The 2000 Sammarco, though dark and firm in color and with much cassis fruit along with aromas of vanilla and cedar, is less concentrated and round than usual, with a slight pause on the mid-palate and a bit of dryness on the finish, despite the expressive fruit and the well integrated oak which gives some additional sweetness to the close. Drink: 2005-2015. Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200

Potent and alive, kind of rubbery and leathery, with a shot of barnyard thrown in for good measure. Shows solid cherry and berry at the core, but that fruit is offset by hard tannins and overt firmness. Not a lush, modern playboy; more of classic with old-world appeal. Needs time in the glass to unravel. ——M.S.(9/1/2006)—— 89