Dal Forno Romano was established in the 1980s, the winery has rapidly established itself as one of the regions finest. Romano’s family had long owned vines in Valpolicella, in Illasi, but he did not have any direct winegrowing experience. Mentored by the great Giuseppe Quintarelli, he had to learn everything as he went along. His drive and singular vision led him to build a state-of-the-art winery, create his own vacuum pressure tanks, invent his own fan dehydration system, develop new pump-extraction technology and design bespoke automated tank-cleaning systems. Dal Forno Romano’s history is so far a relatively short one, but one that is immensely energetic and compelling.
Dal Forno Romano’s vineyards are primarily made up of Corvina, with some smaller amounts of Rondinella, Croatina and Oseleta. High density planting, up to 12,800 plants per hectare, in an effort to keep yields low and concentration high. Grapes are sorted once before drying and once again after, with apassimento taking around a month for the Valpolicella and three months for the Amarone. After pressing and fermentation, Romano’s tailored piston system punches the fruit down to maximise extraction as gently as possible. The wines are then kept at vacuum pressure from fermentation to barrel aging, and from blending to bottling, all to limit oxidisation of the wines and preserve their quality. Both wines are aged in new oak barriques for two years and bottle aged for four.
What results from this diligence and ingenuity are wines that are at once classic in style and atypical in production, and undoubtedly some of the finest and most rewarding Valpolicella wines in the region.
Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella 2008
14% abv
To be released in early 2014, the 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella (with fruit sourced from the high density Monte Lodoletta vineyard) opens with immense darkness and the kind of midnight impenetrability you never see on any color wheel for fine wine. Its off the charts appearance is followed by similarly unique aromatic intensity and versatility that spans from blackberry syrup and candied prune to chewing tobacco, black peppercorn and rain-soaked asphalt. This is but a baby that will require loads of time in your cellar before it enters its prime drinking window. Because Dal Forno did not make Amarone in 2007, the wait will seem that much longer. Having said that, this wine is very different from the 2006 Amarone despite the fact 2006 and 2008 were relatively similar cool vintages overall. I distinctly remember the impossible tightness and astringency of the tannins in 2006 when tasted at the same young stage in the wine’s life. The 2008 Amarone, on the other hand, is much softer and a tad more approachable in contrast. Ultimately, this wine promises a graceful, steady and long evolution. Monica Warner, The Wine Advocate –
95 points. Drink: 2017-2035.
- Reference #:
- 5518
- Strength
- 14 ABV
- Bottles per Case
- 3 bottles
- Grapes
- Corvina, Corvinone
- Organic
- No
- Biodynamic
- No
- Vegan
- No
- Vegetarian
- No
- Sparkling
- No
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Recchia Valpolicella Classico 2022
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£14.50Vol (75cl)Incl. Tax & Duty
