one time the wines of the Veronese hillsides were classified by the farmers according to their degree of sweetness, and they were priced accordingly, with the sweetest wines commanding the highest prices.  The recioto wines were the sweetest, mezzo recioto was medium sweet, pastoso off dry, and amaro dry.  The first two wines here are made from the same varietals as Quintarelli’s Valpolicella, however the Ca del Merlo (NOT Merlot) is aged longer in large wood vessels and comes from a single hilltop vineyard named after a plot of land where a large Merlo (bird) sat perched on a tree overlooking the hillside.

Image result for 2004 Quintarelli Rosso Ca Del Merlo Valpolicella

2004 Quintarelli Rosso Ca Del Merlo Valpolicella
Price: $105.00    Your Price: $92.40             Quantity in Stock: 1

The Ca del Merlo (NOT Merlot) is aged longer in large wood vessels and comes from a single hilltop vineyard named after a plot of land where a large Merlo (bird) sat perched on a tree overlooking the hillside.

 

2007 Quintarelli Rosso Ca Del Merlo Valpolicella
Price: $101.25    Your Price: $89.10             Quantity in Stock: 17

 

2003 Quintarelli Rosso Ca Del Merlo Valpolicella
Price: $105.00    Your Price: $92.40             Quantity in Stock: 2

 

2005 Quintarelli Rosso Ca del Merlo Valpolicella
Price: $101.25    Your Price: $89.10             Quantity in Stock: 5

 

2008 Quintarelli Rosso Ca del Merlo Valpolicella
Price: $103.50    Sale Price: $85.00              Quantity in Stock: 3

 

http://www.daiparmigiani.com/6503-248-large/quintarelli-amarone-della-valpolicella-2000.jpg

2007 Quintarelli Amarone Della Valpolicella
Price: $406.00    Your Price: $357.28          Quantity in Stock: 5

This is one of the hardest wines to come by from Italy. This wine comes primarily from the indigenous Corvina, as well as Rondinella with a small percentage of Molinara with traces of Cabernet, Sangiovese, and Nebbiolo. A truly stunning wine with great potential for long-term aging, but is tremendously rewarding to drink right now, but I would caution you to finish with this wine as it is hard to follow this wine with anything else.

Wine Watch Review:  Green tea, mint, sundried cherry and plum fruit with an array of dried flowers, dark coco and cigar box spices, milk chocolate.  Smooth and polished on the nose with layers of spice and great freshness through the finish.  This wine seems light on the palate but has sweet fruit and layers of exotic spices and that cigar box spice from the nose showing through the finish.  This is the current release from the master and although he releases the wines when they are ready to drink this wine will last 20 years or more in your cellar.  Finish 50+  Most Excellent

2004 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $450.00    Sale Price: $350.00           Quantity in Stock: 2

2000 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $625.00    Your Price: $550.00          Quantity in Stock: 2

1998 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $499.00    Sale Price: $370.00           Quantity in Stock: 29

2006 Quintarelli Amarone Della Valploicella Classico (Magnum)
Price: $875.00    Your Price: $770.00          Quantity in Stock: 4

 

Image result for 2003 Quintarelli Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico Riserva

 

2007 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva
Price: $795.00    Sale $699.60

This is the newest release from Quintarelli they are keeping with the tradition of releasing their wines when they feel they are ready and the Riserva Amarone is only made in exceptional vintages.

http://media.kerrywines.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/89b5d1793c6558d1eb1094b112e6d1d7/W/2/W2L465AMWCA1-base_1.jpg

Alzero is a massive--and massively delicious--wine. Quintarelli makes it only in the very best years, solely from fruit derived from old vines, predominately Cabernet Franc, usually blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and a small percentage of Merlot. As in the estate’s Amarone, Quintarelli treats Alzero’s grapes with the appassimento technique, drying the grapes in single layers upon straw or plastic mats for 60 to 100 days to concentrate and intensify the flavor; it’s also the sole Quintarelli wine that’s aged in barriques.

2006 Quintarelli Alzero Magnum
Price: $1175.00    Your Price: $1034.00      Quantity in Stock: 4

2004 Quintarelli Alzero
Price: $575.00    Sale Price: $475.00           Quantity in Stock: 8

1998 Quintarelli Alzero
Price: $600.00    Sale Price: $495.00           Quantity in Stock: 6

1997 Quintarelli Alzero
Price: $750.00    Sale Price: $595.00           Quantity in Stock: 5

 

The Dessert wines from Quintarelli – The Rarest of the magical elixirs from this legendary producer

http://www.lovelitalia.com/79-large_default/quintarelli-recioto-of-valpolicella-classic-1997-cl-375.jpg

 

For 100 years this small producer from the Veneto has been exporting limited quantities to the U.S. The absolute traditionalist has not changed the techniques set by his father. As those who are familiar with Quintarelli know, he creates miracles in off vintages and legends when Mother Nature shines - and in 1990, 1993 and 1995 she did just that, rivaling her efforts of 1990 and perhaps 1976 or 1985. For Giuseppe, like his father, the challenge of Recioto is a labor of love. After arrested fermentation, which provides Recioto's distinctive sweetness, this wine's vinification follows the same pattern as for the Amarone.

 

1995 Quintarelli Recioto Della Valpolicella 750ml
Price: $450.00    Sale Price: $350.00           Quantity in Stock: 3

 

2001 Quintarelli Recioto Della Valpolicella Classico
Price: $395.00    Your Price: $347.60          Quantity in Stock: 1

 

2001 Quintarelli Recioto Della Valpolicella Classico (375ML)
Price: $201.25    Your Price: $177.10          Quantity in Stock: 1

 

 

A bit about Romano Dal Forno

 

http://eng.dalfornoromano.it/var/21235/storage/images/media/header/header-home/1616-5-ita-IT/Header-home_top.jpg

A few years ago the last day of the Vinitaly we left early to go see one of the producers that does not show his wines at the fair- Romano Dal Forno.   We just happened to be doing a tasting with this producers wine in a few weeks after my return, so I was anxious to learn more about this producer from the horse’s mouth.

Although Romano’s wines have become some of the most sought after in all of Italy, there are not many people that know a lot about them, many people believe that he was a pupil of the great Giuseppe Quintarelli.  Well it is true that Dal Forno is a good friend of Quintarelli and that it was Giuseppe’s passion for winemaking that inspired Romano to get into the wine business, however he never worked for Quintarelli like so many wine experts have claimed.  Romano’s family had been land owners in Valpolicella for several generations and they owned vineyards, but they had always sold their grapes to other producers.  Romano never went to enology school, he is a self taught winemaker, his first vintage was 1983 and over the course of the next few he quickly became one of the rising stars of this area. 

His approach to making Amarone is very different from Quintarelli and collectors usually will like one or the other rather than both.  Quintarelli dries his grapes for upwards of six months before crushing them.  This causes the resulting wines to be rather sweet in style.  Romano prefers the taste of dryer wines so he only leaves his grapes to dry for one to two months, thus the resulting wines are fairly dry in style.

When you walk down to the cellar, the stairs are made of white marble tile that has been tumbled so that the surface is not slippery, everything that Romano does is well thought out, he is a perfectionist and it shows in his cellar and in his wines.  The brick work on the ceilings of the cellar is a mosaic and really makes the cellar one of the most attractive that you will encounter.  The barrles are stained in the centers so you will not notice the drippings from topping off.  It seems like every little detail has been thought out.

His greatest recent vintages are:  1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, and the 2004 which is still in barrique.  The Valpolicella is one of the most concentrated and rich that you will encounter and is rich enough that it could be mistaken for Amarone.  The magical elixir, Recioto was declassified in 2003 because it failed the tasting panel from the DOC and will from this vintage on be simply entitled late harvest with the name of the vineyard, Vigna Sere.  There are two tests that Valpolicella, Amarone and Recioto have to pass before they are allowed to carry the DOC title.  One is a chemical analysis that measures both the sugar content and the grape varietals.  The second is a physical tasting that the DOC panel conducts to ensure that the wine resembles the style of wines that are produced in this area.  The Recioto in 2003 passed the chemical analysis but the tasting panel failed this wine for being to astringent, this may have angered Dal Forno as he stated that this wine will no longer be submitted for DOC status. 

We were like kids in a candy store during our visit as the exuberant wine producer showed us his newest wines that were still in barrique.  Romano is very passionate about his wines and you could tell that he was glad to have a group of his fans in his home to learn more about what makes this producers wines so unique.

His journey stared with the 1983 vintage and every vintage he has continued to improve his wines by making progress in the vineyard as well as developing new techniques in the winery.  He began a complete renovation and expansion of the winery in 2005 and it was completed by the end of 2007 just in time for the harvest.  One of the things that he stresses is cleanliness.  Some producers of Amarone like to have a bit of "Noble Rot" in their wines.  Romano feels that there is nothing noble about rot, therefore he goes to every extreme to ensure that there is none in his cellar.  The new facility has a series of fans to circulate the air in the cellar so there is very little moisture, which is one of the largest contributors to the formation of mold in the cellar.

Any great producer will tell you that great wine is made in the vineyard and Dal Forno is no exception to this rule.  Dal Forno spends a lot of time tending his vines and has planted several new acres of vines to increase the size of his production which now hovers at around 20,000 cases of the four wines. 

 

2010 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella
Price: $103.50    Sale $91.08

2003 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella
Price: $145.00    Sale Price: $120.00           Quantity in Stock: 1

2002 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella
Price: $140.00    Sale Price: $105.00           Quantity in Stock: 4

2009 Dal Forno Amarone Della Valpolicella
Price: $375.00    Your Price: $330.00          Quantity in Stock: 1

1998 Dal Forno Romano Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $500.00    Sale Price: $400.00           Quantity in Stock: 1

2003 Dal Forno Romano Vigna Sere (375ml)
Price: $250.00    Sale Price: $200.00           Quantity in Stock: 1

1997 Dal Forno Romano Recioto 375ml
Price: $290.00    Sale Price: $230.00           Quantity in Stock: 2

 

Cart Summary

Your shopping cart is empty!

Wine Watch Events

Wine Bar Closed Private Happy Hour 4pm-7pm Wine Bar

Tue, Mar 19, 2024

Glynn

Wayfarer Wine Tasting with Special Guest Winemaker Todd Kohn

Wed, Mar 20, 2024

"Now wines are wonders; great wines are magical; and winemakers are mad. Like horse fanciers, they are always tryi...

Happy Hour Tasting Featuring Champagne Henriot with Special Guest Kelly McFadden

Thu, Mar 21, 2024

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.” Mark Twain Can you have t...

VIntage Brunello di Montalcino Wine Tasting back to 1979

Fri, Mar 22, 2024

I like to drink wine more than I used to... Don Corleone, The Godfather The wines that I like to d...

Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tasting going back to the 2003 vintage

Sat, Mar 23, 2024

“High and fine literature is wine, and mine is only water; but everybody likes water.”  ― ...

1989 Cos D'Estournel Tasting 12 bottles from the same case - A study in Bottle Variation

Thu, Mar 28, 2024

 "It wasn't always like this. Before Paris, people didn't drink our wine. I mean, my friends ...

1990 Vintage Bordeaux Wine Tasting Including Chateau Latour, Chateau Montrose, Chateau Lynch Bages and more...

Fri, Mar 29, 2024

The Wines of Bordeaux give tone to the stomach, while leaving the mouth fresh and the head clear.  More than one inv...

Domaine Leroy Burgundy Tasting

Sat, Mar 30, 2024

When it comes to wine, I tell people to throw away the vintage charts and invest in a corkscrew. The best way to le...

Wine Bar Closed for Private Event

Thu, Apr 4, 2024

Wine Bar Closed for Private Event -Fafone

Sine Qua Non California Cult Syrah and Grenache Wine Tasting

Fri, Apr 5, 2024

Sine Qua Non California Cult Syrah and Grenache Wine Tasting Friday, April 5th 7:30pm 2021 Sine Qua Non White Ce...