Italy Wines

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The prodigious 1997 Amarone Vigneto Alto TB is reminiscent of Henri Bonneau’s 1990 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins. The lofty 16% alcohol is barely noticeable. Yields were a minuscule 20 hectoliters per hectare. Sadly, there are only 300 cases of this extraordinary Amarone. It boasts notes of smoke, truffle oil, blackberries, plums, and earthy, concentrated black currant jam. Layered, thick, full-bodied, and dry, with extraordinary purity as well as definition, it is an amazing achievement. While not for everybody, this is a singular, impeccably balanced wine. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.Robert Parker | 96 RP

Another tricky vintage affected by hail and rain during the growing season, but saved by a stretch of sunshine at the end of the summer. This wine is herbaceous but delightful, very elegant and fine. It has delicate cherry lift on the nose, with subtle summer woodland notes. In the mouth it has an overt structure of milk chocolate tannins, framing juicy cherry fruit and hedgerow fruit. Drinking Window 2018 - 2032Decanter | 95 DECDal Forno’s 2002 Amarone is a first-class effort in every way. The wine reveals loads of ripe, generous fruit that flow onto the palate with stunning intensity. This remarkably pure Amarone possesses incredible detail in its dark wild cherries, chocolate, herbs and toasted oak. The tannins build mightily on the finish even if this isn’t one of Dal Forno’s most massive wines. There is a lot of purity and depth here, although the tannins could use a little more polish. At first I thought this might be a relatively early-maturing wine but when I came back to an unopened bottle after two-plus days it had barely budged! Anticipated maturity: 2009-2017.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPDal Forno’s 2002 Amarone is a first-class effort in every way. The wine reveals loads of ripe, generous fruit that flow onto the palate with stunning intensity. This remarkably pure Amarone possesses incredible detail in its dark wild cherries, chocolate, herbs and toasted oak. The tannins build mightily on the finish even if this isn’t one of Dal Forno’s most massive wines. There is a lot of purity and depth here, although the tannins could use a little more polish. At first I though this might be a relatively early-maturing wine but when I came back to an unopened bottle after two-plus days it had barely budged!Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is very balanced and refined with precise tannins and fresh acidity. Full to medium body with integrated tannins and a racy finish. Not as big and muscular as some Amarones from here but all in balance and length. Finesse. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSShows aromas of leather, smoked ham, prune, tarry mineral and dried flowers. An amazing panoply for a 2002, which was a weak vintage. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, intense, peppery finish. Given the difficulties of the vintage, this is a fine effort by Dal Forno. Drink now through 2016. 910 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSWinemaker Romano Dal Forno fearlessly confronted the soggy 2002 vintage with high extraction techniques and barrique aging (36 months). This is an inky, dense wine (more syrupy than it is vinous) with black currant, peppermill, chocolate fudge and big firm wood tannins. It is so monolithic, a viable food match is virtually impossible. As always, Dal Forno straddles a fine line between brilliance and exaggeration.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Monte Lodoletta Amarone is an exercise in extraction. The wine is absolutely black. Aromas are concentrated and intense and the wine is equally enormous in the mouth thanks to the extraction, oak, fruit and the hot climatic conditions associated with this vintage. Drink after 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEDal Forno’s 2003 Amarone is a joy to taste. Today it is surprisingly much more accessible than the Valpolicella in this vintage. Inviting aromatics lead to a sumptuous expression of dark fruit, bitter chocolate, minerals, licorice, tar and smoke. The wine possesses stunning depth and a finish that lasts forever. A few years of bottle age will allow the wine to acquire additional complexity, but this remains one of the more accessible Amarones (in relative terms) that Dal Forno has made in the recent past. According to Dal Forno, the 2003 Amarone has a touch more residual sugar than is the norm here (owing to the hot vintage), which is the main reason the wine remains relatively accessible. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020.All of these wines from Romano Dal Forno require significant aeration to show the true breadth of this passionate grower’s innovative style. Ideally the wines should be cellared for a minimum of a few years. Readers in search of short-term gratification are advised to open these bottles at least eight to ten hours before serving. This also holds for the Valpolicella, which has become an especially massive, structured wine after Dal Forno started producing it from 100% dried fruit in the 2002 vintage. Dal Forno favors 100% new American oak for his wines, although in recent years he has brought the aging regime down considerably.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPDal Forno’s 2003 Amarone is a joy to taste. Today it is surprisingly much more accessible than the Valpolicella in this vintage. Inviting aromatics lead to a sumptuous expression of dark fruit, bitter chocolate, minerals, licorice, tar and smoke. The wine possesses stunning depth and a finish that lasts forever. A few years of bottle age will allow the wine to acquire additional complexity, but this remains one of the more accessible Amarones (in relative terms) that Dal Forno has made in the recent past. According to Dal Forno, the 2003 Amarone has a touch more residual sugar than is the norm here (owing to the hot vintage), which is the main reason the wine remains relatively accessible.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis has a great nose, with loads of peppery, meaty dried black fruit, fig and floral aromas, with an array of spices, fresh herbs and violet. Full-bodied, concentrated and chewy, with a long, intense finish. Built to age. Best after 2011. 940 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSDal Forno’s practice of using older parcels of vines for his Amarone paid off in 2003, with the more established plants able to better withstand the drought conditions of the vintage. This has aromas of dark, plummy fruit, while the palate pairs a rich mouthfeel with grippy tannins. It’s soft and very textured, with juicy blackberry followed by violet and wild herb overtones and a chocolatey finish. Surprisingly accessible considering its massive scale. Drinking Window 2018 - 2032Decanter | 94 DEC

It started in 1993, with 3ha of vineyards; now Buglioni has 54ha. This riserva is made only in the best vintages, with the best hand-picked grapes. Aged for 30 months in tonneaux, it has tertiary notes of balsam, dry leaves, sweet tobacco and jam. Bramble fruits and summer-fruit pudding surround the taste buds. Intense, elegant and poised, with great length and huge structure. Try it with bitter chocolate or enjoy it on its own. Drinking Window 2022 - 2030.Decanter | 96 DECInviting aromas of ripe dark-skinned berry, new leather, cocoa and forest floor emerge from the glass. The concentrated palate doles out black currant jam, licorice, black pepper and tobacco alongside fine-grained tannins. Drink 2019–2027.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WESome 3,570 bottles were made and each one is numbered. In some parts of the Valpolicella, 2010 was considered a difficult vintage, but not here. The 2010 Amarene della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Teste Dure is extracted, inky and soft. The wine is showing some maturity and evolution, with licorice and tar behind primary notes of dried blackberry, plum and raisin. I would suggest a slightly reduced drinking window as a result, maybe pairing it alongside lamb with balsamic reduction. The next time this Riserva was made was 2015, and the folks at Buglioni have been experimenting with whole-cluster fermentations and amphorae aging too. So far, they are happy with the results, so we will surely see these methods used in upcoming releases.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPIntense soy-sauce and cooked-plum nose that won’t be for everyone, but on the palate this is rich and silky. Good length. Drink now with mature hard cheeses.James Suckling | 91 JS

The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Morandina is dark and youthfully understated in the glass, as crushed rose petals and stone dust give way to red currants. This is silky-smooth, nearly velvety in feel, with masses of mineral-tinged black cherry and spice contrasted by a twang of sour citrus. The 2016 finishes with outstanding length and depth yet is also remarkably fresh, leaving hints of hard red candy and the slightest touch of bitter cocoa. The Amarone of Prà is always so unique but in the best possible way. The 2016 is a total gem but needs cellaring to come fully into focus.Vinous Media | 96+ VMA savory and complex expression of Amarone with some dried cherries, red dates, stewed herbs, orange peel, tobacco and white pepper. Some bold green peppercorn, too. A svelte delivery of Amarone with a medium body, showing tobacco, cedar and chocolate on the palate. Long, cedary finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSInspired by Dal Forno, renowned Soave producer Graziano Prà purchased 13 hectares high up in eastern Valpolicella’s Mezzane Valley in 2001. The previously unplanted parcel is protected by forest and has been farmed organically from the start. A relatively restrained nose shows dried garden herbs with plum and floral nuances. On the palate, fig and prune flavours are laced with cigar smoke. Velvety, malleable tannins enfold the easy to please package and the finish is bright with a pleasantly bitter edge.Decanter | 93 DECThis elegant red is medium- to full-bodied, with creamy tannins providing a fine frame for flavors of brambly red currant and blackberry fruit, pine, orange peel and crushed pink peppercorn. A subtle, savory overtone of cured tobacco and smoky bacon fat echoes on the fresh finish. Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta. Drink now through 2030. 833 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The Tenuta Sant’Antonio 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli (packaged in a very heavy eco-unfriendly glass bottle) is a dark and brooding wine packed tight with richly concentrated black fruit delivered in thick and lasting layers. The bouquet peels back to reveal dark plum and baked blackberry, but there is also a major focus on spice, tar, barbecue smoke and teriyaki. The wine makes a wide and large impact on the palate. It shows enormous textural richness and softly integrated tannins. You can age this blend of 70% Corvina and Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina and 5% Oseleta (that sees three years in barrel) over the long haul.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA unique yet beguiling mix of smoked meats, lavender and violets evolves into dusty black berries and currants as the 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli blossoms in the glass. It’s velvety-smooth yet spicy and mineral in style, with penetrating dark red fruits giving way to dark chocolate, balsam herbs and building tannins. This tapers off remarkably long and primary, yet it maintains amazing freshness, leaving exotic inner florals and spices to linger. The 2016 is a gentle giant of an Amarone that will need a little time to show its best. It spent three years refining in neutral Tonneaux.Vinous Media | 95 VMVery potent aromas of blackcurrants and toasted oak with hints of eucalyptus and black-cherry liqueur, following through to a full palate with firm tannins that drive the fruit on through the long finish. There’s a kind of raw, almost rough-and-ready character to this that’s a bit hard work now. Will even out with bottle age. One for the cellar. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSThis wine offers a glimpse of dried cherry and plum flavors before the spectrum quickly shifts to notes of smoked bacon, fig and cardamom. The wine aged for three years in new French-oak tonneaux, developing a complex and decadent style that will appeal to the most ardent Amarone fans.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&S

The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie is dreamy, wafting up with a remarkably fresh bouquet that features roses, violets, shavings of cedar, dusty cherry and sweet smoke. This is elegance personified, with ripe red and black fruits excited by vibrant acidity as confectionary spice emerges. Minerals add a more tactile feel toward the close. Balsam herbs and hints of mocha resonate as the 2017 finishes with a gentle tug of tannin and a slight bitter twang that punctuates the wine perfectly. This child of a warm vintage shows impressive balance and tremendous potential for the future. Bury your bottles deep.Vinous Media | 96 VMEnticing aromas of dried strawberries and raspberries, together with notes of heather-like herbs and dried citrus peel. Full-bodied with beautiful, silky tannins that embrace the fruit and add length. In fact this is very long, releasing more and more cedar and spicy dried peel for you to savor. An excellent 2017 from a top Amarone vineyard site. Enjoyable now and will age for many a year.James Suckling | 94 JS

A total seductress, the 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is a dark beauty. It opens with a dusty bouquet of dried flowers and masses of cherry sauce, offset by spiced orange and nuances of violet pastille. It sweeps across the palate, a model of purity, with crisp wild berry fruits energized by tantalizing acidity and shavings of dark chocolate. Crunchy mineral tones emerge toward the close. The 2017 lingers impossibly long yet remains completely fresh. Grippy tannins remain as hints of dried blueberry and lavender resonate throughout. The Quintarelli winery has been working hard to perfect a style that mixes the magic of older vintages with a new level of freshness, and the 2017 is a big step in the right direction. Bravo.Vinous Media | 96+ VM

The 2018 Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie is darkly alluring and brooding in the glass, with a dusting of confectionary spice and dried violets complementing wild blueberries and a lifting whiff of fresh mint. Soothingly round and surprisingly juicy in feel, this shows its minerality up front, as depths of tart wild berry fruits meet vibrant acidity, and an array of exotic spices emerges toward the close. It finishes tannic yet fresh and incredibly long, leaving a bitter blackberry crunch, violet inner florals and chalky concentration that boggles the mind. Bury the 2018 deep in your cellar, this is a long-distance runner.Vinous Media | 96 VM