Romano Dal Forno Amarone: 1988-2010

Dal Forno's first vintage of Amarone is, almost unbelievably, showing its age now. The raisined, mulchy, dried fruit aromas give way to a nutty, tarry...

This is much more youthful on the nose than the '88, and has a fuller colour, with fragrant plum and dried hedgerow fruit aromas joined...

1990 was an excellent year for Amarone. This is darker in colour than its predecessors, with delicate herbal aromatics leading towards black fruit and vanilla....

The 1991 combines laser acidity with a latticework of strawberry, cranberry, currants, blackberry and liquorice flavours. The fine, integrated tannins help to emphasise its elegance...

Uneven conditions during the vintage were followed by a dry winter with sufficient winds to ventilate the drying grapes. This has a slightly sweet vanilla...

1994 was marked by heavy rains at the end of the summer, prompting this wine to deliver a herbaceous quality alongside black and red hedgerow...

1995 was generally a great vintage for Amarone. When first poured, this offered up little more than a touch of volatile red apple aroma and...

Tight, grippy red and black fruits are accompanied by spice and a hint of vanilla-infused wood. There is some plummy juiciness to the fruit on...

This part of Italy suffered from the same poor weather as much of Europe in 1997, experiencing hailstorms in July. Despite this, it produced some...

Fine, powdery tannins lead into a core of plummy dark fruits, with streaks of cassis, violet and liquorice. Elegant acids help to prolong the finish,...

The first clear instance of the Dal Forno meatiness that is such a signature character of his Amarones. Grilled meats and red and black cherry...

2000 produced small crops of excellent quality, and the drying period over the winter had ideal conditions for the appassimento process. This has a mulchy,...

<p>A tricky vintage affected by crop-reducing hail, and rain during the harvest. This bottle was sadly faulty, however there was a magnum on hand which...

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....

Dal 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...

A delayed flowering in 2004 was followed by a warm, sunny summer with cool nights, perfect for preserving the balance of sugars and acidity. There...

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,...

This is a lighter, more elegant style from Dal Forno, reflecting the cooler vintage conditions in 2008. The juicy palate is balanced by a wonderful...

A remarkable vintage, with an early spring and very warm summer, producing grapes with potential sugar levels second only to 2003. As you may expect,...

2010 is a more considered vintage compared to the outright opulence of 2009, but it's no shrinking violet, especially in Dal Forno's hands. This has...

The strongest wine in my selection, yet this magnificent Amarone’s alcohol is barely visible thanks to its astonishing depth, texture and sumptuousness. Pressed black fruits...

Dal Forno's first vintage of Amarone is, almost unbelievably, showing its age now. The raisined, mulchy, dried fruit aromas give way to a nutty, tarry...

This is much more youthful on the nose than the '88, and has a fuller colour, with fragrant plum and dried hedgerow fruit aromas joined...

1990 was an excellent year for Amarone. This is darker in colour than its predecessors, with delicate herbal aromatics leading towards black fruit and vanilla....

The 1991 combines laser acidity with a latticework of strawberry, cranberry, currants, blackberry and liquorice flavours. The fine, integrated tannins help to emphasise its elegance...

Uneven conditions during the vintage were followed by a dry winter with sufficient winds to ventilate the drying grapes. This has a slightly sweet vanilla...

1994 was marked by heavy rains at the end of the summer, prompting this wine to deliver a herbaceous quality alongside black and red hedgerow...

1995 was generally a great vintage for Amarone. When first poured, this offered up little more than a touch of volatile red apple aroma and...

Tight, grippy red and black fruits are accompanied by spice and a hint of vanilla-infused wood. There is some plummy juiciness to the fruit on...

This part of Italy suffered from the same poor weather as much of Europe in 1997, experiencing hailstorms in July. Despite this, it produced some...

Fine, powdery tannins lead into a core of plummy dark fruits, with streaks of cassis, violet and liquorice. Elegant acids help to prolong the finish,...

The first clear instance of the Dal Forno meatiness that is such a signature character of his Amarones. Grilled meats and red and black cherry...

2000 produced small crops of excellent quality, and the drying period over the winter had ideal conditions for the appassimento process. This has a mulchy,...

<p>A tricky vintage affected by crop-reducing hail, and rain during the harvest. This bottle was sadly faulty, however there was a magnum on hand which...

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....

Dal 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...

A delayed flowering in 2004 was followed by a warm, sunny summer with cool nights, perfect for preserving the balance of sugars and acidity. There...

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,...

This is a lighter, more elegant style from Dal Forno, reflecting the cooler vintage conditions in 2008. The juicy palate is balanced by a wonderful...

A remarkable vintage, with an early spring and very warm summer, producing grapes with potential sugar levels second only to 2003. As you may expect,...

2010 is a more considered vintage compared to the outright opulence of 2009, but it's no shrinking violet, especially in Dal Forno's hands. This has...

The strongest wine in my selection, yet this magnificent Amarone’s alcohol is barely visible thanks to its astonishing depth, texture and sumptuousness. Pressed black fruits...