Dal Forno Romano Amarone della Valpolicella 2006

Whereas most Italian regions claim the wines from one or two grapes as superior, or specific vineyards or communes as most admirable, Valpolicella ranks the calibre of its red wines based on delimited production methods, and every tier uses the same basic blending grapes.

Most prestigious in Valpolicella are the dry red, Amarone Della Valpolicella, created from harvested grapes left to dry for three to five months before going to press, resulting in intensely rich, lush, cerebral and cellar-worthy wines.

98 Points - James Suckling

 This is very lifted and intense with treacle tart, licorice, light asphalt, chili and chocolate. Full body with very intense dried fruits like raisins, sultanas and prunes, but there's a nutmeg and clove undertone to it. Very chewy and intense on the finish. Big wine but racy and fresh. Stunning Amarone. 

97+ Points - Robert Parker's Wine Enthusiast

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 litre), and the mouthfeel offers enormous volume and richness. You get some jammy and raisin fruit at the back.

95 Points - Wine Enthusiast 

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.

94 Points - Wine Spectator

Polished and expressive, this shows a smoky baseline of graphite-laced minerality, with fine-grained tannins and mouthwatering acidity focusing on the flavours of date, kirsch, ground anise and clove, with a touch of cocoa powder.

93 Points - Vinous

Amarone Della Valpolicella boasts incredible richness and depth. Blackberry jam, graphite, smoke, licorice, tar and plums are beautifully integrated with this dark, seamless Amarone. Hints of truffle, tobacco and new leather wrap around the finish.