17%

[JimHow]

That's crazy, yo!
Dal Forno Romano Amarone.
That's the 2010. The 2009 is "only" 16.5%.

[robert goulet]

WTF? Does Chris Ringland make this?

[Tom In DC]

How does yeast even do that??!!

[Rudi Finkler]

Genetically manipulated....

[JimHow]

As I have written before, my greatest wine experience, a really profound event, was when we were in the Italian restaurant "Saraceno" for dinner one Saturday night, probably around 1998 or so, on Hanover Street in the North End of Boston. My knowledge of wine was very limited. I ordered an Italian wine from the list that I knew nothing about. But, hey, it was about $120, so it must have been good, right? Pete, a longtime waiter there, came back. Unfortunately, the bottle I ordered was out of stock. But: "Try this," he said. "It is the last bottle in stock. You will like it." It was about the same price. It was a 1988 Dal Forno Romano Amarone.

The wine opened up during the course of dinner, to a crescendo that neither of us had ever experienced. It literally, no exaggeration, brought tears to our eyes. It was so magnificent.

For many years afterwards I searched for the wine but could not find it. I almost got my hands on a case of the 1988 for like $200 per bottle, I think out of one of the D.C. stores, but a wealthy businessman from Texas had just beaten me to it.

Move ahead to two summers ago. Tom and Gail Wheltle came up to my house with Chris Bublitz. We uncorked some pretty spectacular stuff. Tom pulls out a bottle of Dal Forno Amarone. OMG. I look at the label.... 1988!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a night! I never keep empty bottles, but Tom's empty 1988 Dal Forno sits on my kitchen counter. 1988, as I understand it, was a great year in the region. Just looked at the label... 15%.

[JCNorthway]

It is likely to be the best (if only) 17% wine you have ever had!

[sdr]

The fruit in Amarone is so massive, you don't even notice the 17% until you try to stand up.

[JimHow]

Ha. Which begs the question, should these be consumed on the younger side?
That 1988 Dal Forno we had in Boston was big and bold and fruity.
The 1988 Dal Forno Tom brought to my house two summers ago was a completely different animal. Very port-like, the alcohol upfront. Still an out-of-body experience, just very different.
I brought the spectacular 2008 Dal Forno to a couple of BWE events in 2016: Our gathering at Rob/Sue's house in Charlotte, and the BWE Friday night dinner in DC. It was young but spectacular nonetheless on both occasions, because of the amazing concentration of fruit.

[JCNorthway]

Jim, they should be consumed both young and old. My first Amarone was a 1990 Tommasi that was drunk at a restaurant in Las Vegas in 1997, at age 7. Paula and I were both mesmerized by the richness and fullness of its flavor. We enjoyed it so much that I found 6 bottles to purchase shortly after that. We drank the last bottle of that 1990 just a couple of months ago. At age 26, it was still a wonderful wine to drink. I think it was probably not as "port like" as how you described the 1988 Dal Forno. However, the Dal Forno is in a league of its own, so much more concentrated than probably any other Amarone.

[Harry C.]

Delayed Parker effect.

[Carlos Delpin]

Had my first Dal Forno last week and it blew my socks off both literally and figuratively. It was the 2006 and it had also 16% + ABV.