The 1996 Redigaffi vino da tavola is a 100% Merlot made from yields of approximately 2 tons of fruit per acre. The first word in my tasting notes is "wow!" An explosive nose of cherry liqueur, smoke, coffee, vanillin, and other jammy black fruits is followed by a superbly delineated, rich, layered, multifaceted wine with full body, exceptional purity and concentration, a voluptuous texture, and a powerful, blockbuster finish. The high level of extract and richness conceals lofty tannin and alcohol. This wine can be drunk, but it promises to be even better in 4-5 years; it will last for 12-15 years.A Leonardo Locasio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

The 1996 Redigaffi is another impressive bottle made in the nascent years of a wine that would become an Italian legend. This was a complicated vintage in most parts of Tuscany, with lots of rain in the spring and a hot summer. However, the Tuscan Coast showed consistent results with balance fruit and sweet cherry flavors that definitely come through in this Merlot. You also get a hint of dried tomato leaf. The fruit is well maintained, and although the mouthfeel doesn't have the same roundness or concentration that we saw in some of the other vintages, this 1996 is balanced and still lively.