As good as the Badie is the 2004 Merlot Buri is even better. It, too, is a full-throttle wine, but exhibits slightly more delineation in the kaleidoscope of blackberries, smoke, tar, licorice, minerals and cassis notes that flow from the glass. Totally seductive and utterly compelling, it left me speechless. I am not sure if any producer in Italy will release three reds of this quality this year. The Merlot Buri is made from a plot in Buttrio. The soil composition changes very slightly from the plot in Rosazzo yet the two wines are remarkably unique. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019. It took me several years to get an appointment at Miani. Proprietor Enzo Pontoni literally lives in his vineyards, stopping home only for lunch and dinner. Pontoni represents the finest of the artisanal approach to winemaking and his meticulous, some would say fanatical, devotion to his old-vine plots is legendary. Once the wines are in the cellar a strict barrel selection takes place prior to bottling, meaning that the estate releases a total of roughly 8,000 bottles. Pontoni's 2006 whites have come together nicely since I first tasted them in barrel in December 2006. Readers fortunate enough to find this producer's superb 2004 whites should not hesitate to do so as they are terrific. His 2005s, from a much weaker vintage, are less satisfying. Pontoni's reds are equally breathtaking, as these 2003s and 2004s attest. The only problem will be finding them as quantities are minuscule. Pontoni told me that as he has gotten older he has moved away from the purely massive style that characterized some of his earlier wines (like the legendary 1997 Calvari) towards a more finessed, elegant approach. I can't think of too many wines I would rather have on my dinner table than those of Enzo Pontoni and Miani. These are among the finest wines being made anywhere. Importer: Small Vineyards, Seattle,WA; tel. (206) 933-6767

As good as the Badie is the 2004 Merlot Buri is even better. It, too, is a full-throttle wine, but exhibits slightly more delineation in the kaleidoscope of blackberries, smoke, tar, licorice, minerals and cassis notes that flow from the glass. Totally seductive and utterly compelling, it left me speechless. I am not sure if any producer in Italy will release three reds of this quality this year. The Merlot Buri is made from a plot in Buttrio. The soil composition changes very slightly from the plot in Rosazzo yet the two wines are remarkably unique. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019. It took me several years to get an appointment at Miani. Proprietor Enzo Pontoni literally lives in his vineyards, stopping home only for lunch and dinner. Pontoni represents the finest of the artisanal approach to winemaking and his meticulous, some would say fanatical, devotion to his old-vine plots is legendary. Once the wines are in the cellar a strict barrel selection takes place prior to bottling, meaning that the estate releases a total of roughly 8,000 bottles. Pontoni's 2006 whites have come together nicely since I first tasted them in barrel in December 2006. Readers fortunate enough to find this producer's superb 2004 whites should not hesitate to do so as they are terrific. His 2005s, from a much weaker vintage, are less satisfying. Pontoni's reds are equally breathtaking, as these 2003s and 2004s attest. The only problem will be finding them as quantities are minuscule. Pontoni told me that as he has gotten older he has moved away from the purely massive style that characterized some of his earlier wines (like the legendary 1997 Calvari) towards a more finessed, elegant approach. I can't think of too many wines I would rather have on my dinner table than those of Enzo Pontoni and Miani. These are among the finest wines being made anywhere. Importer: Small Vineyards, Seattle,WA; tel. (206) 933-6767