Pretty aromatics emerge from the 2005 La Ricolma (100% Merlot). This is an elegant, finessed Ricolma, with a core of ripe red fruit, menthol, spices and flowers. The tannins need bottle age to settle down, yet this will always remain a slender, feminine version of this wine. It offers notable elegance and balance in the context of the vintage in a style that is equal parts expression of terroir and variety. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022. I can’t think of too many growers who would show the humility to say “I could have done better” when talking about one of his highly acclaimed wines from a few years ago. It is precisely that quiet drive to continue to improve which makes Luca Martini di Cigala and San Giusto a Rentennano one of Italy’s top producers. Martini is assisted by consulting oenologist Attilio Pagli, who unlike some of his colleagues, seems happy to play a supporting role that accentuates the virtues of the estate’s wines rather than imposing the cookie cutter approach which has become so common among consultants. That is the good news. The bad news, or half-bad news, I should say, is that San Giusto has decided to delay the release of the 2005 Percarlo and 2000 Vin Santo Giusto for an additional year as they believe the wines will benefit from an additional year in bottle. It’s hard to argue against that logic. In the meantime, US buyers might hope the dollar rallies. I also tasted all of the estate’s 2006s and they are stunning wines at this point. Curiously Martini says 2006 is a vintage from which little was expected until a glorious final month of weather produced superb wines. Paradoxically, 2005 looked very promising, but persistent rain during the last phase of ripening ruined what had been up until that point a great year. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700, and Estate Wines, Ltd., San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 492-9411