Veneto's Dark Prince
2003 Dal Forno Amarone
Density, Layer, Nuance
"A joy to taste... a sumptuous expression of dark fruit, bitter chocolate, minerals, licorice, tar and smoke. The wine possesses stunning depth and a finish that lasts forever."
- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate
You know the story well by now: Two majesties reign over the Veneto - one is Giuseppe Quintarelli, the elder statesman of the region; the other is Romano Dal Forno, the reserved prince whose wines are anything but.
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The pricing on these wines can seem to run in its own elite category - because the wines do, too. Dal Forno's Valpolicellas and Amarones somehow seem to achieve a level of dense, layered and nuanced concentration that goes well above and beyond what most other producers can conjure up.
His 2003 takes the evocative fruit of this ripe vintage and projects rich earthen elements and piquant herbal notes onto a generous base of sappy, dark fruit compote featuring plums, figs and cassis. The effect is intense and compelling, promising a long trajectory - yet as Galloni points out in his notes, it's also a downright "joy to taste."
For those anxious to indulge, a healthy decant will open this up gorgeously. Each aspect comes into finely tuned focus even as they seem to collectively wash over and saturate the palate. Extended aeration seems to provide clarity and illumination like a beam of light through a thick black night.
Dal Forno's wines are capable of serious aging, and the 03 Amarone will be no exception. While today's pricing lasts (only as long as this parcel does), our advice would be to stock up and stash a few bottles in a dark, cool corner of your cellar for a solid twenty years.
No matter how much quantity we try to get our hands on, our tranches of Dal Forno always seem to dry up very quickly, as this is a benchmark producer with a sterling reputation for unyielding quality. Since the early 90s when the estate built a new winemaking facility designed to help develop the ripest, purest, cleanest fruit possible, these wines have been not only among the best in the region but among the best in all of Italy.
Again, we've taken as much as we could in hopes of keeping this around for a while, but the legions of Dal Forno fans typically come out in flocks when pricing is this good. We urge you to order quickly.
To place your order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Robert Schagrin
Managing Partner
Crush Wine & Spirits
Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate: "Dal Forno’s 2003 Amarone is a joy to taste. Today it is surprisingly much more accessible than the Valpolicella in this vintage. Inviting aromatics lead to a sumptuous expression of dark fruit, bitter chocolate, minerals, licorice, tar and smoke. The wine possesses stunning depth and a finish that lasts forever. A few years of bottle age will allow the wine to acquire additional complexity, but this remains one of the more accessible Amarones (in relative terms) that Dal Forno has made in the recent past. According to Dal Forno, the 2003 Amarone has a touch more residual sugar than is the norm here (owing to the hot vintage), which is the main reason the wine remains relatively accessible. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020."
NET | No further discount