The 2011 Collio Merlot hits all the right buttons. This is an elegant and fine red wine that boasts super intensity with bright aromas of red cherry, licorice, grilled herb and toasted coffee bean. Fine mineral tones tie it all together. This wine is one of my favorite Northeast Italian Merlots from this vintage. The mouthfeel is caressing and silky in texture.

The 2009 Merlot is quite pretty in this vintage. Sweet red berries, crushed flowers, spices and hints of French oak come together beautifully in the glass. The tannins are especially sweet and silky, while the wine retains a graceful, medium-bodied personality that is very attractive. Floral notes are woven throughout the feminine finish. Another 6-12 months should help some of the French oak to integrate. This is another striking wine from Toros. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Importer: T. Edward Wines, New York, NY; tel. (212) 233-1504

The 2007 Collio Merlot (with 22 months in oak) is a sophisticated and elegant red with ethereal tones of ripe fruit, Indian spice, leather, tobacco and cured meat. The age of the wine is just beginning to show with licorice and tar aromas at the back. Drink it now or hold this wine a bit longer. Drink: 2014-2018. I am happily impressed by Toros. The wines show impeccable aromas and beautiful density in the mouth. Each wine is a wonderful portrait of an individual grape variety. Importer: T. Edward Wines, www.tedwardwines.com

The 2005 Merlot is a soft, fragrant wine laced with tar, smoke, dark raspberries, blackberries, roasted coffee beans and French oak. The 2005 is a medium-bodied, slender version of the Merlot, but the wine offers excellent balance and notable overall harmony. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2013. I was quite impressed with the wines I tasted from Toros this year. The 2008 whites are among the finest wines to emerge from this challenging harvest. Importer: T. Edward Wines, Ltd., New York, NY; tel. (212) 233-1504

The 2004 Merlot is a sweet, expansive wine redolent of dark cherries, menthol, licorice, spices and toasted oak. This seamless, full-bodied red possesses outstanding depth on the palate in a sumptuous, round style. Readers who enjoy wines with tertiary nuances should cellar this Merlot for another few years as it remains quite fresh today. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2014. Toros is a small producer based in Cormons, in the heart of the Friulian Collio. Importer: T. Edward Wines, Ltd., New York, NY; tel. (212) 233-1504