The name Kepos comes from the Greek word for "garden." The organic 2018 Kepos is co-fermented Alicante Nero (or Grenache), Carignano, and Mourvèdre. Fruit is selected from across three vineyard sites with various elevations and soil types ranging from stony to volcanic. Like the pure expression of Alicante, this wine is beautifully bright and fragrant with a bouquet that is mostly driven by blue and purple flowers. There is some honey and apricot as well. This 20,000-bottle production represents a romantically authentic Tuscan red and an absolute steal in terms of value.

I had high expectations for the 2012 Kepos. This blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignano Alicante and Marselan showed a quickly changing bouquet with some background volatility in the form of cherry skin or red apple. The bouquet lacks total focus and I would not recommend holding on to this bottle more than a couple of years.

The 2010 Kepos is striking in this vintage. Dark cherries, plums, spices, licorice and tobacco are some of the notes that jump from the glass. Sweet herbal nuances appear later, adding complexity and aromatic lift. This is a hugely intriguing wine from Ampeleia that constantly changes in the glass. The Kepos will be fascinating to follow over the next handful of years as it starts to settle down in bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020. I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted from Ampeleia this year. Every time I went back to the wines, I found a new shade of dimension. A gradual conversion to biodynamic farming and an increased use of cement vats are stripping these wines to the bare essentials, and what comes through more often than not these days is pure class. Importers: De Santis Selection Imports, Missouri City, TX; tel. (281) 437-1616; Communal Brands, Long Island City, NY; tel. (718) 937-4228

The 2009 Kepos is a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignano, Alicante and Marselan aged in a combination of cement and oak. It is an eccentric wine laced with sweet red cherries, wild flowers and sage. The wine blossoms nicely on the palate, showing considerable sweetness in its high-toned fruit, but at times lacks focus and comes across as diffuse. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. Ampeleia is Elisabetta Foradori’s project in Maremma. The large property is essentially divided into two large sections, each of which makes wines that are so different; they might easily be mistaken for two separate estates. The lower and middle parts of the estate, known as Ampeleia Sotto and Ampeleia Mezzo, are mostly planted with Mediterranean/Rhone varieties, while the upper slope, Ampeleia Sopra is predominantly planted with Cabernet Franc. Thus far, Amepelia Sopra is the part of the estate that has shown the most potential. Importer: De Santis Selection Imports, Missouri City, TX; tel. (281) 437-1616

The 2008 Kepos is a delicate wine laced with ethereal red fruit, crushed flowers and herbs. This is nicely balanced although a touch lithe and fleeting. Kepos is 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Carignano, 5% Marselan and 5% Alicante Bouschet. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2013. Ampeleia is Elisabetta Foradori’s project in Maremma. The large property is essentially divided into two large sections, each of which makes wines that are so different; they might easily be mistaken for two separate estates. The lower and middle parts of the estate, known as Ampeleia Sotto and Ampeleia Mezzo, are mostly planted with Mediterranean/Rhone varieties, while the upper slope, Ampeleia Sopra is predominantly planted with Cabernet Franc. Thus far, Amepelia Sopra is the part of the estate that has shown the most potential. Importer: De Santis Selection Imports, Missouri City, TX; tel. (281) 437-1616