The Dal Forno Romano 2016 Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta is a wine of characteristically dark intensity and rich extraction. If there's one thing this estate knows, it's making big wines with soaring intensity that strike a balance and have complexity all the while. The Dal Forno production is always an artful expression, as these are wines that can be made in no other hands. This is because of the unique qualities of the Lodoletta Vineyard, which has alluvial clay soils, and the proprietary technology used during fermentation and winemaking. This classic vintage reveals black fruit, olive, dark tar, mahogany and sweet barbecue spice. The wine is soft and rich in terms of texture with tight tannins, but it finishes relatively dry with a contained 14% alcohol content. The blend is 70% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina and 5% Oseleta, aged in new French and American barrels for 24 months. - Monica Larner

The 2016 Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta is intense, with a captivating bouquet that blends cedar shavings, savory herbs and balsamic spices with rum-soaked cherries, sweet lavender and dark chocolate. This sweeps across the palate with silken textures, delivering masses of tart red and black fruits along with hints of espresso bean. Crunchy mineral tones and zesty acidity add dramatic lift. The 2016 tapers off long and staining, sporting a pleasantly bitter tinge of cocoa as grippy tannins resonate. The 2016 is a well-muscled dancer yet still youthfully coiled. -- Eric Guido

Spicy, smoky, grilled toast and tar, a ton of power, full of dried fruits, black chocolate, fruit cake and espresso. Intense, concentrated, powerfully bitter orange peel notes that give balance to the sweet mid palate. Marco dal Forno director at this 34ha estate.

Dense and concentrated aromas of blackberry compote, macerated plums with star anise, cocoa dust and freshly turned earth stake their claim in the glass of this powerful wine. Youthful, this wine shows the upfront new oak notes and tannins, but the core of black fruit stands its ground and is supported by a mixture of savory herbs and dried violets on the finish. Drink 2025–2035. — Jeff Porter