Apollonio Il 150 Susumaniello Rosso Salento IGP

Founded in 1870 and now stewarded by fourth-generation brothers Marcello and Massimiliano Apollonio, this Lecce-based house holds the rare Impresa Storica d'Italia designation — and its Il 150 bottling signals exactly why longevity matters: Susumaniello, once nearly extinct across Salento, is here given a solo stage. The estate sits at roughly 100 m elevation near Monteroni di Lecce, on flat to gently karst-depressed terrain with calcareous soils over clay — geology that drives both mineral tension and the deep colour Susumaniello is prized for. Dual sea breezes from the Adriatic and Ionian coasts moderate the intense Puglian sun, preserving aromatic lift and natural acidity that the variety can otherwise lose in hotter inland sites. Vinification follows Apollonio's house method: manual harvest, destemming, temperature-controlled fermentation at 27–28 °C in large Slavonian oak vats with floating-cap pump-overs and extended skin maceration to extract the grape's characteristic deep pigment and polyphenolic structure. Aging proceeds in French oak, consistent with the winery's commitment to maturing approximately one million litres per year in wood — a deliberate counter-position to the stainless-steel freshness trend sweeping Puglia. The special feature here is categorical: a 100% Susumaniello bottling is vanishingly rare even within Salento, where the variety has historically played a blending role. Drink now through the near term for vivid fruit; decant 30 minutes to open the structure.