Vinous (94)

A dark, super-ripe wine, the 2008 Valpolicella Superiore is fabulous in this vintage. Smoke, tar, incense, licorice and blackberry jam hit the palate in a massive, intense Valpolicella loaded with class and personality. Even with all of the concentration, the 2008 is quite a bit less tannic than some recent vintages have been, which makes it accessible even today, especially if given a little air. There is a lot to admire in this drop-dead gorgeous Valpolicella from Romano Dal Forno.

James Suckling (94)

A powerful and dense red with so much concentration of fruit and chocolate undertones. Hints of toasted oak. Full body and a velvety texture. Fantastic and dense red as usual. Drink now.

Decanter (97)

From one of the most iconic wineries in the Orientale, this is aged for two years in oak and a further three in bottle. A proper meditation wine, great with game, strong cheeses or a cigar. It has a huge nose of stewed red fruits, ethereal bramble forest fruits and blackberry jam. Generous, with spicy, bitter cherry-stone freshness. Full-bodied with a rich, intense, spicy undertone.

Vinous (94)

The 2014 is a unique rendition of Dal Forno’s Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta. It's a remarkably pretty wine, displaying crushed ripe strawberries and plums with cinnamon, clove, vanilla bean and a cooling hint of mint. The textures are velvety, coating all that they touch in glycerol fruit concentration, yet somehow coming across as zesty and spry, contrasting weight with saturating notes of tart blackberry and savory spice. There’s a bit of a lull in the midpalate, yet it hardly takes away from the experience. At times, the Monte Lodoletta can seem almost salty, especially through its long, mouthwatering finish, where hints of cherry pits and herbs linger. This atypical yet truly enjoyable expression is the result of the extremely difficult 2014 vintage, when hail damaged and reduced the crop in the lower-elevation vineyards, followed by rain from August through September. As a result, Dal Forno decided not to produce their Amarone, and to instead focus all of their attention on the Valpolicella. The result is a wine that no Dal Forno fan should miss, but be aware that production was down 30% from an average year.

James Suckling (96)

Such a profound nose of fresh and dried fruit with blackcurrants, dates and prunes, together with lighter notes of mild spice and pomegranate seeds. The fresher elements provide the drive on the full palate and, together with very fine, bright, fine-grained tannins, give a long, chewy yet fresh and pruney finish. Hugely concentrated, but the balance and poise is impeccable. There’s no denying the classic quality of this. Delicious to taste now, but this needs a few years to integrate. Try from 2025.

James Suckling (95)

Pungent nose of violets, amarena cherries, dried figs and lightly charred oak. Some toffee notes emerge with air, together with more pressed flowers. Not so much full-bodied as full-flavored, with silky, fine and polished tannins. Very young and driven at the moment. Lacks the depth and complexity of more fortunate vintages, but still shows exceptional quality. Try from 2024.

Captured from the illustrious Italian region of Veneto, the Sansonina Merlot 2001 embodies the epitome of finesse and structure, characteristic to its famed lineage. Significantly influenced by the unique terroir, this vibrant ruby red Merlot boasts exquisite aromas of sweet spices, blackberries, and understated earthy nuances.

The grapes, harvested meticulously in late September, underwent a long maceration and were subsequently aged in small oak barrels. The employment of these traditional vinification methods imparts the Sansonina Merlot 2001 a velvety texture with an elegant balance of tannin and acidity.

This prestigious creation is a testament to the Sansonina estate's unfaltering commitment to excellence. Renowned for its artisanal approach, this female-led boutique winery, managed by the brilliant minds of Nadia Zenato and her mother Carla, endeavours to engrave their indelible mark on each vintage they produce. Experience sans pareil with the Sansonina Merlot 2001, a wine to treasure for the discerning connoisseur.

Experience the grandeur of Italian viticulture with the Secondo Marco Amarone della Valpolicella 2013, a wine that exemplifies the authenticity and craftsmanship that only a dedicated vintner can achieve. Produced by legendary winemaking artist Marco dalla Stella, this remarkable vintage hails from Italy's famous Valpolicella region.

Each hand-picked grape undergoes a traditional appassimento drying process before being meticulously fermented and matured for 36 months in Slavonian oak barrels. The result is a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation that shines through in the wine's intense ruby red hue, structured body, and complex aromatics.

The Secondo Marco Amarone della Valpolicella 2013 captivates with its layers of black cherry, dried fig, and sweet spices, rounding off with a sophisticated finish that leaves your taste buds yearning for more. This is truly a masterpiece expressing the very soul and essence of Valpolicella.

Savour the sublime experience of the Secondo Marco Valpolicella Classico 2017, crafted meticulously in the picturesque vineyards of Veneto, Italy. This resplendent red wine embodies the quintessence of traditional Italian winemaking partnered seamlessly with modern viticulture techniques. Conjured from the revered Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grape varietals, it exhibits a delightfully progressive character, an audacious initiative by the venerated winemaker, Marco Speri.

Proudly bearing the Classico designation, the Secondo Marco Valpolicella 2017 confirms its origins within the original Valpolicella production zone. Marco, the sixth generation of the Speri family lineage, pays homage to the time-honoured traditions with this elegant vintage. Possessing an unrivalled richness, it offers a harmonious interplay of black cherry and ripe plum notes intensified by a spicy undercurrent. The ageing in Slavonian oak barrels amplifies its magnificent depth and rounded tannins.

Ebullient and complex, the Secondo Marco Valpolicella Classico 2017 is nothing short of a vinous masterpiece, a corroborated testament to Marco's virtuosa in winemaking.

Immerse your palate in the world of luxury with the Secondo Marco Valpolicella Classico 2019, a true testament to Italian winemaking artistry. Crafted in the prestigious Valpolicella region of Veneto, Italy, this red wine boasts an exquisite blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes. Producer Marco Mosconi’s meticulous attention to detail manifests in the traditional 'pergola veronese' training of vines, limited yield per hectare and separately vinifying the grapes of each vineyard, resulting in a vibrant wine with a splendid balance of freshness and complexity.

Its elegant bouquet brims with lush dark cherries, aromatic herbs, and wild spices, an olfactory pleasure beautifully resonating its terroir. In the mouth, it reveals enticing flavours of ripe red fruits, peppery notes and a touch of minerality. The tannins are soft, lending a well-rounded finish to this splendid vintage. Capture Italian sophistication and revel in the divine character of Secondo Marco Valpolicella Classico 2019.

Vinous (93)

The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Sant'Urbano is dusty and darkly alluring, as dried flowers and incense gives way to nuances of cocoa and, with time in the glass, a vivid note of black cherry. This is texturally deep and savory in style, coming across as almost salty in character, with an intense and saturating core of raspberry and cherry. Exotic spices, dark, dark chocolate and clove develop toward the close. This tapers off long and staining, lightly structured, needing only a short stay in the cellar to come together. Speri did a remarkable job of maintaining balance in such a warm and difficult vintage.

James Suckling (99)

This is a huge and impressive wine, but somehow graceful and subtle. It packs an eclectic array of brambleberry compote, violet essence, eucalyptus, oyster shell, pure iodine, vanilla, resin, tar, cassis, plum liqueur and hot stones. You can only stand back in awe as one shade of fruit appears after the next and a barrage of tannin coats your mouth. Yet, this is gentle, agile and flowing. Nevertheless, its main attraction remains its unashamed, monumental power and muscularity. A haunting wine that sends chills down your spine. An epoch-defining wine for Veneto that harks back to the legends of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Perhaps the best Amarone ever made. Impossible to resist now, but better in 2022.

James Suckling (98)

An Amarone for the future with terrific richness and tannin power, offering dried fruit, figs, blackberries, bark, mushrooms and hints of wood. Full-bodied and very structured with a powerful finish. It needs a lot of time to come around. Try it after 2024.

Decanter (97)

This remarkable Amarone won the very highest acclaim from its original judging panel and then sailed through every subsequent judging stage, to the extent that its appearance in our Best In Show collection was never seriously in doubt. It’s already over five years old, but is still very dark in the glass -- and it’s a wine of remarkable aromatic complexity, too. Amarone-lovers will know just how many allusions these wines are capable of evoking, and it’s not hard to make out mushrooms, forest underbrush, truffle, Havana leaf and even woodland violets as well as the more usual confit cherries and plums in this wine’s aromatic profile. In the mouth, the wine is remarkably concentrated yet elegant, carrying that bundle of allusions effortlessly and seamlessly through the palate. Fine-beaded tannins lend support, and the concentration of fruit is such that any overt acidity is almost an afterthought.

James Suckling (98)

This is one of those wines where your nose is in the glass for ages, enjoying the complex array of aromas that range from raspberries to dates, perfumed bark to polished wood, pressed flowers to fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied, dense and focused with fine, well-integrated tannins, plenty of fruit flavor and an endless finish. A joy to drink even now, but this will age gracefully for many a year.

Vinous (94)

The 2003 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva della Mattonara is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Smoke, plums, tar and black cherries meld together in a layered, intense Amarone bursting at the seams with personality and nuance. The aromatics are just a bit forward, as one might expect from a warm vintage. Today, the memory of what Amarone is has begun to fade as so many wines are made with lower residual sugar, but in many ways, the 2003 is a throwback to and older-school style, with the contemporary polish that is Celestino Gaspari's signature.