Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella Superiore 2003
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Spectator
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Robert
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Wine Spectator
A big, burly red, with lots of charred oak and smoky bacon character coloring the rich, ripe crushed berry fruit. Hints of flowers and black cardamom add to the complexity. Full-bodied, with well-poised, velvety tannins that capture the flavors and drive them through the long finish. Needs cellaring, but this is fabulous now too. Best after 2010.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2003 Valpolicella Superiore comes across as shockingly primary for a five-year old wine. Masses of jammy dark fruit flow onto the palate in a concentrated, generous style. The firm tannins are those of the torrid 2003 vintage, yet this broad-shouldered, expansive wine has more than enough fruit to provide balance. Notes of chocolate, leather, coffee and sweet spices gradually emerge with air, yet this remains a backward, unyielding wine at the moment. As with the 2004, this wine needs serious bottle age, or eight to ten hours of air for those adventurous enough to take it for a test drive now. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2020.
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.
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The Dal Forno family has been making wine since 1983. Located in Val D’Illasi, the estate consists of 65 acres of vines planted to traditional indigenous varieties of Corvina, Corvinone, Rodinella, Oseleta, and Croatina. The estate vineyards and farm are located where the slopes begin to rise toward the mountains and sit 1,000 feet above sea level. The loose, alluvial soils, meticulous pruning and scrupulous viticultural techniques ensure remarkable-quality grapes. The Dal Fornos use traditional methods to grow the finest fruit, and then employ modern techniques to produce the best wines – classic in expression and modern in purity.