Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta 2009

The wine in this vintage

2009 in Valpolicella was a warm, sunny year, with ripe, sugar-rich grapes that, after drying, gave Amarones of great fullness. In Dal Forno's Amarone Monte Lodoletta 2009 that generosity reaches remarkable heights: an intense nose of plum, black cherry, dried figs, cocoa, coffee, liquorice and sweet spice; an opulent, enveloping palate with silky yet dense tannins and seemingly endless length. Robert Parker awarded it 99 points. Despite the richness of the year, the wine retains balance and precision. It remains an Amarone still developing, needing further years in the cellar to show its best.

The producer · Dal Forno Romano

Dal Forno Romano is one of Italy's most celebrated names and an absolute benchmark for Valpolicella. The family's story is tied to the Lodoletta locality in Cellore d'Illasi, in the Val d'Illasi, an area that was then little regarded and far from the Valpolicella Classica heartland. From the 1980s, inspired by his encounter with Giuseppe Quintarelli, Romano Dal Forno transformed the family farm with a radical vision: very high planting densities, tiny yields, drying of the grapes in ventilated, controlled rooms to keep them healthy, long ageing in new barriques and release only after many years. The grapes are the area's traditional varieties, Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella, together with Croatina and Oseleta. Today Romano works alongside his sons Marco, Luca and Michele. The wines, led by the Amarone and Valpolicella Superiore, are monumental in concentration and depth yet surprisingly precise: very long-lived reds made in limited quantities and only in vintages deemed worthy.

Critics' scores

• 99 Robert Parker
• 94 Wine Spectator
• 17/20 Jancis Robinson

Technical details

Producer

Dal Forno Romano

Region

Veneto

Country

Italia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2009

When to drink

Not yet at its peak

Critics' average

96.5/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0410109