'Sine sole sileo' - Without the sun I am silent.

This is the message you find curling around the centre of a smiling Italian sun on the labels of Mutiliana Sangiovese. Owner Giorgio Melandri spent years studying the area and its varied terroirs. Higher up in the Apennines the clay soils of the valley floor give way to poor, looser soils of marl and sandstone. From Modigliana three valleys climb up into the Apennines: Ibola, Tramazzo and Acereta which give their names to 3 wines made of pure Sangiovese, each expressing a unique mineral style that highlights the terroir its valley of origin.

According to wine writer Walter Speller: "Melandri is putting Romagna on the map as a serious Sangiovese destination in its own right. Modigliana is becoming an important benchmark as well as a hugely important development for the entire region".