The 2010 Edizione Cinque Autoctoni is a big, powerful wine loaded with black fruit, smoke, incense and tar. Like all the Farnese wines, the Cinque Autoctoni is not shy, yet all the elements are very nicely balanced. Waves of opulent, jammy fruit take center stage in this exuberant blend of Montepulciano, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2015. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

The 2008 Edizione 10 Cinque Autoctoni flows with notable authority with layers of dark fruit, spices, new leather and licorice. It needs another few years to shed some of the French oak tannins. The Cinque Autoctoni is 33% Montepulciano, 25% Sangiovese, 5% Malvasia Nera, 30% Primitivo and 7% Negroamaro. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. Farnese makes a wide range of wines but I nearly always gravitate towards the low end, where there is less of an effort to build the wines in the cellar. It is clear the estate is working with high quality fruit. It would be nice to see a more restrained approach in the cellar.Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

Farnese’s 2007 Edizione Cinque Autoctoni is a blend of five indigenous grapes; 33% Montepulciano, 25% Sangiovese, 5% Malvasia Nera, 30% Primitivo and 7% Negroamaro. In this vintage the wine comes across as overdone, with quite a bit of sweetness in its dense, jammy fruit and spiced French oak. That’s too bad, because the raw materials point to a wine of significantly more potential, as has been the case in previous years. The Cinque Autoctoni can’t officially carry a vintage on the label because the grapes come from Abruzzo and Puglia, but readers will find that information on the lot number. This is Lot. 2007. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2015. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900