Professional Reviews
Antonio Galloni
AG
93
"The 2006 Amarone della Valpolicella boasts incredible richness and depth. Blackberry jam, graphite, smoke, licorice, tar and plums are beautifully integrated in this dark, seamless Amarone. Despite its considerable weight and density, the 2006 comes across as fairly accessible for a young Dal Forno Amarone. Hints of truffle, tobacco and new leather wrap around the finish." -Vinous
Robert Parker
RP
97
"Back in 2006, this estate farmed approximately 25 hectares of vines, and the Valpolicella was just beginning to feel its new celebrity status, thanks to a new generation of vintners (to come after Quintarelli and Dal Forno) showing impressive results. The 2006 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta was born in a vintage that was not easy: It saw hail and above-average rainfall for much of the growing season. This expression opens to an inky dark appearance and heavy aromas of dried fruit, pressed blackberries and sun-dried prunes. There is a slightly sweeter side to this vintage (the residual sugar is up to ten grams per liter), and the mouthfeel offers enormous volume and richness. You get some jammy and raisiny fruit at the back. Like the 1990 vintage also tastes in this retrospective, this bottle from the 2006 vintage was slow to open and felt a bit closed initially. In fact, I gave it 94 points at that time. However, I recently opened a bottle of this same wine that I had in my cellar, and it was just stunning. It showed none of the shyness that I described above. Inspired by that second magical bottle, I went back and adjusted the drinking window and my score to the one you see here."
Decanter
D
96
"With high levels of sugar and acid, the grapes in 2006 were ideal candidates for appassimento. This is just as rich as the monumental 2004, with even more wood showing on the palate. It has powerful dark fruit, but takes a more herbaceous line that finishes slightly shorter."
Wine Spectator
WS
94
"Polished and expressive, this shows a smoky baseline of graphite-laced minerality, with fine-grained tannins and mouthwatering acidity focusing the flavors of date, kirsch, ground anise and clove, with a touch of cocoa powder."
Wine Enthusiast
WE
95
"Dal Forno delivers one of the world’s most impossibly rich and concentrated red wines. Using grapes sourced from the high-density Monte Lodoletta vineyard, this inky, dark expression oozes with syrupy tones of maraschino, dark chocolate fudge, cinnamon spice, crushed clove and barbecue smoke. In keeping with the wine’s legendary reputation for long aging potential, the tannins are rock solid at the moment."
