Fattoria Petrolo

Torrione has embodied Petrolo's production turnaround since 1988 and marks Luca Sanjust's vision of uncompromisingly quality-orientated viticulture. The name comes from the historic Torre di Galatrona, the medieval tower on the estate, which towers over the Arno Valley and can be seen from afar. As the "Château" of Petrolo, this wine combines the essence of all the vineyards on the estate: Sangiovese from the historic plots from the 1970s forms the backbone with 80 per cent, supplemented by 15 per cent Merlot from the famous Galatrona vineyard and 5 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon from Campo Lusso. The organically cultivated vineyards are situated between 250 and 500 metres above sea level on the characteristic Galestro soils of the Tuscan Apennine foothills. After careful manual harvesting and selection, an 18-day maceration with spontaneous malolactic fermentation takes place in oak vats, followed by approx. 20 months of ageing in large wooden barrels and partly in French barriques.

The A in the name of Boggina stands for the natural wine aged for around 6 months in 400-600 Liters terracotta amphorae, which is bottled in a run of just 5,000 bottles without the addition of sulphites. Light, bright garnet red in colour. The bouquet is ethereal, very delicate and nuanced, with a very precise interpretation of the fragrance of the Sangiovese grape. Medium-bodied on the palate, with an exceptionally beautiful structure and authentic Sangiovese fruit with a salty vein. The finish is highly drinkable, with silky tannins and beguiling length. A masterpiece of beauty and elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

It was a dream that engineer Gastone Bazzocchi planted in the Tuscan soil in 1947 – five hectares of Sangiovese on a hill he called Bòggina. Luca Sanjust, his grandson and former painter, now thinks of Paul Klee's "Angelus Novus" and Walter Benjamin's interpretation of this angel, who "looks to the past" while "a storm blows from paradise". This is Bòggina: a wine with its eyes turned to the past and yet mercilessly pushed into the future. Since 2011, Petrolo has been experimenting with the vinification of a special lot from the best grapes from this historic vineyard in terracotta amphorae from Impruneta – the pottery that has characterised Tuscan culture since the Etruscans. Fermentation takes place for two weeks in 300 and Liters litre amphorae with indigenous yeasts before the vessels are hermetically sealed. The wine macerates on the skins for eight months, protected by natural skin contact without the addition of sulphites.

Bòggina Bianco is an extremely brooding, flavoursome and fresh Trebbiano from vines that are around 50 years old. It is the result of Luca Sanjust's encounter with Lucien Le Moine (Mounir Souma), a major producer in Burgundy, who has contributed significantly to the success of this extraordinary project with his inspiration and expertise. Vinification takes place in French oak barrels and tonneaux specially made for this wine and selected by Lucien Le Moine. The wine remains "sur lie" (on the lees) for the entire ageing period of over 2 years, which gives it an incredibly fresh flavour and harmony. An extremely rare and very delicious exceptional white wine, which is only produced in small quantities of a few 1,000 bottles. SUPERIORE.DE

Since the exceptional 2019 harvest, Luca Sanjust has taken another step towards "quality without compromise" with his Boggina C. The yields per plant have been reduced even further and the selection of grapes from the identified parcel has been made even stricter. This led to a reduction in the number of bottles available to around 3,000. The same meticulousness was also applied in the cellar by selecting the most suitable 7 hectolitre barrels for ageing "sur lie". Great attention was paid to their wood grain and toasting in order to achieve the harmony and flavour that a pure Grand Cru Sangiovese should have.

In the heart of the Val d'Arno lies Campo Asciutto – the "dry field" that agronomist Giorgio Perrin described in 1834 as the pearl of this terroir praised by Cosimo III de' Medici. It was here that engineer Gastone Bazzocchi planted his vision of a great Sangiovese in 1952, a dream of five hectares that is now considered the oldest and best Sangiovese vineyard in Petrolo. The "C" stands for Classico – the traditional interpretation of this exceptional crus.

The small vineyard is located at an altitude of 500 m above the Galatrona Tower and offers the best conditions for growing the French grape variety Cabernet Sauvignon. Due to the limestone subsoil, this site is also called a luxury site (campo lusso). Intense and generous bouquet of dark fruits, leather and chocolate. Complex and deep on the palate, very focused and with increasing aeration very elegant and aristocratic. A complete red that will delight not only Cabernet lovers. Only about 1,300 bottles of this spectacular drop can be produced per vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

On 11 September 2001 – the day that changed the world – luca Sanjust planted 5,000 Cabernet Sauvignon vines on half a hectare of natural terraces, directly below the medieval watchtower of Galatrona. "Campo Lusso" – the luxury field – is what the local farmers have called this place at an altitude of 450 to 500 metres, surrounded by the pristine forests of the Chianti hills. A place of such beauty and favourable climate that it really was a luxury. Here, where calcareous slate mixes with marl and sandstone, Cabernet Sauvignon finds the mineral complexity that distinguishes it from the usual interpretations of this Bordeaux grape variety. The Gobelet cultivation – that ancient bush form – forces the vines to reach the lowest concentrations, while the forests protect them from the cool down winds and the morning sun dries everything quickly.

The small vineyard is located 500 metres above the Galatrona Tower and offers the best conditions for growing the French Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety. Due to the limestone subsoil, this site is also known as a luxury site (campo lusso). Intense and generous bouquet of dark fruit, leather and chocolate. Complex and deep on the palate, very focussed and, with aeration, very elegant and aristocratic. A complete red that will not only delight Cabernet lovers. Only around 1,300 bottles of this spectacular wine can be produced per vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

At the end of the 1980s, Luca Sanjust planted the first Merlot clones in the clay-rich soils of Feriale, unaware that he would create a legend. The name Galatrona – once the dominion of the Tuscan dynasty, whose medieval watchtower towers over the ten-hectare vineyard – was to become synonymous with Italian Merlot perfection. "Le Pin of Tuscany", as Wine Spectator calls it, but at a fraction of the price of this mythical Pomerol. The 50,000 vines on southeast-facing terraces combine Bordeaux genetics with Tuscan soul. Clay stores the moisture that Merlot needs in the hot summers, while slate, marl and sandstone provide the mineral complexity.

In 2001, Luca Sanjust unceremoniously renamed his Vinsanto del Chianti "San Petrolo Passito Bianco", as he was no longer willing to put up with the uncompromising and incomprehensible views of the consortium on the specification of a Vin Santo del Chianti Classico. For some of the analytical values (sugar, acidity, alcohol content) of his exceptional dessert wine did not correspond to the rigid specifications of the regulations, which, however, did not detract from the quality of his wine. There are just 600 bottles of each vintage, but they are quite something.

Bòggina Bianco is an extremely brooding, flavoursome and fresh Trebbiano from vines that are around 50 years old. It is the result of Luca Sanjust's encounter with Lucien Le Moine (Mounir Souma), a major producer in Burgundy, who has contributed significantly to the success of this extraordinary project with his inspiration and expertise. Vinification takes place in French oak barrels and tonneaux specially made for this wine and selected by Lucien Le Moine. The wine remains "sur lies" (on the lees) for the entire ageing period of over 2 years, which gives it an incredibly fresh flavour and harmony. An extremely rare and very delicious exceptional white wine, which is only produced in small quantities of a few 1,000 bottles. SUPERIORE.DE

The exceptional 2019 harvest has prompted Luca Sanjust to take another step towards "quality without compromise". The yields per plant were reduced even further and the selection of grapes from the identified parcel was made even more rigorous. This led to a reduction in the number of bottles available to around 3,000. The same meticulousness was applied in the cellar, selecting the most suitable 7 hectolitre barrels for ageing "sur lie". The greatest attention was paid to their wood grain and "toasting" in order to achieve the harmony and taste that a pure Grand Cru Sangiovese should have.

Galatrona is a pure Merlot in a class of its own. Black-red ruby in the glass. On the nose, black berries, fine wood spice and some leather. Very generous fruit aromas and extremely complex on the palate, it glides elegantly into the depths until it is caught by a finely woven tannin and passes into a long and finesse-rich finish. A wine that does not have to hide behind Masseto & Co., on the contrary, for us it has been Italy's Merlot benchmark for years. SUPERIORE.DE

At the end of the 1980s, Luca Sanjust planted the first Merlot clones in the clay-rich soils of Feriale, unaware that he would create a legend. The name Galatrona – once the dominion of the Tuscan dynasty, whose medieval watchtower towers over the ten-hectare vineyard – was to become synonymous with Italian Merlot perfection. "Le Pin of Tuscany", as Wine Spectator calls it, but at a fraction of the price of this mythical Pomerol. The 50,000 vines on southeast-facing terraces combine Bordeaux genetics with Tuscan soul. Clay stores the moisture that Merlot needs in the hot summers, while slate, marl and sandstone provide the mineral complexity.

At the end of the 1980s, Luca Sanjust planted the first Merlot clones in the clay-rich soils of Feriale, unaware that he would create a legend. The name Galatrona – once the dominion of the Tuscan dynasty, whose medieval watchtower towers over the ten-hectare vineyard – was to become synonymous with Italian Merlot perfection. "Le Pin of Tuscany", as Wine Spectator calls it, but at a fraction of the price of this mythical Pomerol. The 50,000 vines on southeast-facing terraces combine Bordeaux genetics with Tuscan soul. Clay stores the moisture that Merlot needs in the hot summers, while slate, marl and sandstone provide the mineral complexity.

Galatrona is a pure Merlot in a class of its own. Black-red ruby in the glass. On the nose, black berries, fine wood spice and some leather. Very generous fruit aromas and extremely complex on the palate, it glides elegantly into the depths until it is caught by a finely woven tannin and passes into a long and finesse-rich finish. A wine that does not have to hide behind Masseto & Co., on the contrary, for us it has been Italy's Merlot benchmark for years. SUPERIORE.DE

At the end of the 1980s, Luca Sanjust planted the first Merlot clones in the clay-rich soils of Feriale, unaware that he would create a legend. The name Galatrona – once the dominion of the Tuscan dynasty, whose medieval watchtower towers over the ten-hectare vineyard – was to become synonymous with Italian Merlot perfection. "Le Pin of Tuscany", as Wine Spectator calls it, but at a fraction of the price of this mythical Pomerol. The 50,000 vines on southeast-facing terraces combine Bordeaux genetics with Tuscan soul. Clay stores the moisture that Merlot needs in the hot summers, while slate, marl and sandstone provide the mineral complexity.

At the end of the 1980s, Luca Sanjust planted the first Merlot clones in the clay-rich soils of Feriale, unaware that he would create a legend. The name Galatrona – once the dominion of the Tuscan dynasty, whose medieval watchtower towers over the ten-hectare vineyard – was to become synonymous with Italian Merlot perfection. "Le Pin of Tuscany", as Wine Spectator calls it, but at a fraction of the price of this mythical Pomerol. The 50,000 vines on southeast-facing terraces combine Bordeaux genetics with Tuscan soul. Clay stores the moisture that Merlot needs in the hot summers, while slate, marl and sandstone provide the mineral complexity.