The 2010 Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Puer Apuliae is a super dense and concentrated wine that occupies a sure place on the deepest, darkest and thickest side of the wine spectrum. The oak use is very obvious and it definitely goes too far in my opinion. Thick layers of exotic spice, cinnamon and cardamom pod sit heavy over jammy fruit notes, dried blackberry and prune. This is a seriously big wine that leaves an indelible mark on all the senses. I'm not confident that those oak tones will ever fade. This top shelf wine is the weak link in an otherwise stunning set of new releases from Rivera.