Dal Forno Romano

Dal Forno Romano is a producer of aromatic, spicy, opulent Amarone in Valpolicella, and is widely regarded as being one of the greatest estates in the Veneto. The estate is located at Illasi, outside the Valpolicella Classico zone, and was established by Romano dal Forno himself in 1983. There are just eight hectares (20 acres) of low-yielding vineyards with gravelly clay soils planted to Corvina, Rondinella, Croatina and Oseleta.

Dal Forno makes three wines: a Valpolicella Superiore, an Amarone and a rare, sweet Recioto-style wine called Vigna Seré. All feature Corvina in majority with subsidiary percentages of Rondinella, Croatina and Oseleta.

Grapes for the Valpolicella are partially dried for around six weeks, and the wine's quality level exceeds the vast majority of Valpolicella Superiore and numerous Amarones. The fruit for dal Forno's Amarone, which shows even more intensity and complexity, is dried for around three months, and is exclusively made from vines more than ten years old.

The house speciality is Amarone, but he makes Valpolicella with the same care as well. Fermentation and maceration are designed to extract maximum varietal character from the grapes. Dal Forno has adopted the use of barriques and has been working on ways to ferment the sugars completely out in wood, as if the wine were white. This style of vinification gives the oak a decisive role in the ageing process, without letting it dominate completely. Romano is also experimenting with an ultra-traditional red Recioto and a tiny parcel of fabulous white "passito" wine.