Aromas of baked plum, purple flowers, exotic spices and French oak form the nose on this full-bodied red. The firmly structured palate shows focus and finesse, delivering ripe black cherry, spiced blueberry, licorice and tobacco alongside tightly knit, fine-grained tannins that leave a rather drying finish. Give it time to fully develop. Drink 2023–2035.

The 2013 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is my favorite wine in the retrospective, along with the amazing 2011, 2009 and 1996 vintages. This wine was released at the beginning of this year, and because Dal Forno skipped over the 2014 vintage, this is the only Amarone we will see for a while (until the highly anticipated 2015 is released). The 2013 vintage is characterized by a slightly more streamlined mouthfeel (which isn't saying much given the baseline enormity of these wines) with carefully etched aromas of black cherry, rum cake, dark chocolate and toasted espresso.

The 2012 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is a beautifully complete wine, even at this young stage in its life. You feel the youth of the wine in the tightness of the tannins and in the finely knit texture of its concentrated flavor profile. The big surprise is the wine's fresh acidity that has been carefully safeguarded despite the heat of the vintage and the drying process so deftly executed at this landmark estate. The wine shows no sign of oxidation or evolution, not yet. There is intricate fruit layering with cherry, blackberry, spice and mesquite delivered with such precision,

The 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is an incredible wine that has magically managed to maintain the fresh acidity associated with the cooler part of the growing season. It also shows the inky black concentration and ripeness that is reflective of the hottest part of the summer. I am impressed by the tannic management, as the wine is silky and fine at this young stage; however, the underlying structure promises a long aging future, should you chose to put your bottle aside. Overall, this vintage is slightly more accessible and ready to drink if you don't have the patience...

The 2010 vintages is sharper, more pointed and direct in comparison, and there is a tiny point of sourness on the close. This wine does not reach the same threshold for fullness, density or richness. It does come close. The wine's residual sugar measures between 5 and 6 grams per liter, which is normal for this wine, and the bouquet is redolent of familiar black fruit, raisin and spice. However, the wine feels a bit stuck in its tracks at the moment and is evidently experiencing a shy phase in its evolution. It has retreated.

I found this monumental wine to be irresistible when I first tasted it five years ago, and I consider it to have improved since then. This is one of the most complete and comprehensive vintages produced at Dal Forno, and it gives us an ample 360-degree view onto the might, brawn and potential of this icon wine from the Veneto. Its evolutionary track shows no sign of slowing down.

The 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta marks a return to a slightly cooler vintage with a longer growing season slowed down during the summer's moderate temperatures. Indeed, harvest was wrapped up during the first days of November. The tannins are firm and nicely integrated into the wine's thick, fleshy consistency. This vintage is characterized by a very elegant and graceful approach, which must be taken into context given the enormity of a wine of this caliber. Happily, there is no doubt that this vintage should still evolve steadily over time.

This is a terrific wine that stood out—and stood tall—despite the fact that it was tasted alongside some of Dal Forno's most important vintages of the top-shelf Amarone. If that's not a full-on recommendation, I don't know what is. The 2013 Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta oozes forth with thick concentration and an inky black color. The mouthfeel is thick and impenetrable, and the senses are treated to a long succession of black fruit, tar, spice, smoke, mesquite and barbecue flavors. The wine is full-bodied and very opulent, but it carries that massive intensity with grace...

Sleek and vibrant, featuring floral and multilayered strawberry and apple flavors, laced with graham cracker and toasted nut notes. Drink now. 15,550 cases made.

This offers spiced berry-biscuit aromas and a toasted hazelnut and brioche edge. Berry pastry, too. The palate has a suave, sleek and smooth texture. Finely honed and finishes dry. Flavor and focus here. Drink or hold.

This stylish, complex and elegantly powerful Champagne is the pinnacle of Gosset’s range and delivers such layered, fresh and complex style. The palate has a super smooth-honed, long and plush feel with a wealth of grilled almonds and grapefruit. Long, succulent draw through the finish. Magnificent. Drink now.

The 2015 Les Laurets Baron is deep garnet-purple colored with chocolate-covered cherries, red and black plums and tilled soil notions with touches of menthol, lavender and cloves. Medium to full-bodied and firmly textured with ripe, grainy tannins and sporting impressively concentrated red and black fruits, it finishes with great persistence.

One of the gems is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Jamie, which is named after the founder of the estate and is a barrel selection. This medium to full-bodied, incredibly layered and seamless Cabernet offers a beautiful perfume of red and black fruits, dried earth, bay leaf, and spice cake aromas. It’s perfectly balanced, has no hard edges, and will keep for 2+ decades.

The Davies family purchased the Diamond Mountain Vineyards in 1965, replanted it to Bordeaux varieties in 1994. This is the wine’s 16th vintage. A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot, it spent 22 months in 62% new French oak. The opulence on the nose shows off dark chocolate and savory herbs, leather and blackberry. Lush and round on the mouth, this curvy, earthy red offers up cinnamon and cumin, and a hint of spearmint. Fruit is black and lathered with black licorice.

This Cabernet Franc offers bell pepper, bay leaf and dark-skinned fruit aromas. The dense, round palate delivers prune, espresso and clove alongside chewy tannins. Drink through 2023.

Bright deep red with an orange rim. The nose really opens with aeration to offer sweet red plum, dehydrated red cherry, cinnamon and raisins. Then similar flavors to the aromas lifted by juicy, harmonious acidity. Finishes very long and suave with saline nuances and repeating notes of raisins. Lovely, light on its feet dessert wine that seems less sweet than it really is thanks to its piercing acidity. One of the best sweet wines I have tasted so far this year. This is a blend of air-dried Nero d’Avola and Perricone aged in wood barrels for seven months and then twelve months in bottle prior t

Luminous golden-orange. Aromas of orange blossom, grapefruit oil, crystallized papaya. Then at once sweet and salty, with orange marmalade and lemon peel flavors complicated by hints of crème brulée. Finishes long, lusciously sweet and creamy but without quite the lift of this estate’s marvelous Passito Rosso. This is a blend of air-dried Catarratto Lucido and Grillo and aged in wood barrels for seven months and then twelve months in bottle prior to going on sale.

Light-bodied but backed by focused acidity and streamlined flavors of pure cherry and raspberry, tangy and spicy, flanked by white pepper, tea and herb details. Drink now through 2024.

The 2013 Tokaji Szt. Tamás 6-Puttonyos contains 175.6g/L residual sugar with 11.1g/L acidity. The Vouvray-like bouquet is slightly more resinous and petrolly compared to the Betsek. The palate is fresh and very well balanced, offering notes of orange cordial, peach and apricot. Very elegant in style, displaying more depth and poise on the finish than the Betsek and Nyulászó. Now this has real potential! Tasted at the Royal Tokaji Company tasting in London.

The 2013 Tokaji Betsek 6-Puttonyos has a complex, winsome bouquet of yellow plum, mirabelle and a touch of lemon curd. The well-balanced palate is very pure in the mouth, offering a viscous entry and a fine bead of acidity. It has a more cohesion than the Nyulászó, and the finish is elegant and poised. I cannot explain why but there is something almost South African on the finish, perhaps a (very) distant echo of a Mullineux straw wine! Tasted at the Royal Tokaji Company tasting in London.