($85; 85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% sangiovese) Medium to full garnet. Tobacco, licorice and graphite predominate on the nose. The sweet, gauzy texture supports layers of intense black fruit sensations followed by mouthcoating but smooth tannins. A supple and well-structured wine. (Vias Imports, New York, NY)

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For more than two decades one of the greatest Tuscan proprietary red wines has been Castello dei Rampolla's Cabernet Sauvignon/Sangiovese blend called Sammarco. What has always made this wine exceptional, especially in the top vintages, is its complexity and elegance. It is closer to a great Graves than any other wine I have ever tasted outside of France. The 1998 Sammarco, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Sangiovese, reveals structure and tannin. Additionally, it possesses formidable underlying concentration and depth, along with that multi-layered mid-palate that always seems to separate exceptional wines from good ones. The 1998 Sammarco's deep, saturated ruby color is followed by a complex bouquet of charcoal, roasted herbs, smoke, hot gravel, black currants, and cherries. It is medium-bodied and deep, with high but sweet tannin, and extraordinary purity as well as delineation.

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A silky, well-crafted red, with tarragon, berry and plum character and mushroom and bark undertones. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a long, fresh finish. Delicious. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. 2,760 cases made.

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