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More wines available from Dal Forno Romano
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$494.20
Polished and expressive, this shows a smoky baseline of graphite-laced minerality, with fine-grained tannins and...
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
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Production was skipped over in 2007 due to extreme hail damage. The fruit that would normally be destined to Amarone...
750ml - 1 Bottle
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This was an excellent vintage in much of Italy, but unfortunately the weather was not as pleasant in this specific...
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$254.95
This is a real bruiser of a wine, and it marks the first of three excellent back-to-back vintages (2011, 2012 and...
750ml - 1 Bottle
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The 2013 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is my favorite wine in the retrospective, along with the amazing...
More Details
Winery
Dal Forno Romano
Vintage: 2009
Despite less than ideal climatic conditions, featuring storms which threatened an otherwise perfect year, most parts of California had an excellent year for viticulture. Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs were picked at optimum ripeness, and Californian white wine was just about as good as it could be. Surprises and overcoming difficulties summed up much of the United States' wine industry in 2009, and many of the results from Oregon, Washington State and all over California speak for themselves, with the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon grapes having developed healthy, thick skins and thus plenty of character and distinction. Elsewhere in the New World, South Africa had a very good year in 2009, and wineries across the cape of the African continent are proclaiming it a truly great vintage.
In most of Europe, fine weather and punctual ripening periods produced some excellent wines, with many of the best coming out of France's Bordeaux and the surrounding regions. Merlot had an exceptionally good year in France, and wineries are proclaiming that the 2009 Merlot harvest was one of the best in living memory. Indeed, across most of France, ripening was relatively even, and red wine grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Syrah and others were reportedly highly characterful, with plenty of the required tannin levels with which to make high quality wines. Italy, too, had a very good 2009. Piedmont reported extremely favorable conditions throughout 2009, and their signature Nebbiolo grapes were more or less perfect when harvested, having benefited from the slight drop in temperature at the end of their ripening period. Veneto, too, had an enviable year, producing superb Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay wines in 2009.
Varietal: Corvina Blend
The region of Veneto in Italy is home to the Corvina grape varietal, a much sought after and prized grape which is used in the production of several of Italy's finest red wines. Corvina by itself produces wines with a bright crimson color, light to medium in body, and holding lovely bright cherry flavors with a slightly bitter after taste. However, it is most enjoyed when blended with small quantities of other Italian wines, as this results in the famous and much loved wines of Amarone and Valpolicella – beautifully balanced, rounded and delicately aged wines which are some of the most popular and widely admired red wines of Italy. Corvina grapes have a naturally high level of acidity, and thick skins which contain little tannin, but which protect the grape from rot.
Region: Veneto
The wine region of Veneto in north-eastern Italy has long been associated with fine wines, but also with the spirit of innovation which is typical of the region and which made it an important area of Europe throughout history. Indeed, today Veneto's wine-makers are recognized as the most modernized in all of Italy, using contemporary techniques to make the best of the high quality grape varietals which flourish in the region. These include the wonderful Garganega varietal, which is the grape used for the production of Veneto's widely loved Soave white wine, and Glera and Verduzzo, which are both used in more traditional wines of the region. The region benefits from a cooler climate, but one which is sheltered by the Alps, producing balanced and consistent climatic conditions ideal for viticulture.
Country: Italy
It isn't difficult to understand why Italy is famed not just for the quality of its wines, but also for the vast variety and range of characteristics found in the wines there. The terrain of the country varies wildly, from the lush rolling green hills and valley of Tuscany, to the sun drenched rocky coasts of Sicily, the mountainous and alpine regions of the north, and the marshy lowlands of the east. Italy really does have a little bit of everything. Combine this huge range of landscapes with an almost perfect climate for grape cultivation, and you have a country seemingly designed for viticultural excellence. The results speak for themselves, and it is clear to see that wine has become an inseparable part of Italian culture as a result of its abundance and brilliance. Each village, city and region has a local wine perfectly matched with the cuisine of the area, and not an evening passes without the vast majority of Italian families raising a glass of locally sourced wine with pride and pleasure.