The 1999 Merlot (100% Merlot aged in 100% new French oak, and bottled without fining or filtration) is stunning. It boasts a dense purple color along with a sweet perfume of espresso, blackberry and cherry fruit, licorice, cigar box, and vanilla. A fabulous texture, beautiful harmony, and admirable purity combine in this full-bodied, dense, concentrated offering. With adequate acidity, sweet tannin, and a long finish, it should drink well for 10-15 years. Proprietor Stefano Grilli, along with his winemaker, Riccardo Cotarella, fashioned this spectacular wine, which has been consistently brilliant over recent vintages. A Leonardo Locascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

The 1998 Merlot (100 cases) exhibits an opaque purple color in addition to dense, chewy, full-bodied, succulent, fat flavors loaded with black cherry and blackberry fruit intertwined with mocha and chocolate notes. Full, concentrated, and thick, this effort is amazing because La Palazzola's Merlot vineyard is only 6.17 acres in size. The wine spent 12 months in 100% new French oak, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Drink it over the next decade. A Leonardo Locascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

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

Owned by Stefano Grilli, who brought in the well-known oenologist, Riccardo Cotarella five years ago, this estate is poised to explode onto the world-wide arena given the quality of the wines. La Palazzola's 1995 Merlot, which was vinified, aged, and bottled in the same manner as the Rubino, is extremely limited in quantity. Made from 100% Merlot from a vineyard planted in 1990, there are only 100 cases of this outstanding wine. A dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by closed aromatics. Scents of black-cherry, earth, smoke, and spice do emerge with coaxing, but this wine needs 5-6 years of cellaring. As ironic as it sounds, it is more structured and backward than the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Rubino. In short, it takes no special talent to recognize the Merlot's intense richness, high extract, and overall depth and intensity. It is another brilliant, but young wine (impeccably vinified and bottled by Riccardo Cotarella) that needs 4-6 years of cellaring, after which it should last for two decades. Wow!A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620