Stunning as usual, the 2009 L’Apparita (100% Merlot) starts off slow but builds steady momentum and intensity. This is a seamless and beautifully integrated expression that sees fine contrast between acidity, structure and fruity extract. The wine is still tight, so give it time to complete its bottle evolution. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030. Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1461

The 2008 L’Apparita (Merlot) is very, very beautiful. This is a gorgeous vintage for the Apparita. Sweet dark cherries, chocolate, mint, licorice and spices are some of the many notes that emerge from the glass. The 2008 possesses striking inner perfume and sweetness. The 2008 is a decidedly mid-weight vintage, but it works. Graceful and elegant through to the long finish, the 2008 Apparita is a wine that convinces for its balance and overall sense of harmony. This bottle is far better than the two examples I tasted last year. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028. This is a fabulous set of wines from Lorenza and Marco Pallanti. In addition to these wines, I also tasted the full range of 2010 and 2011s, two vintages that are shaping up beautifully at Ama. The single-vineyard Chianti Classicos return to the fray in 2011, the first vintage produced after 2007. The 2011s are full of promise although they naturally reflect the more exuberant quality of the year vis-a-vis the cool, structured 2010s. I also retasted Ama’s 2008s, two wines that have improved markedly since I reviewed them last year. Pallanti describes 2008 as a good vintage up until September, when rain became problematic. Castello di Ama fans will want to check out my vertical of the Chianti Classico Bellavista, also in this issue. Lastly, let me add that any readers still holding the 2002 Chianti Classico (a year in which the single-vineyard wines weren’t made) are in for a very pleasant surprise. Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1461

The 2007 L’Apparita (Merlot) is another outstanding wine, but it is the least interesting of the estate’s high-end 2007s. The warm growing season doesn’t appear to have been as kind to the Merlot as it was to the other grapes grown on the property. Super ripe dark fruit, sweet French oak and chocolate emerge from this supple, round Apparita, with just enough minerality on the finish to provide a measure of balance. The wine’s persistence and length are first rate but a slight overripe quality lingers. The Merlot grown in these high-altitude vineyards has a way of developing immense nobility with bottle age, so it will be fascinating to see what happens here. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. Castello di Ama remains a reference-point producer in Tuscany. My visit to the property last year culminated with the stunning 1988 Apparita, still in great shape after all these years. The house style seeks a rich, bold expression of fruit that requires significant bottle aging to reach its apogee, even if the wines can be very showy when young. Make no mistake about it, these are some the most pedigreed wines being made anywhere. Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1461

The 2006 L’Apparita (Merlot) reveals gorgeous clarity and precision. It is another large-scaled, dramatic wine, rich in baritone notes of dark fruit, menthol, herbs, licorice and new leather. The tannins build mightily on the vibrant finish, yet this remains an impeccable, polished wine of remarkable beauty. I only hope to have a chance to taste the wine again in the future?.amazingly today it tastes just like it did from tank in November 2006! Anticipated maturity: 2016-2022. I am not sure I possess the vocabulary to do these majestic wines – the reds in particular – justice. Simply put, Castello di Ama’s 2006s are spectacular and every bit as magnificent as they were when I tasted them late that year. Simply put, this is a profound set of new releases from Marco and Lorenza Pallanti. Sadly, few readers are likely to have an opportunity to experience the top wines, as pricing is way up in the stratosphere. Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1461

As is to be expected, the 2005 L’Apparita (Merlot) is a relatively small-scaled, slender version of this wine that nevertheless boasts surprising balance and harmony in a more accessible style than the blockbuster 2006. Silky tannins frame a perfumed core of dark fruit in this delicate, feminine Apparita. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. I am not sure I possess the vocabulary to do these majestic wines – the reds in particular – justice. Simply put, Castello di Ama’s 2006s are spectacular and every bit as magnificent as they were when I tasted them late that year. Simply put, this is a profound set of new releases from Marco and Lorenza Pallanti. Sadly, few readers are likely to have an opportunity to experience the top wines, as pricing is way up in the stratosphere. Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1461