Price: $129.99
FROZEN PRICE: $104.99
Wine Advocate: 95 Points
The Dal Forno Romano 2016 Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta is a wine of characteristically dark intensity and rich extraction. If there's one thing this estate knows, it's making big wines with soaring intensity that strike a balance and have complexity all the while. The Dal Forno production is always an artful expression, as these are wines that can be made in no other hands. This is because of the unique qualities of the Lodoletta Vineyard, which has alluvial clay soils, and the proprietary technology used during fermentation and winemaking. This classic vintage reveals black fruit, olive, dark tar, mahogany and sweet barbecue spice. The wine is soft and rich in terms of texture with tight tannins, but it finishes relatively dry with a contained 14% alcohol content. The blend is 70% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina and 5% Oseleta, aged in new French and American barrels for 24 months. This is a 30,000-bottle release.
Wine Enthusiast: 93 Points
Dense and concentrated aromas of blackberry compote, macerated plums with star anise, cocoa dust and freshly turned earth stake their claim in the glass of this powerful wine. Youthful, this wine shows the upfront new oak notes and tannins, but the core of black fruit stands its ground and is supported by a mixture of savory herbs and dried violets on the finish. Drink 2025–2035.
