Dal Forno Romano, Amarone della Valpolicella, Monte Lodoletta 2018

Baking spice, tea leaves, black cherries, fennel, kirsch, raisins, figs, soy, toast. Rich and intense with depth and character, wrapping things up with a bitter kick of almonds, luscious in all the right places while never totally forgoing the contrast of flavours. Ready to drink now but will keep delivering for the next decade at least. Romano and Marco dal Forno owners and winemakers.

The estate's older vines from its best plots are used for this Amarone. The grapes are dried for three months (compared to one and a half months for the Valpolicella Superiore) in the advanced drying room before vinifying in stainless steel and ageing for 24 months in a mix of new French and American oak barriques. Rich and intense, yet with that aromatic twist courtesy of the wet 2018 vintage, the punchy alcohol is well contained by the acidity and fine, grainy, slightly drying tannins. Dark cherry, cassis, amaro and balsamic herbs lead to a tight finish of black cherry.