99 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "The 2004 Passito Rosso Vino Dolce Vigna Seré (500-mililiter) is a masterpiece that is impossible to repeat. In fact, the wine has not been produced since 2004. Even if a vintage as good as this did come along, we'd need to wait another 13 years before we could enjoy this level of maturity and evolution. Formally a Recioto della Valpolicella, this sweet red wine is made with air-dried fruit as local tradition dictates. Luckily no botrytis set in that year, because that would have eroded the wine's deep and luscious color saturation. The bouquet delivers a generous flow of dark spice, bitter chocolate, espresso, raisin, plum, barbecue spice and teriyaki smoke. The concentration and layering of the wine are both rare and distinctive. The mouthfeel sees sweet flavors with a syrupy mouthfeel. The finish offers hints of caramelized brown sugar and savory hickory. The aging window is impossible to predict, but the wine is surely built to last. I can think of no other wine that comes close to matching this unique style. Drink 2017-2050 (May 2017)"
98+ points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2004 Vigna Serè is the perfect conclusion to a vintage that will go down as one of Dal Forno's most magical. Sweet, silky tannins support layers of super-refined, elegant fruit in this magical sweet red. Mocha, espresso, new leather, raspberry jam and spices emerge with time in the glass, but this is really a wine that shows off textural finesse more than anything else. I have tasted this wine many times since it was in barrel and later in bottle. It has never been anything less than spellbinding. It is one of the most magical sweet dessert wines I have ever tasted. At eight years of age the 2004 remains a an infant. (375 ml) (Feb 2011)"
98 points Decanter: "The family withdrew their Recioto from the DOC after the 2003 was rejected by the Consorzio tasting panel for insufficient typicity (“it was like a slap in the face to us”); after that, the wine became an IGT named after its leading vineyard. It goes to market in the best years only; 2004 is only the sixth vintage produced. Is it wine or perfume? The aromas of this dark passito (dried for four months) leave you wondering: there’s rose, lily and jasmine in here somewhere, as well as milled wheat grains and pounded dark plums. It’s almost jammy, but there’s nothing that resembles burnt sweetness so in the end you conclude that a purée is a better allusion. On the palate, there’s sweet enchantment to begin with; the black fruits just tiptoe towards fig, raisin and prune without ever quite losing freshness. Then you notice the dark tannins, waiting like masked dancers in the wings, and the warm resolving acidity, the length, and the dreamy seamless sumptuousness … and then you forget to think at all, and just surrender to its embrace. (Jun 2017)"
98+ points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2004 Vigna Serè is the perfect conclusion to a vintage that will go down as one of Dal Forno's most magical. Sweet, silky tannins support layers of super-refined, elegant fruit in this magical sweet red. Mocha, espresso, new leather, raspberry jam and spices emerge with time in the glass, but this is really a wine that shows off textural finesse more than anything else. I have tasted this wine many times since it was in barrel and later in bottle. It has never been anything less than spellbinding. It is one of the most magical sweet dessert wines I have ever tasted. At eight years of age the 2004 remains a an infant. (375 ml) (Feb 2011)"
98 points Decanter: "The family withdrew their Recioto from the DOC after the 2003 was rejected by the Consorzio tasting panel for insufficient typicity (“it was like a slap in the face to us”); after that, the wine became an IGT named after its leading vineyard. It goes to market in the best years only; 2004 is only the sixth vintage produced. Is it wine or perfume? The aromas of this dark passito (dried for four months) leave you wondering: there’s rose, lily and jasmine in here somewhere, as well as milled wheat grains and pounded dark plums. It’s almost jammy, but there’s nothing that resembles burnt sweetness so in the end you conclude that a purée is a better allusion. On the palate, there’s sweet enchantment to begin with; the black fruits just tiptoe towards fig, raisin and prune without ever quite losing freshness. Then you notice the dark tannins, waiting like masked dancers in the wings, and the warm resolving acidity, the length, and the dreamy seamless sumptuousness … and then you forget to think at all, and just surrender to its embrace. (Jun 2017)"
| Product SKU | 355051 |
| Producer | Dal Forno/Romano |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Veneto |
| Varietal | Other Red Blends |
| Designation | Dolce |
| Vintage | 2004 |
| Size | 375ml |
| Color | Red |
| ABV | 14.0% |
| Ships To |
