A wine of great intensity, this 415-case blend of 78% Grenache, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Syrah aged in 100% new French oak casks, reveals an inky/purple color as well as a tight but promising bouquet of acacia flowers, raspberries, blackberries, and hints of blueberries, smoke, and the essence of minerality. With extraordinary richness, good underlying acidity, firm tannin, and a multilayered mouthfeel, this spectacularly concentrated 2001 is only hinting at its ultimate potential. Patience will be rewarded as this is a tour de force in winemaking, marrying the elegance and complexity of Priorat with the extraordinary concentration and intensity that comes from low yields and ripe fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020+.

A balanced and harmonious young red. Dark ruby color, with loads of grape, berry, mineral and violet aromas. Full-bodied, with loads of blackberry and cherry character, fine tannins and a medium finish. Gorgeous wine. Best after 2005. –JS

The awesome, saturated purple-colored 1999 Messorio is a 100% Merlot aged 18 months in French oak prior to being bottled without filtration. The alcohol is a lofty 14.6% and the dry extract number is about the highest technically I have ever seen. The first vintage of this cuvee was 1995, so it is still an infant in terms of how well it develops in the bottle. However, the 1999 is packed and stacked. Aromas of cola, coffee, blackberries, and intense black cherry jam interspersed with mocha, licorice, and pain grille characteristics are followed by a massive wine with great precision, purity, concentration, and length. I don't want to get too carried away since only 4,000 bottles were produced, but this is a riveting example of what can be achieved on the Tuscan coastline. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019.

Any aspiring collectors should add a case of this to their stash. The 2004 Numanthia comes from a different terroir with a different clone of Tinta de Toro. The vines for this cuvee range from 70-100 years of age with tiny yields of 1 ton of fruit per acre. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrel followed by 19 months in new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The wine is a glass-coating opaque purple with a killer nose of mineral, pencil lead, wild blueberry, and blackberry liqueur that roars from the glass. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, dense, and already beginning to show complexity within its layers of spicy black fruits. There is immense power, well-concealed ripe tannin, and the well-delineated finish lasts for over one minute. This is a sensational effort which in a perfect world should be cellared for a decade and enjoyed over the following 25+ years. However, the elderly among us should not feel guilty about opening a bottle now.

The 2001 Ornellaia is easily the finest in the history of the estate, warm and spicy on the nose with superbly focused plum and black currant fruit, much complexity and elegance in its concentrated and supple body, and a velvety, enveloping close. It will easily drink well for another two decades.Drink 2006-2026

Very complex yet subtle aromas of licorice, dark chocolate, violet and raspberry. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long, long finish. Harmonious and wonderful. Reminds me of the great 1997; even better. Merlot. Best after 2008. 650 cases made. –JS

The estate’s flagship cuvee is the virtually perfect 2003 Run Rig. Made from 8 separate Barossa vineyards (ranging in age from 94 to 158 years), it is primarily Shiraz with 4-5% co-fermented Viognier included in the blend. The wine was aged in French oak of which 60% is new. The sensational, inky/purple-tinged 2003 exhibits a stunningly sweet nose of blackberries, blueberries, litchi nuts, smoked meats, and a hint of apricots. Elegant yet super-powerful, rich, concentrated, and long, it is a tour de force in winemaking as well as a modern classic example of Barossa Shiraz. It should drink well for 20-25 years.

One of the best run estates of Tuscany, proprietor Elisabetta Geppetti, along with winemaker/oenologist Riccardo Cotarella, has turned out a juicy, impressively concentrated, hedonistic wine. The 1997 Saffredi is made from a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, with a touch of Alicante, it was aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak. It boasts an exquisite toasty, smoky, cassis, floral, and licorice-scented nose that is reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of Chateaux Mouton-Rothschild and Margaux. With fabulous richness, multiple dimensions, and outstanding symmetry, purity, and length, it is a compelling example of what can be achieved from tiny yields (2.2 tons of fruit per acre) as well as impeccable wine-making. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2020.

Medium-dark ruby in the glass, with pretty aromas of spices, black currant, cherries and blackberries, this Tuscan red is full-bodied on the palate, with intense velvety tannins. Long, long finish. An outstanding Sassicaia. Best after 2002. 12,500 cases made. –JS

Lovely, subtle yet complex aromas of currants, sage and green olives lead to a full-bodied red with a solid core of fruit and well-integrated tannins. Still very reserved on the finish, but those who are patient should be rewarded. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2005. 13,000 cases made. –JS

Dark ruby in color, with extremely ripe raisin and spice aromas. Full-bodied and very chewy, with loads of polished tannins and a long, long finish that's big and fruity. A solid, muscular red fromTuscany, this is the greatest Solaia ever made. Best after 2004. 7,000 cases made. –JS

The 2001 Solaia, far superior to the overrated 1997 (to which I also prefer the 1999 and 1994) is a classic example of central Tuscan Cabernet at its best, ruby-purple in color, warm and explosive in its expression of black currant fruit, tobacco, tar, and graphite, superbly concentrated and dense on the palate but balanced and shapely at the same time and with a noble austerity and grip on the finish which resembles the best of Bordeaux. The wine is a sure bet for another two decades of superb drinking.

The best Solengo yet. Rich and thick, with wonderfully complex aromas of berry, vanilla, tobacco and flowers, and full in body, with a complement of finely polished yet velvety tannins. The long, concentrated, fruity finish has currant and toasted oak. Best after 2003. 2,500 cases made. –JS

There is no doubting the phenomenal quality of the 2000 Solengo, a blend of equal parts
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah with a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot included
in the blend. Its opaque ruby/purple color is followed by a stunning perfume
of creme de cassis, blackberries, espresso, licorice, and new saddle leather.
Full-bodied, sensationally concentrated, pure, and well-textured,
with a 45-second finish, this unformed, youthful black beauty possesses
extraordinary upside potential. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2022.

A masterpiece. This Barolo shows class and gorgeously ripe fruit?layers and layers of the stuff, yet very subtly presented. It's full-bodied, with ultrasilky tannins that go on and on. Best after 2004. 800 cases made. –JS

A superpowerful Barolo marked by amazing fruit concentration. It's full-bodied, with a wonderful core of very ripe blackberry character, hints of cappuccino and a long, tannic finish. Big, age-worthy wine. Best after 2005. 480 cases made. –JS