Dal Forno/Romano Amarone della Valpolicella 2016

98 points Eric Guido (Vinous): "The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella is a sleeping giant, darkly alluring with dried violets, dusty black currants, shaved cedar and lifting hints of mint. This is sleek and cool-toned in feel—lifted yet intense and savory to the core, with masses of mineral-tinged dark red fruits and balsamic tones carried across a core of zesty acidity. The 2016 finishes tannic and long, clamping down hard on the palate and leaving a bitter primary concentration that lingers on and on. This is just a baby today and in need of serious cellaring, yet the potential is off the charts. Marco Dal Forno explains that he considered selling the 2018 before the 2016 to allow it to come fully into focus, which he already did with the 2017. Drink: 2026-2042. (Feb 2024)"

98 points James Suckling: "Inky in the glass with almost no rim. Aromas of cloves, coconut, graphite, dark lush bramble fruit, plums and cherries. Full-bodied with great concentration of fruit and a super-dense and velvety palate. Extremely rich, but balanced by crisp acidity and thick yet dynamic and chewy tannins. Amazing finish of salted chocolate. A superpower Amarone with grace. Try from 2026. Will age for decades. (5/30/24)"

98 points Falstaff Guide: "Dark, dense ruby red. On the nose, notes of cinnamon stick, ripe blackberries, dark chocolate, forest berries confit, oak, dried violets, very complex. Extremely polished on the palate, with a lovely viscosity, great texture, multi-layered, concentrated yet not overdone, finishing on notes of fine coconut, will age superbly, with an infinitely long life. (10/16/23)"

97 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta takes wine intensity to almost unthinkable levels. That's the magic of this estate, and without a doubt, this wine occupies a category that makes it totally unique on the Italian wine scale. Made with a traditional blend of 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Croatina and 10% Oseleta (aged in French and American new oak for two years), the wine feels even richer, bolder and more concentrated in this classic vintage. That general intensity is applied to the tightly wound and firm tannins as well. The alcohol reading is 16.5%. This Amarone hits the market in 2023, but you'd do well to age it for another decade at least. Black fruit, baked plum, tobacco, soy sauce, grilled herb and sweet spice are generously folded into the wine's full-bodied texture. The 2016 vintage saw 17,000 bottles created. Drink: 2025-2060. (10/5/23)"

97 points Wine Enthusiast: "[$509 list] As this wine is poured you can sense the care and meticulous work that went into to craft it. Aromas of plum and blackberries merge with clove, anise and licorice roots as sweet tobacco notes waft by. Bold, firm and structured the palate is a statement. Driven now by dark fruit flavors the wine will evolve into a more savory and spice filled room as the wine ages. Alcohol 16.5%. (Sep 2024)"