The 2001 Amarone is on another level entirely. It exudes notable warmth and ripeness, with profound layers of Venezuelan bitter chocolate, herbs, licorice, smoke, dark fruit and toasted oak. Made in an explosive style, this palate-staining Amarone possesses remarkable detail and nuance for such a big wine. It has been phenomenal on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021. Romano Dal Forno is a humble, down to earth and extremely passionate person. Just a few minutes with Dal Forno are enough to understand his unwavering, some might say obsessive, pursuit of quality. I have never met a producer with such a maniacal approach to cleanliness in the cellar. Nothing is wasted here. As I tasted the drying grapes after the 2006 harvest one grape fell to the ground, but it was swiftly picked up by Dal Forno. The same aesthetic applies to Dal Forno’s work in the vineyards. Dal Forno’s newest plot is planted with an extremely dense 12,800 vines per hectare and can only be described as a work of surgical precision. Dal Forno uses roughly 60-70% Corvina, 10-15% Croatina, 10-15% Rondinella and a small amount of Oseleta for the Valpolicella and Amarone. The fruit from the estate’s younger vines goes into the Valpolicella, while Amarone is made from vineyards that range from 10 to 30 years of age.Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200