The 2006 Assaje (Carignano) is a dense, opulent wine loaded with dark jammy blueberries, blackberries, minerals and spices. Made in a polished style, this rich, textured red offers plenty of depth and style. Still, as outstanding as the wine is, my sense is that the estate could be doing even more with this bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2014.I have long been a fan of the wines from Capichera, but this set of releases was not quite at the level I had expected. Hopefully the recent arrival of consulting oenologist Dante Scaglione will help smooth out some of the inconsistencies in the estate’s wines.Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200

Capichera’s 2005 Assaje reveals awesome richness as well as detail in its dark cherries, smoke, tar, licorice, plums, wild herbs and rosemary. This full-bodied, structured 100% Carignan from the Sulcis region on the northern part of the island is aged in steel and French oak. It is a remarkable wine in every way. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020.Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200