Made from 100% Merlot, this wine is immensely soft and plush, and it offers blackberry, cherry and chocolate tones that build in momentum as the wine aerates in the glass. The mouthfeel is velvety, rich and generous, and there’s an espresso note on the finish. Set this bottling aside for 10 years or more. — (4/1/2013) —95

Poggio al Merli is a 100% Merlot that shows a perfect marriage between variety and territory. It’s an opulent, soft and round wine that is woven tight with blackberry, pipe tobacco, rum cake and a touch of black olive. Velvety tannins drive a long, intense finish. ——M.L.(2/1/2012)—— 93

Poggio ai Merli is one of the top expressions of Merlot in Italy. This vintage shows warm, spicy flavors of ripe fruit, cherry liqueur and chocolate with loads of chewy, softness on the close. The wine’s texture is thick, succuleny and extremely long-lasting. Give it five more years. ——M.L.(2/1/2012)—— 93

Here’s a lively Tuscan Merlot with soft layers of spice and cola lavished over a solid core of black fruit. The aromas are pristine and focused and the wine makes an equally excellent impression in the mouth thanks to its soft, yielding tannins and sweet cherry flavors. ——M.L.(3/1/2010)—— 91

Smelling this wine is like entering a spice box: Saffron, cumin, cardamom and cinnamon all put in minute appearances. But the real protagonist is the wood, which still needs a few years to integrate, and the plump chocolate-covered cherries you get in the mouth. It’s a thickly extracted wine with tight tannins: Drink after 2010.——M.L.(4/1/2008)—— 92