1997 Piaggia Carmignano “Riserva,” Tuscany.

Wines have been made in the terraced hillsides of Carmignano to the west of Florence for centuries. Since at least the 1700s, though, alongside Tuscany’s Sangiovese, vineyards were also planted with uva francesca, a.k.a. Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the only Tuscan region that requires the addition of Cabernet, though others have recently begun to allow it.

Piaggia’s Carmignano riserva from the splendid 1997 vintage is a gorgeous wine. Tasting of dark plums and cherries with just a hint of oak, it is muscular and intense. It’s made by the young hotshot enologist Alberto Antonini and has an elegance that Carmignano rarely achieves. Beneath all that velvety fruit, the Piaggia displays plenty of ripe, finely knit tannins, which means this is one to age.

It would take a lot of discipline to do that though, once you realize what delicious drinking this bottle is right now. Grab some early, because this one is poised to become a cult wine.

About $34. Available at Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese, 233 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 856-8699; Wally’s, 2107 Westwood Blvd., West L.A., (310) 475-0606; Hi Time Wine Cellars, 250 Ogle St., Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463; and Woodland Hills Wine Co., 22622 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, (818) 222-1111.