A lovely blend of Merlot and Refosco, the Bastianich 2015 Vespa Rosso is a beautifully layered and generous wine that starts off with ripe cherry and blackberry and segues to spice, campfire ash and baker's chocolate. There are subtle touches of both the sweet and the savory, and the wine is grounded and balanced at its core. This is a mid-weight red with soft tannins and a solid sense of balance. This is a terrific pairing with a rare cut of filet mignon with roasted baby potatoes.

This vintage of Bastianich's blend of Merlot and Refosco is intriguing, almost exotic. The 2014 Vespa Rosso reveals tarry and plummy notes that bleed into each other in a very rich and nicely balanced fashion. I'd serve it with veal-and-pork meatballs.

The 2013 Vespa Rosso is a plumper, juicier edition of this wine and is very dark at its core. It's a very nice effort, drinking very well right now. You'll find it to be full and generous, expressive and open. Bright cherry notes show up on the nose, and the freshness on the finish keeps it light and buoyant. The wine's natural acidity makes it a good pairing for a well-marbled porterhouse steak.

The 2011 Vespa Rosso is a blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Refosco, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The wine is fermented in open tonneaux and later aged in French barrique. This vintage presents a slightly edgy and raw personality with bold aromas of black cherry, strawberry, smoke and black olive. You can definitely feel some of the fruit ripeness apparent in this warm vintage.

The 2010 Vespa Rosso is a blend of Merlot (50%), Refosco, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The wine pours into the glass with a darkly extracted appearance and black aromas of tar, prune and olive. Despite the enormous intensity of this wine, it also achieves a steady level of harmony with plush richness that wraps thickly around the finish. There are no rough edges here. This is a velvety, opulent red with excellent results this vintage. Drink: 2014-2020. A rock star winery with international pedigree (proprietors are culinary celebrities Joe and Lidia Bastianich), Bastianich has played an important role in raising the profile of quality Friuli wines around the world. Their offerings are always impeccably made and equal emphasis is placed on both reds and whites. Importer: Dark Star Imports, www.darkstarimports.com