The 2011 Copertino Riserva Divoto is a blend of 70% Negroamaro and 30% Montepulciano and the wine is only produced in the best vintages. The two grapes are blended together before fermentation occurs thus giving the wine seamless transitions between its various points of varietal identity. The soft, jammy and super enriched side of Primitivo meets the slightly more rustic and savory side of Montepulciano. There is an "old school" quality to this wine that is expressed in its abundantly concentrated and over-the-top, flamboyant style.

I am reviewing the Apollonio 2010 Copertino Riserva Divoto now, although I reviewed the 2011 vintage of this same wine a few years back. This is a blend of 70% Negroamaro and 30% Montepulciano from vineyards near beautiful Lecce, one of Italy's Baroque architectural gems. The wine offers ripe fruit and succulence with dried blackberry and plum. Unsurprisingly, this aged expression also shows evolved tones of dried fruit, leather and licorice. I wouldn't suggest waiting too much longer to uncork this robust Puglia red, perhaps with a marinated flank steak. This wine undergoes up to 45 days of fermentation in large Slavonian oak and later ages in French barrique for 24 months. Some 10,000 bottles were made.

The 2007 Copertino Riserva Divoto is totally over the top for my tastes. The blend is 70% Negroamaro and 30% Montepulciano, aged in French oak for 24 months. Divoto opens to a black, impenetrable appearance and delivers a blast of scorched earth, blackened almond husk, popcorn and toasted coconut shavings. The intensity is too much of a good thing. At its core, the wine shows jammy fruit marmalade and a powerful blast of alcoholic heat. Only a palate of steel can take all of this in.

80% Negromaro, 20% Malvasia Nero. Medium garnet. Dark cherry and black pepper on the nose. A little hollow and simple on the palate. Medium+ acid, medium level of rounded tannins. Medium+, savoury finish. Tasted July 2009.Imported in Japan by ROYAL OF JAPAN, LTD.