Proprietor Stefano Grilli, with the help of renowned winemaker/oenologist Riccardo Cotarella, has produced a 1997 Merlot vino da tavola that was aged 12 months in French oak, and was bottled with neither fining nor filtration. It is medium to full-bodied, dense, monolithic, with an opaque purple color, as well as gobs of fruit, glycerin, and texture. As of yet, it is not revealing the necessary complexity to merit an outstanding score. Give it 1-2 more years of bottle age; it will keep for 15 or more. A Leonardo Locascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620