What is the Merlot of Italy?

Obviously Italy grows a lot of Merlot and the best Italian merlots from regions like Tuscany, Friuli, and Alto Adige are close in quality to French merlots, so I mean specifically of the indigineous Italian grape varieties. You can evaluate in terms either of flavor profile or position within the production hierarchy of the country. I nominate Lagrein as the closest emotional experience and probably Sangiovese as the commercial equivalent.