“Dal Forno’s wines throw so much at you at once… you need extra time to recover from the whiplash. Once I “got” these wines, I started to consider them like unique works of art.” - Wine Advocate

“Dark, massively intense, seamlessly elegant, yet wonderfully balanced Amarone & Valpolicella… some of the best produced from year to year.” - Vinous, 2021

“The densest, deepest, most concentrated wines in the region.” - Wine Spectator

Dal Forno is to Amarone what Michaelangelo is to art. There’s little doubt among true wine connoisseurs - Dal Forno is the undisputed KING of Amarone.

And you should not leave this earth without trying one of these wines. Especially when you can get a DOUBLE 95 POINT, prime example at the world’s lowest price.

Dal Forno is so utterly fanatical about quality, and committed to bottling the very best, that in 2014 with yields down 30% he chose to not make the Amarone. Instead all his efforts went into the Valpolicella Superiore.

This means the 2014 was one of those vintages where the Superiore becomes a singular expression of the Veneto’s signature wine. In any given year, his Valpolicella blows other Amarone out of the water without even trying. That’s especially true for this vintage.

And the best part?

It doesn’t cost anywhere near the usual $350+ price tag for his Amarone.

Back to Vinous to explain this complicated matter; “It’s also extremely important to take note that even the Valpolicella of Dal Forno spends 45 days air-drying, followed by 2 years in new oak and 3 years in bottle. Basically, it’s like drinking many other producers’ Amarone, but it’s labeled Valpolicella.”

HOWEVER in 2014 they add that “Dal Forno decided not to produce their Amarone, and to instead focus all of their attention on the Valpolicella. The result is a wine that no Dal Forno fan should miss, but be aware that production was down 30% from an average year.”

This juice is otherworldly.

How can a wine be so rich, complex, yet ethereally balanced, and lithe on the palate? The nose? Goodness, it explodes with a symphony of fruits, red and black, fresh and dried. Layer in exotic spices and minerals. Once the finish reaches the 2-minute mark it’s obviously not quitting so we are obliged to take another sip. This stuff is, according to Agent Noir “unspittable” as he heads to the spittoon, alas not a drop comes out. From its lucid dark cherry red color to the spiced-up cherry chutney nose to dusty cocoa powder coated candied cherries on the palate, this has it all. Grilled anything meaty or rustic, short-ribs, pot roasts, stews with boar, venison, goat, mushrooms, dried fruits. All you then need is a circle of family or friends to share.

Finding this stuff is hard, and at the BEST PRICE in the entire US of A??!

Now, for the close readers out there, you’ll also notice a few bottles of his profound 2013 Amarone making a brief appearance in the Store today too. Yes it costs more than triple this 2014 Valpo, but also yes, it’s worth every penny at the best price.

And finally, hot off the press: Just yesterday James Suckling announced their greatest wines of 2021 and guess who made it another TOP 10 list again? Yes, the yet-to-be-released 2015 Dal Forno Amarone!

Black Friday is just a week out and the most spectacular lunar eclipse in 600 years is here… meanwhile will only the best do?

Today - - is your day.The glowing reviews are LONG so grab what you can before getting mesmerized by the big words.

This will go fast.

95 Points – Wine & Spirits

“The 2014 growing season in Valpolicella was plagued by hail in June and copious rain through mid-October, leaving the grape skins fragile and, in the estimation of Romano Dal Forno, not suitable for making Amarone. Instead, he used all of the fruit he and his team could salvage to make this wine, selecting only the best bunches and drying them for 45 days. After fermentation, the wine rested in new oak barrels for two years and another three in bottle, developing a rich complexity that reads more like an Amarone than a typical Valpolicella. It unfolds with flavors of warmed cherry and dried plum layered with notes of espresso, dark chocolate and a savory hint of amaro. There’s a tart tinge to the fruit that enhances the wine’s drinkability and brightens those rich oak-derived flavors. Even with all of the estate’s fruit going into this Valpolicella, Dal Forno made 30 percent less than normal.”

95 Points – James Suckling

“A beautiful, polished red with dried-berry, plum, floral and cedar aromas. Full body and a flavorful finish. Extremely refined and polished, more so than many past vintages. Already gorgeous, but needs a year or two to come together. Better after 2022.”

94 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“The Val d’Illasi is the furthest valley east of Verona that is permitted to produce Valpolicella and Amarone. It is not part of the original ‘Classico’ growing area, but it is the home of the Dal Forno vineyards and winery. With 26 hectares of vines planted at an average of 270 meters, the Dal Forno family is able to blend the advantages of the alluvial soils in the lower elevations, and the clay-rich soils as their vines move further upslope. The focus here is on the traditional mix of varieties: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta and Croatina. However, in the winery, Dal Forno depends on a modern approach, with no fear of technology, to create their portfolio of dark, massively intense, seamlessly elegant, yet wonderfully balanced Amarone and Valpolicella. Marco Dal Forno, enologist and second generation, explained that the family had recently acquired another 24 hectares of vineyards, but it intends to experiment with them prior to blending them into the production. His goal is to better understand the unique soil types within Illasi and how each variety acts differently within them, in order to plan for replantings in the future. That said, production quantity was a repeating theme of our conversations, as he also explained to me that hail is becoming more and more frequent. As I mentioned previously, these are modern interpretations of the wines of the region, but don’t let that deter you, because they are also some of the best produced from year to year. Following an extremely strict selection, Corvina grapes for the Amarone undergo three months of air-drying, followed by a first fermentation in stainless steel with automated punch-downs; and then moved into new French oak, where the wine undergoes a slow secondary fermentation that can last up to 18 months. Ultimately, the Amarone spends two years in barrel prior to bottling. It’s also extremely important to take note that even the Valpolicella of Dal Forno spends 45 days air-drying, followed by two years in new oak and three years in bottle. Basically, it’s like drinking many other producers’ Amarone, but it’s labeled Valpolicella. The 2014 is a unique rendition of Dal Forno’s Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta. It’s a remarkably pretty wine, displaying crushed ripe strawberries and plums with cinnamon, clove, vanilla bean and a cooling hint of mint. The textures are velvety, coating all that they touch in glycerol fruit concentration, yet somehow coming across as zesty and spry, contrasting weight with saturating notes of tart blackberry and savory spice. There’s a bit of a lull in the midpalate, yet it hardly takes away from the experience. At times, the Monte Lodoletta can seem almost salty, especially through its long, mouthwatering finish, where hints of cherry pits and herbs linger. This atypical yet truly enjoyable expression is the result of the extremely difficult 2014 vintage, when hail damaged and reduced the crop in the lower-elevation vineyards, followed by rain from August through September. As a result, Dal Forno decided not to produce their Amarone, and to instead focus all of their attention on the Valpolicella. The result is a wine that no Dal Forno fan should miss, but be aware that production was down 30% from an average year. Drink 2022-2034.”