The 2008 Sauvignon de La Tour is a gorgeous, layered wine that marries the characteristic bouquet of Sauvignon with a more generous and ripe concept of fruit. The wine offers outstanding length and a refined, polished finish. My only quibble here is minor; this wine is being released far too young, and while that may generate a faster short-term economic benefit, there is also a risk consumers won’t fully appreciate the wine and may be less likely to purchase it in the future. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2015. Gianni Menotti makes some of the richest, most fully-flavored wines readers will come across in Friuli. The entry-level 2008 whites appear to be excellent across the board, but it is the 2006 Merlot Graf de La Tour that steals the show among these new releases.Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900