This is San Patrignano's top-end Sangiovese, and it certainly shows very nicely in a warm and sunny vintage such as this. The 2015 Romagna Sangiovese Superiore Riserva Avi is a soft and supple expression with an extra layer of richness and succulence that you would not find in a cooler vintage. The fruit is exuberant and boisterous with purple and black-skinned berries, all followed by smoke, tar and spice. The effect is compelling and inviting. This wine spends up to 18 months in large oak casks.

The 2006 Avi is a brooding wine layered with incense, French oak, grilled herbs, dark cherries, plums and earthiness, all of which come together in a powerful expression of Sangiovese. The intensity of the fruit matches the tannins all the way to the building, long finish. In 2006 Avi is impressive for both its sense of power and elegance. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2021. I was quite frankly blown away by the wines I tasted from San Patrignano this year. San Patrignano is a community built with a mission to help young people recovering from alcohol and drug dependencies return to productive lives. Given the estate’s noble goals, I am particularly happy to see that the wines are so strong this year. The biggest news at San Patrignano, though, is for the future. The estate is gradually moving away from the overtly commercial style of its first vintages. Beginning in 2009 the approach for the top wines is much more based on a non-interventionalist approach to the vineyards and cellar. San Patrignano has enlisted the services of no less than Gianfranco Soldera to lend a hand, so needless to say it will be fascinating to see what develops here.Importer: Palm Bay International, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 362-9642

The 2005 Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Riserva Avi is another fresh offering from San Patrignano. This dense, concentrated wine possesses tons of dark fruit intermingled with attractive, floral aromatics that flow onto the palate with gorgeous depth and elegance. There isn’t a whole lot of varietal character here, but the wine is outstanding in its own way. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2015. These are three pretty wines from San Patrignano, one of the more unique wineries in Italy. San Patrignano was founded as a center to help young people recover from substance abuse dependencies by offering them arange of opportunities to study and work within the large, sprawling estate. San Patrignano makes a wide range of agricultural products, including cheeses, meats, olive oils and, of course, wines. I remain very impressed with the quality the estate is able to achieve from its vineyards near Rimini, a region that is not exactly known for yielding top-flight reds.Importer: Palm Bay International, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 362-9642

This is a sophisticated and elegant wine made in a succulent, New World style with intense aromas of chocolate, spice and plump, ripe cherry fruit. The wine tastes smooth and rich and offer soft tannins backed by long-lasting berry flavors.——M.L.(9/1/2009)—— 91