The 2007 Syrah Sodamagri from Fortediga offers up bright red fruit and flowers in a delicate, refined style for this house. Elegant, silky tannins frame the pretty finish. It would be nice to see more varietal character, but hopefully that will come as these vines acquire age. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2017. A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

The 2006 Syrah Sodamagri is a ripe, full-bodied wine bursting with dark fruit. The wine possesses gorgeous balance and a long, polished finish. With each passing vintage, Sodamagri has acquired greater complexity, and it will be fascinating to see what level this wine can reach. For now, the 2006 Sodamagri remains a harmonious, delicious wine from Tuscany’s Maremma that is best enjoyed while the fruit is vibrant. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016. Fortediga is a new estate located in Maremma and owned by renowned oenologist Alberto Antonini. A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

The 2005 Sodamagri Syrah flows from the glass with seamless, ample expression of blueberries, blackberries, spices and sweet toasted oak. Soft and caressing on the palate, this wine is more about an overt expression of fruit than about the full range of Syrah aromatics and flavors. Still, Maremma is proving to be fertile ground for this variety and my hope is that this bottling will continue to gain complexity in future vintages. For now, this is a commendable, harmonious effort in a very challenging vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015. Although oenologist Alberto Antonini is best known for the many consulting projects he is involved in around the world, he also makes wine at his own properties, including Fortediga in Tuscany's Maremma. A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

The 2004 Sodamagri (100% Syrah) is a similarly-styled wine, with notes of super-ripe vibrant dark fruit, chocolate and sweet toasted oak on a plump, juicy frame. It is softer and more approachable than the Salebro and should reach maturity sooner. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2014. This new estate is owned by oenologist Alberto Antonini and these are the first releases of the estate’s two top bottlings. The densely-planted vineyards are still very young, but as the wines attest, there is clearly much to look forward to. “2004 was an extraordinary vintage for us,” says Antonini. “The fresher weather provided a longer maturation cycle with a more gradual ripening of the sugars as well as the tannins.” Both of the estate’s top wines see malolactic fermentation in barrique, followed by 16 months in 100% new medium-toast barrels.Importer: Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620; fax (201) 445-9868