When the edifice first rose on Dry Creek Road, neighboring farmers and vintners winced, thinking it too ostentatious for their region. But as more wine lovers drove down the lane, visiting other wineries on their way to Ferrari-Carano, the Caranos’ neighbors came to appreciate the majestic and romantic slant the Villa Fiore offered the backroads of the Dry Creek Valley.

But what is a gorgeous property without fine wines to stake its claim? Here, again, there’s no problem. The wine regimen was established by George Bursick, winemaker at Ferrari-Carano for many years, but now is carried out masterfully by Aaron Piotter (for red wines) and Sarah Quider (for white wines). Steve Domenichelli, vineyard manager, says each vine is “touched by human hands six to eight times a season, to ensure the highest quality fruit.” He practices sustainable farming techniques and recycles organic matter to strengthen and protect the vineryards.

Here are some recent releases from one of California’s most interesting properties:

Ferrari-Carano 2011 Pinot Grigio (Russian River Valley, $17). Ripe and refreshingly acidic, made in the style of a vivacious Sauvignon Blanc, with lots of lemon/lime angles and fresh fruit. Score: 85

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, $30). Warm fruit flavors, black cherry and plum dominate, soft angularity and soft tannins give it length, great with red meat entrees. Score: 87

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Mountain Vineyards (Alexander Valley, $42). Soft and approachable, black fruit, soft tannins, plums, cherries, slightly oaked? Score: 89

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Merlot (Sonoma County, $25). Soft red fruit, easy quaffing, gentle finish. Score: 84

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Pinot Noir Sky High Ranch (Mendocino, $46). Soft and forward, cherry plum flavors, more expressive than many PNs. Score: 90

Ferrari-Carano 2007 Prevail Back Forty (Alexander Valley, $85). Rich and stylish, deep, highly textured, dark fruit flavors, plums, black cherries, soft hint of sweet tobacco and oak. Score: 93

Ferrari-Carano 2007 Prevail West Face (Alexander Valley, $55). Ripe plush red fruit aromas, chocolate and plums on nose, rich textures, full flavors of dark fruit with hints of tobacco on finish. Score: 92

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Siena (Sonoma County, $25). Aromatic, blending dark fruit with herbs and earth aromas, soft approach, bing cherry and raspberry flavors. Score: 87

Ferrari-Carano 2008 Tresor (Sonoma County, $58). Superbly balanced, dark red fruit, chocolate and tobacco leaf aromas, black cherry, raspberry flavors. Score: 93

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, $28). soft and inconspicuous, a nice wine but without the punch that is expected of most Zins. Score: 86

Piero Antinori of the famous Tuscan winemaking house of the same name knows this perhaps better than anyone. His wines, elegant in the glass and as brilliantly colored as a Tintoretto painting, are – nevertheless – best enjoyed as an accompaniment to a fine meal.

So it makes sense that when he brought his family’s 600-year history of winemaking to California, he would want to make food-friendly wines for Americans too. In the 1980s, he bought land on the summit of Atlas Peak in Napa Valley, with spectacular views of the valley below and the sprawling vineyards that supply the raw material for his new wines. The winery was originally named after the land, Atlas Peak, but Antinori recently reconfigured the estate and renamed it Antica, a fact reported earlier on WeeklyWinePick.com.

Under the watchful eye of Marchese Antinori, and constant oversight by Glenn Salva, Antica produces some of the richest and approachable Cabernets in the Napa Valley. We met at Circa (3010 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, 703-522-3010) and sampled a range of vintages of the Cabernet accompanied by a serving of Wild Mushroom Ravioli. The ravioli were served with artichoke hearts, cremini mushrooms, and beurre noisette, and topped with herbs and goat cheese. The complexity of the flavors, spikes that raised the interest of the savory mushroom ravioli beneath, begged for a similarly complex red wine.

With Salva’s usual grace and patience, he explained not only the history of the estate but the vintage conditions of each of the wines we sampled. There was the perfectly aged 2004 Antica Cabernet Sauvignon, with scents of currant, plum, and dark fruit. A supple though austere wine braced by tannins evidently softened by age.

The 2005 Cab was richer and more complex, and opened with dark chocolate and tobacco aromas, with flavors of figs, black cherry and plum over ripe tannins. The 2006 Cab was a bit tangier and more puckery than the refined 2004 and 2005, demonstrating the impact of even a single year of additional aging on the mouthfeel of such a rich wine. Still, its black fruit flavors and vivacious acidity ensured that it will be a wine to return to later.

The 2007 Cab was exotically aromatic and carried hints of Eastern spices on the nose. With terrific intensity and multiple layers, this was my favorite of the afternoon. The big fruit and explosive approach shows evidence of future star-quality. The 2008 was also a tremendous wine, with chocolate and roasted coffee bean aromas, tinged by hints of earth and spice, with a soft finish.

The 2009 Cab, the vintage currently on the market (along with some remainders of the 2008), has heavenly aromas of violets and red fruit, featuring blueberry and black cherry flavors on a big, young frame.

With Antinori’s vision and Salva’s management of wine at Antica, the property will enjoy continued success and the buyer will enjoy many vintages of fine Cabernet Sauvignon.

We deserve that Beringer Vineyard Private Reserve Cabernet ($125) or Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer Cab ($150) after a day like this. Right?

(Forget the Château Margaux ($850); you didn’t work that hard.)

Then sanity sets in – - oh, I could wax Shakespearean on how sanity deprives us of satisfying our primal desires. Prying our fingers off that exquisite $$$ bottle of Cabernet, we steer our desires – and our wallets – elsewhere.

Fortunately, the same wine world that brought us the “only-on-my-50th-birthday” wines has also released a veritable vinous gusher of affordable Cabs that are absolutely delightful. Here is a short list to prove that point.

(Not all the vintages shown below are current, these are based solely on what I’ve tasted lately. However all houses are respectable producers with consistent results, and new vintages would be expected to uphold their standard of quality.)

Ad Lib 2007 Mix Master Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Margaret River, West Australia, $17). Pleasant and approachable, rewards the palate with lightly infused red fruit and soft acidity.

Bianchi 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles, $19). Deep sensuous aromas of earth, toast, and black fruit; soft textures, black cherry, plum, and raspberry, touch of cassis on finish.

Bodega Septima 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentina, $12). Soft and luscious on texture, black fruit flavors.

Bortoluzzi 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Venezia Giulia, $19). Rich, robust, black fruit flavors with a silky touch of spice, proof that Italians can make wonderful red wines even with French grapes.

Casillero del Diablo 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Chile, $11). Medium weight and quaffable, this Cab is meant to please the palate and offer sumptuous accompaniment for the meal.

Château Tanunda 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Barossa (Barossa, Australia, $18). Rich and deeply textured, features black fruit and truffles.

Entwine 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (California, $13). Richly textured and fruity, the aromas of this wine leap from the glass and “entwine” your senses. Very well made.

Greg Norman 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (North Coast, $15). Pungent, black cherry aromas and flavors, hint of cassis.

Horse Heaven Hills 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington, $15). Deep dark red, flavors of raspberry, black cherry, and plum, slight hint of cassis, full body.

Kenwood 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County, $18). Fresh fruit made heavenly with the whiff of cedar and tobacco smoke.

Leese-Fitch 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (California, $12). Silky smooth, sumptuous red fruit flavors, great value.

Liberty School 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles, $12). Remarkably tasty for a $12 wine; ripe red fruit, firm but soft tannins, forward structure.

Louis M. Martini 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County, $17). Deep scents of dark fruit, earth and oak, coffee, cocoa, and black cherries on palate, soft tannins, medium length.

Sledgehammer 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (North Coast, $15). Impressive for a $15 wine, dark fruit, nice texture.

Souverain 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, $17). Aromas of wet earth and oak, black cherry, plums on nose, currants, black cherry, soft textures, full body.

Three Sticks 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma Valley, $65). Black coffee and chocolate aromas, soft approach, black cherry, plums, currant, tobacco leaf, slight mocha accent.

The cellar at Canonica

Recently, we reviewed a bevy of outstanding white wines from Italy that Empson imports to the American market. That was a statement about the quality in whites coming from a country known for its red wines. As good as the whites are – and Empson leads the U.S. import market in proving how good Italian wines can be – the country will always be known for their red wines.

From tip to tail, from the northern climes of Piedmont to the toe of Calabria, red wines are made to quaff with friends or pair with food. At the top of the tower are Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, and Chianti Classico, but Italy’s spectacular display of internationally famous wines offers a slew of other picks, including Barbera and Amarone, not to mention the Super Tuscans that blend French-origin grapes with Italy’s indigenous varietals.

To prove the point, I selected a blind sample of red wines from the Empson portfolio. Didn’t bother to cherry-pick; didn’t have to. Here are the results.

Bortoluzzi 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Venezia Giulia, $19). Rich, robust, black fruit flavors with a silky touch of spice. Score: 86

Canonica a Cerreto 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany, $39). Highly aromatic with hazelnuts and violets up front, light flavors but silky smooth, highlights of soft fleshy red fruit. Score: 89

Castello di Querceto 2006 Cignale Colli della Toscana Centrale (Tuscany, 90% Cab, 10% Mer., $85). Rich and sumptuously textured, dark red fruit flavors, chocolate and tobacco accents. Score: 90

Santadi Rocca Rubia 2008 Carignano del Sulcis Riserva ($27). Black pepper up front, dense dark fruit on nose and palate, accented by crushed walnut and dark chocolate, sumptuous textures, dark chewy fruit. Score: 90

Santadi Terre Brune 2006 Carignano del Sulcis ($?). Soft earthy scents of mushrooms, dried fruit and soft textures, Old World style, dried fruit featuring cranberry and black cherry. Score: 87

Shardana 2007 Valli di Porto Pino (Sardinia, $32). Cranberry and black cherry aromas, coffee accents with dark fruit flavors, lasting and smooth with a bit of spice on finish. Score: 87

Speri 2009 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso (Veneto, $28). Rich and smooth, dark red fruit with black pepper accent. Score: 86

Tenuta Cocci Grifoni 2010 Tellus (Marche, $15). Earthy, medium bodied, great with pasta and red sauce. Score: 86

Well, maybe some of it is, and that’s the reason this reasoning has gotten traction. But so many quality Merlots are left out of the conversation. Beringer’s Merlots have been stupendous for years, especially the Bancroft Ranch. Pahlmeyer and Pride have Merlots that easily stand above the crowd. Etude’s bottlings are age-worthy, and Shafer Merlots – earlier to mature – provide instant gratification. I’d push any Pinot Noir off the table to make way for a Château St. Jean Merlot, and Joe Cafaro still makes Merlots that sing.

Then there’s Duckhorn, Havens, Keenan, St. Francis, Château Ste. Michelle, and Matanzas Creek. In fact, during an extensive tasting of Merlots for a cover story in Wine News a few years back, I concluded that almost any Merlot from the cooler climes of Carneros would be a special treat.

Through the years, Merlot styles have changed and, after the initial boom-years in the 1990s, better terroir has been chosen for plantings. Below are a few recent tasting notes that might offer a primer on the grape.

  Beringer 2008 (Napa Valley, $21). A rich ruby red, with coffee and licorice aromas hosting hints on dark berries and milk chocolate, forward flavors and nicely balanced. Score: 87

Beringer 2006 Howell Mountain Bancroft Ranch (Napa Valley, $75) Up-front aromas of coffee and dark chocolate, with latent dark berry aromas, soft tannins, sumptuous red fruit, and wonderfully balanced. Score: 93

Charles Krug 2008 (Napa Valley, $24). Deep and dense in color and aroma, black cherry and petrol like Pomerol, hefty body, rich textured and dense fruit flavors. Score: 91

Castello di Gabbiano 2007 Alleanza (Tuscany, $35). Soft red fruit, rich body, tangy acidity, dry impression but fruity finish. Score: 90

Columbia Crest 2007 Reserve (Columbia Valley $30). Delicate aromas but pungent flavors. Score: 88

http://www.pridewines.com/content/default1421.html

Kenny’s latest batch of wines is another example of his consistent quality.  All of them come from fruit grown on a 100 acre hillside vineyard in Alexander Valley, which is covered with blue stones and serpentine boulders.  He bottles the wines at three quality levels.  The entry level Baby Blue is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Syrah, Merlot, and Malbec.  It is truly a wine for everyone; a special occasion bottle for those on a budget or a daily drinker for the collector-types.  It has that soft richness to it that is commonly found in ultra-premium Napa Cabernets that have cellared for 10 or so years.

Kenny’s flagship Cabernets are good candidates for such cellaring.  The elegance of these complex and powerful reds needs time to emerge.  I brought the 2008 and 2009 to a dinner party full of wine-savvy friends and they were a big hit, though one person expressed regret that I was not able to bring vintages from earlier in the decade so that he could get a real sense of the wine’s potential.   I reminded him that with wine, good things come to those who wait.

Italian wines have been great for centuries, and Americans have been buying and bringing home wine from the peninsula since Thomas Jefferson swooned over Brunello di Montalcino in the 1780s.

There are dozens of small importers, but few major players who bring us the best of what Italy has to offer. Neil and Maria Empson have been doing that for over 40 years.

It was during a trip to Milan in 1970 that the vacationing couple fell in love with Italian wines, while bemoaning the fact that most of Italy’s best never crossed its borders. An idea born of their own passion led the Empsons to found Neil Empson Selections and begin a decades-long tradition of introducing Americans to the great wines of the Old World.

  Empson USA now imports wine from Italy, New Zealand, and Chile. From Italy alone their portfolio boasts over 40 superb estates, including perennial favorites such as Einaudi, Bortoluzzi, Il Molino di Grace, Jermann, Cignale, Pieropan, Speri . . . in fact, it’s tough to pinpoint my favorites from such a large portfolio.

So I decided to use the “close your eyes and throw a dart” approach, knowing that essentially any Empson-chosen wine would be a rewarding experience. And I was right. Here are some examples.

Jermann 2010 Pinot Grigio (Venezia Giulia, $30). Scents of honeysuckle and tart green apple, followed by same impression on the palate, refreshing acidity, ripe and full, a great food wine. Score: 87

Pieropan 2010 Soave (Veneto, $17). Lightly sweet aromas, flavors of fresh fruit, with dominant pear notes, simple yet forward, best with cream of crab soup. Score: 85

Bucci 2007 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva (Marches, $57). Subtle, approachable, requires lots of attention from the aroma to the finish, soft textures, voluptuous body. Score: 90

Bellavista 2005 Grand Cuvee Brut (Franciacorta, $69). Beautifully sparkling and clear, soft diffuse bubbles, slight fruitiness balances firm acidic backbone. Score: 89

Stay tuned. There are so many Empson wines they will have to be reviewed in future columns

The highlight of Santiago’s portfolio is a non-vintage still red called Akel Kine.  This wine is currently aging in the bottles before release, and we finished our lunch with a preview of it.   Akel Kine is 90% Carmenere and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, that ages for 16 months in French oak.  Santiago has reserved proportionate blends from the best vintages of the past 10 years to include in the inaugural release.  This wine was thick, with a long, long finish.  Tea and sage grabbed my nose before dense berry, slate and leather grabbed my taste buds.  The last words I said to Santiago before I left the restaurant were, “I’ll take a case of that, regardless of how much it costs.”  He laughed me off, but I was dead serious.

Santiago currently has no plans to sell Akel Kine.  ”This is a showcase product.   At MontGras we are focused on producing high-quality wines at very approachable prices.  We made Akel Kine to show that the same fruit used to make our value wines can be used to make a luxury wine,” he said.

Santiago poured five wines from the MontGras line to pair with lunch at the Sou’ Westerner restaurant in DC’s Mandarin Oriental.  We started with his Sauvignon Blanc from Chile’s San Antonio Valley.  The vineyards are 10 kilometers from the pacific, meaning lower temps but lots of sunshine for the grapes.  The wine had a nice balance of acid and sugar, with meyer lemon on the nose and the palate.  The Reserva Camenère from Colchagua Valley was well made, with a balance of firmness and softness.  ”Camenère needs heat, and lots of it to achieve optimum ripeness,” said Santiago.  The Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon was supple and ripe, with strong blackberry flavor and minty overtones.  Santiago’s signature blend, Quatro, was well-rounded, fresh and modern.   A mix of Cab,  Camenère, Syrah and Malbec reflect the tutelage Santiago spent under Paul Hobbs, learning the importance of grape ripeness in avoiding green flavors.

It’s hard to give up on summer, even when Mother Nature threatens another plague or two before nightfall.

In the spirit of summer, before we forsake the patio for the eat-in kitchen, let’s toast the best days and shake our fist at the skies. And I can think of no better wine than the spicy, spirited flavors of a hearty red Zinfandel.

Forget the stories of its origins in southern Italy, or its sojourn in Croatia and Hungary. Zinfandel is as American as apple pie and the stars and bars. Don’t let the summer fade without pulling the cork from a bottle or two. Here are some suggestions.

  Grgich Hills 2008 Zinfandel (NapaValley, $35). Scented with coffee and tobacco leaf, rich succulent flavors and light spice, even a slightly fruity finish. A simply superb wine.

Paul Dolan 2009 Zinfandel (Mendocino County, $25). A standard-bearer for ol’ time Zinfandel, with flavors of raspberry and chocolate accented with pepper and brown spice.

Plungerhead 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel (Lodi, $16). Deep red color, pungent with full-blown fruit, dark cherry and raspberry, a touch of white pepper on finish.

Seghesio 2009 Zinfandel (Sonoma County, $24). Deep black cherry and blackberry aromas, chewy and highly structured, layers of ripe red fruit and polished tannins, hint of coffee on finish. A perennially superb wine.

Seghesio 2009 Zinfandel Home Ranch (Alexander Valley, $38). Scents of plums and black currants, followed by flavors of black cherry, plums, and sweet tobacco, with lively tannins but soft finish.

Sledgehammer 2008 Zinfandel (North Coast, $15). Red fruit aromas and flavors, medium body, tart finish.

Among the wines was a fantastic Sangiovese from Maremma Toscana named Le Focaie, made by Rocca di Montemassi.  On the nose were hints of cloves, nutmeg, and figs.  The palate offered mandarin orange up front, a glazed doughnut mouth feel, and chocolate-covered strawberries.  This paired exceptionally well with seared pork loin with mushrooms and a Marsala-rosemary demi-glace.

I also enjoyed Zonin’s Ripasso Superiore.  Ripassos might be my favorite style of wine.  If you are ever stumped by a wine list in an Italian restaurant, look for that word and you will not be disappointed.  This specimen offered ash, currant, allspice, and iron in the mouth and had a long finish.  On the nose:  Fruit Cake, chalk, and licorice.  It is a great home-made pizza wine.