Dal Forno Romano’s Valpolicella Superiore Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta 2019 is a single-vineyard Valpolicella Superiore DOC from Val d’Illasi in the eastern part of Valpolicella. The Dal Forno family estate was founded in 1983 by Romano Dal Forno and is now run by his son Marco. Monte Lodoletta is built from a proprietary blend of 60% Corvina, 15% Croatina, 10% Corvinone, 10% Oseleta, and 5% Rondinella. The grapes are dried for about 1.5 months before fermentation, and the wine is aged for 36 months in new French and American oak barriques. Alcohol is listed at 14.5%.
In the glass, this wine is repeatedly described as dark, dense, and forceful, with a profile that leans into ripeness and extraction. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate calls it “thickly extracted with inky black fruit and bitter spice,” highlighting savory, roasted accents such as “toasted cumin,” along with more atmospheric notes like “road pavement” and a core of “baked plum.” That same sense of amplitude comes through in broader descriptors that frame the style as “over-the-top full-bodied,” emphasizing its concentration and structure.
The highest-profile review is also the most enthusiastic. James Suckling awards 98 points—an excellent score—and describes the 2019 as “super-intense and perfumed,” pointing to “vibrant plums, blood oranges, sweet spices, and mint.” Suckling adds that it is “drinkable now, but at its peak in 10 years,” positioning it as a long-haul bottle despite its immediate impact.
Across the rest of the critical landscape, the wine is strongly received: Vinous reports 96 points, while Wine Spectator is cited at either 94 or 95 points depending on the source, and Decanter at 94. Cellaring potential is typically placed into the 2040s, underscoring that this is a structured, oak-matured Valpolicella Superiore aimed at collectors and patience.
