Dal Forno Amarone 2002 (1.5 L Magnum)

Subtle aromatic hints, that range from black cherry, blueberry to chocolate, anticipate the opulent expression of mature fruit that flows into the mouth with inadvertent persistence. Nuances of truffle, tobacco and new leather wrap around the finish.

It is a wine with undiscovered potential, but whose depth leaves one hoping that it has a very long development ahead of it.

After decantation in the middle of January, the Amarone, which still contains some residual sugars, is placed into new barriques, where it begins a slow fermentation process which will last for a further 18 months. The total amount of time that it remains in the barriques is 36 months.

Dal Forno’s 2002 Amarone is a first-class effort in every way. The wine reveals loads of ripe, generous fruit that flow onto the palate with stunning intensity. This remarkably pure Amarone possesses incredible detail in its dark wild cherries, chocolate, herbs and toasted oak. The tannins build mightily on the finish even if this isn’t one of Dal Forno’s most massive wines. There is a lot of purity and depth here, although the tannins could use a little more polish. At first I thought this might be a relatively early-maturing wine but when I came back to an unopened bottle after two-plus days it had barely budged! Anticipated maturity: 2009-2017 - Robert Parker

93 points James Suckling
94 points Robert Parker