Farnese’s French oak-aged 2007 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Casale Vecchio is a jammy, opulent wine loaded with the essence of blackberries, blueberries, spices, smoke and licorice. While the wine offers impressive concentration and depth, it isn’t noticeably better than the regular bottling, which I would say shows more varietal character. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2012. These new releases from Farnese offer exceptional quality for the money. The wines are clean, correct and delicious, as long as the estate doesn’t stray too far from its core strength of making simple, well-made wines. Farnese offers two ranges in the value category, the first of these is a line of simple, varietal wines, while the Casale Vecchio series consists of special selections.Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

Here’s a black, rugged, almost impenetrable wine with thick concentration, a purple-blue color and well-integrated notes of black fruit and Asian spice. There are slight creamy tones of berry smoothie or milk chocolate, and the oak influences are evident.——M.L.(2/1/2009)—— 89