2003 Dal Forno Romano, Vigna Sere, Veneto

Has an enticing nose, with prune, tar, espresso and dried nuts. Full- to medium-bodied, with good supportive tannins that turn chewy on the finish and lots of dark chocolate and mocha that linger at the end. This will be worth the wait. Superintense and layered. Like a baby vintage Port. A new passito wine from Dal Forno. Best after 2009. 700 cases made.

The 2003 Vigna Sere is not a new wine from Dal Forno, rather it is the former Recioto which, in this vintage, the local DOCG tasting commission rejected in its infinite wisdom. The wine possesses incredible richness and density with plenty of super-ripe dark fruit, plums, chocolate and roasted coffee beans. This opulent, generous sweet wine shows excellent balance, even if the tannins dry out somewhat on the finish, something that is unfortunately quite common in wines of this vintage. This is an especially structured dessert wine that needs to be paired with rich cheeses or chocolate-based desserts to offer its greatest pleasure. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018. (Antonio Galloni)