Dal Forno Romano

Romano Dal Forno was born in 1957 in Capovilla, a small village in Val d'Illasi a few kilometers from Illasi, where his family had been cultivating vineyards for four generations. At age 22 he met Giuseppe Quintarelli, the legendary Amarone maestro, and the encounter transformed his vision of what wine could be. In 1983, Romano took over his family's vineyards and committed to making wine independently rather than selling fruit to local cooperatives. He began with modest home equipment, but in the 1990s built a state-of-the-art winery despite limited finances. The estate is situated in Val d'Illasi, east of the Valpolicella Classico zone, on gently terraced slopes where alluvial soils of gravel, silt, and clay with marine fossils, good sun exposure, and natural ventilation provide ideal conditions for both grape ripening and appassimento drying.

• Romano born 1957 in Capovilla, Val d'Illasi; family farmed vineyards for four generations before independent winemaking began in 1983
• Met Giuseppe Quintarelli at age 22; Quintarelli's influence redirected Romano's approach to viticulture and winemaking entirely
• Winery building constructed in 1990; estate now covers 34 hectares, 18 owned, located in Illasi outside the Valpolicella Classico zone
• Now run by son Marco, with Romano guiding; brothers Luca and Michele support agronomic, enological, and commercial operations

Dal Forno practices some of Valpolicella's most rigorous viticulture, planting at almost 13,000 vines per hectare with very low yields per individual vine to achieve maximum aromatic concentration. The five grape varieties grown are Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Croatina, and Oseleta. Harvest begins with Croatina, followed by Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, with Oseleta picked last; each bunch undergoes meticulous manual selection to remove any grapes with botrytis or imperfections. After harvest, grapes are placed in plastic plateaux in large, open drying rooms fitted with Romano's proprietary fan system: large fans mounted on sliding tracks circulate air up and down the stacks and invert airflow direction every five minutes for consistency. Grapes for Valpolicella Superiore dry for approximately one and a half months; Amarone grapes dry for approximately three months. During this process, the grapes lose around 35-40% of their weight through dehydration, concentrating sugars and aromatics.

• Almost 13,000 vines per hectare with rigorous manual bunch selection at harvest; five varieties grown: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Croatina, and Oseleta
• Proprietary fan system in drying rooms inverts airflow every five minutes; no humidifier used; windows are computer-controlled to regulate ventilation
• Valpolicella grapes dried approximately one and a half months; Amarone grapes dried approximately three months; 35-40% weight loss through dehydration
• Drying period adapted to vintage conditions; the goal is optimal balance between acidity and sugar concentration

Dal Forno's cellar approach is as innovative as it is precise. After pressing (which for Amarone typically begins around mid-December), grapes are moved by gravity into custom-designed stainless steel fermentation tanks engineered by Romano himself. These tanks have four columns with rods used for automated punchdowns many times daily and are built with significantly thicker steel than standard tanks to withstand the extreme pressure generated by a vacuum system. Following primary fermentation at approximately 28°C with around 15 days of maceration and punchdowns, the wine still contains some residual sugar and is transferred directly into 100% new oak barriques, where a slow fermentation continues for 18 months. Total aging in new French and American oak is 24 months, after which wines rest in bottle before release. Custom vacuum-pressured stainless steel tanks also hold the wine between fermentation and barrel entry, and again between blending and bottling, eliminating any risk of oxidation.

• Custom gravity-fed stainless steel tanks with automated punchdown rods; purpose-built vacuum-pressure tanks eliminate oxidation between stages
• Fermentation at approximately 28°C with around 15 days of punchdowns and maceration before transfer to new oak
• Slow fermentation continues in 100% new French and American oak barriques for 18 months; total barrel aging is 24 months
• All wines fermented to near-dryness; extended bottle aging before release further integrates structure and complexity

Dal Forno produces only three wines, each sharing the same meticulous philosophy but differing in vine age, drying duration, and intensity. The Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta is made from all vineyard parcels with grapes dried for approximately one and a half months; the result is a wine of remarkable aromatic intensity and longevity that far exceeds most Valpolicella Superiore in ambition. The Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta draws exclusively from vines over ten years old, with grapes dried for approximately three months; the blend is anchored by 60% Corvina alongside Rondinella, Croatina, and Oseleta, with alcohol levels reaching 16.5% or above in warm vintages. The Vigna Seré is the estate's rarest wine: a sweet passito classified as Veneto IGT, produced only when grapes on the vine achieve exceptional natural sugar content. In four decades of production it has appeared in just six vintages: 1988, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2003, and 2004. From the 2003 vintage onward, the wine no longer met Recioto della Valpolicella DOC regulations and was renamed Vigna Seré, after a locality where estate vineyards are situated, and downgraded to IGT.

• Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta: all vineyard blocks, approximately one and a half months of drying, exceptional aromatic intensity and aging potential
• Amarone Monte Lodoletta: vines over ten years old, approximately three months of drying; typical blend 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Croatina, 10% Oseleta
• Vigna Seré (Veneto IGT): ultra-rare sweet passito released in only six vintages (1988, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2003, 2004) in over forty years; same vineyards as Amarone
• From 2003, Vigna Seré downgraded from Recioto della Valpolicella DOC to IGT after style deemed non-compliant with DOC regulations; Dal Forno chose stylistic independence

Dal Forno Romano occupies a rarefied position in the Italian wine market, widely regarded alongside Quintarelli as one of Valpolicella's two greatest producers. The estate has been called the 'Petrus of the Veneto' and consistently receives high scores from major international critics, with recent vintages earning scores in the high 90s from publications including Wine Advocate and Vinous. The winery's influence has been enormous: its willingness to combine modern technology with traditional appassimento inspired a generation of producers across Valpolicella to pursue quality over volume. Wines are typically not released until at least four to six years after harvest, further limiting supply beyond the already constrained annual production of approximately 5,000 cases. Secondary market demand reflects both genuine scarcity and consistent critical recognition.

• Regarded alongside Quintarelli as one of Valpolicella's two benchmark producers; often described as representing the modern, technology-forward school versus Quintarelli's classical approach
• Recent vintages have earned scores in the high 90s from Wine Advocate and Vinous; the 2016 Amarone received 97 points from Wine Advocate and 98 from Vinous
• Approximately 5,000 cases produced annually; wines withheld from release for several years post-vintage, compressing available supply
• Influenced multiple Valpolicella producers including Ilatium Morini, who adopted the Dal Forno barrique-and-technology model after 2004

Dal Forno Amarone is a wine of exceptional concentration and structural integrity. Expect deep color, dense dried-fruit aromatics of black cherry, plum, and dark berry alongside tobacco, licorice, and dried herbs, with a palate of enormous but fine-grained tannins and very high alcohol, typically 16% or above. The wines are fermented to near-dryness, so richness comes from extract and oak rather than residual sugar. Young examples, particularly within the first five to eight years of release, are often tight and require patience. The winery itself has considered releasing Amarone ten years after harvest to provide additional development time. Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta, while more approachable, is still structured for aging and far exceeds typical regional wines in concentration. Provenance and cold-chain storage are essential when purchasing older vintages given the significant secondary market premiums the wines command.

• Amarone typically 16% abv or higher; fermented to near-dryness so weight comes from extract, not residual sugar
• Young Dal Forno Amarone is often tight and tannic; extended cellaring of ten or more years post-release is recommended for full development
• Valpolicella Superiore shares the same drying and fermentation philosophy as Amarone but uses shorter drying of approximately one and a half months, making it more approachable
• Provenance and temperature-controlled storage are critical for secondary market purchases; verify through reputable fine wine merchants