Box Of the Month: Wine With a Mission

San Patrignano is more than a vineyard, it is a social mission. The Community is committed to the rehabilitation of men and women suffering from drug addiction and marginalisation, and is founded on the belief that restoring a connection with nature is a means to rebuild man. The entire process from cultivating the vines to the harvest to the cellar work is done by those who have chosen viticulture as their vocational sector.   

The vineyard has grown over the years since the Community of San Patrignano was established in 1978. The estate now covers over 100 hectares between Rimini and Mount Titano with the rolling hills creating an enclosed microclimate where the contrast between the hills and the sea facilitate temperature variations that imbue the grapes with a very specific character. Developing from just local varieties of Sangiovese and Trebbiano, the varieties now including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. In addition to wine, the estate produces an Extra Virgin Olive Oil from varieties including Correggiolo, Leccino, Moraiolo, Pendolino and Rossina

Vinification methods are varied and range from malolactic fermentation to long barrel ageing to the charmat method. This variety not only brings out the varied characteristics of the vines cultivated on the estate but also ensures that the members of the Community learn to work with a range of techniques that they can apply to their own professions once they leave San Patrignano to forge a new, renewed, life for themselves

Wines:

“Aulente” Rubicone Bianco IGT 2021
The decision to harvest at dawn ensures that the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in this blend is beautifully aromatic. The wine is aged in steel tank on its lees for 5 months in order to not overpower the delicacy of both varieties. There is an excellent contrast between the fruit forward Chardonnay and the freshness of the Sauvignon Blanc. Delicate, of course, but also with a pervasive minerality.

“Aulente” Rubicone Rosso IGT 2020
Sangiovese but not as you know it. Harvested at night and undergoing malolactic fermentation retains a freshness but also allows the spice of Sangiovese to shine through. Ageing in oak for 6 months has exacerbated the intensity of the wine and allows notes of cherry, plum and rose to shine through.

“Avi” Sangiovese Romagna Superiore Riserva DOC 2019
Dedciated to Vicenzo, the founded of San Patrignano this is the Co-operatives pride and joy. Sangiovese in purity it is a powerful, complex wine with 24 months aging in tonneaux. There is a stunning bouquet of earth, liquorice, warm spice and dried flowers. On the palate the energy of the Sangiovese combines with balsamic elements and a strong tannic structure. A wine to contemplate.

Vino Spumante Start N/V
Obtained from selected white grapes and vinified using the Martinotti method. Upon opening the bottle, intense, fruity, and floral aromas immediately emerge: apple, lemon peel, orange blossoms, acacia, and jasmine. The palate confirms the olfactory sensations, with the addition of a pleasant note of peach and kiwi. Although complex, the palate is slender and vibrant, providing a pleasant drinking experience. The perlage appears fine and elegant thanks to a very prolonged mousse.

"1978" Cabernet Franc Rubicone Igt 2019
In 1978, the San Patrignano community was founded, guided by inspiration, courage, and boldness. This same audacity has led to the production of a pure Cabernet Franc. The wine features an intense ruby red color and typical varietal aromas of green pepper, sage, ripe cherry, and blackberry. It has tight tannins, a long finish with notes of autumn leaves, dried flowers, and licorice, and an elegant balsamic closure supported by a pleasant freshness that ensures its longevity.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
Alongside the vines, the estate also encompasses a plentiful harvest of olives including Correggiolo, Leccino, Moraiolo, Pendolino and Rossina. Pressed and stored in stainless steel under nitrodgen this is a fresh, shiny olive oil. Fruity on the nose with a long persistence it is complex and rounded in the mouth. Not an oil for dipping but for dressing and with aplomb.