Lumen is one of Dino Illuminati's best wines. The 2010 Controguerra Riserva Lumen is laced with pretty tones of dark fruit, dried blackberry, grilled spice and tobacco. The tobacco signature is very strong indeed. The wine boasts dark, velvety concentration with enormous richness and plushness. The blend is 70% Montepulciano and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in oak barrique for 18 months. The wine should evolve nicely over the next five to ten years.

The 2008 Lumen Riserva wraps around the palate with super-ripe dark cherries, flowers, licorice and sweet herbs. This extroverted, medium to full-bodied wine delivers the goods, and then some. The style is very much on the rich, opulent side of things, and I imagine this wine won’t appeal to everyone, but I find compelling richness and fabulous personality throughout. Layers of fruit built to the inviting finish. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. Illuminati excels with a style that places considerable emphasis on textural richness and intensity. When they are on, the Illuminati wines are exciting and full of personality. Importer: Montcalm Wine Importers, New York, NY; tel. (212) 602-7700

The 2007 Controguerra Riserva Lumen is 70% Montepulciano and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. A sweet, open bouquet leads to super-ripe, racy fruit in this extroverted red. Most of the appeal is up-front, as the persistence drops off on the mid-palate and finish, leaving only an impression of sweetness in the fruit that is distracting. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Illuminati is a good source for bold Montepulciano and Montepulciano-based reds.Importer: Tricana Imports, Plainview, NY; tel. (516) 935-4080

The 2006 Controguerra Riserva Lumen (70% Montepulciano, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon) is another super-ripe, dense wine but here the fruit seems better suited to elevage in French oak. Clean mineral notes frame blackberries, graphite, spices, flowers and grilled herbs. The tannins turn imposing on the finish, but all of the elements are in perfect balance for the Lumen to develop into a gorgeous wine. This large-scaled, expressive red is a fabulous effort from Illuminati. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. Illuminati makes some of the most extroverted, rich Montepulcianos readers are likely to come across. Importer: Tricana Imports, Plainview, NY; tel. (516) 935-4080

The 2003 Controguerra Riserva Lumen (70% Montepulciano, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon) is a weighty, seamless red loaded with super-ripe dark blueberries, minerals and French oak. Mint, spice, tar and leather overtones come to life on the long, pure finish. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2015. This is a beautiful set of wines from Dino Illuminati, a producer who favors a distinctly ripe, fruit-driven style that is enhanced by the use of French oak for the top wines. Importer: Tricana Imports, Plainview, NY; tel. (516) 935-4080