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