Tenute Rubino’s 2006 Rosso Jaddico (mostly Negroamaro with Montepulciano and Malvasia Nera) is a gorgeous, fruit-driven wine. Sweet dark cherries, grilled herbs, spices and flowers all make an appearance in this accessible super-ripe Puglian red. The quirky aromas and flavors of Negroamaro are present, and the wine offers lovely balance. This juicy offering is best enjoyed in its youth and also happens to be a great value. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012. I was very impressed with the wines I tasted from Tenute Rubino, a young, promising estate located near Brindisi. These sleek, elegant offerings bode well for the future. Importer: Panebianco LLC, New York, NY; tel. (212) 685-7560

The 2002 Jaddico is the regular bottling of Primitivo, and features a grapey nose, crunchy and refreshing fruit, and a smooth softness on the palate which suggests that the wine be consumed fairly rapidly. Luigi Rubino burst onto the scene in the year 2001 when the wines fashioned for him by Riccardo Cotarella in the 2000 vintage were released. The house style, which added a new freshness and fruitiness to wines previously known principally for their warmth and generosity, represented something new in the panorama of Puglia, and continue to do so. Importer: Opici Wines , www.opiciwines.com