Petra

The beautiful Petra winery in Suvereto is part of Gruppo Terra Moretti, the wine empire of the Lombard developer Vittorio Moretti, which extends over several vineyards. It is run by his daughter Francesca. Moretti chose the southernmost tip of the province of Livorno for its headquarters, with the ferruginous hills of the Val di Cornia. Sangiovese also grows and thrives there in a Mediterranean microclimate, although this autochthonous grape variety is not exactly typical of the Maremma. In 2006, however, the plots intended for this type of grape and situated on a gentle hill in the hinterland for the first time produced exceptional qualities. All the vineyards of the relatively young company were planted by Francesca Moretti in collaboration with the internationally renowned Italian "pope of postures" Attilio Scienza is analyzing and researching.

In the vineyards, red varieties are cultivated on rich soils - among them the Tuscan flagship varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but also some Syrah and Alicante. The grapes are processed into wines that have become more and more convincing stylistically over the years. The slopes of the Petra vineyard are also planted with white Malvasia, Trebbiano, Clarette and Vermentino varieties. These grapes are intended for sweet wines.

In the cellar, designed by the famous architect Mario Botta, the oenologist Pascal Châtonnet is responsible for the winemaking process. It is one of the most impressive buildings of its kind in the world. He has been supported in his work since 2010 by Paolo Trappolini, who moved to the Maremma after two decades of successful work at the Avignonesi Winery in Montepulciano. In the cellar, the use of machinery is minimised during grape processing and must production. The production cycle is modern and practical, but never far from tradition. The berries are processed according to the principle of gravity. Among the very different estate wines, the Petra Rosso, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet, is the real performer of the house. Recently, however, the potenti pressed from Cabernet Sauvignon in pure varieties has also been able to convince at tastings time and again.

In addition to Petra, the vineyard kingdom of Moretti also includes the Tuscan estate La Badiola, located in Castiglione della Pescaia, as well as Bellavista and Contadi Castaldi, two farms in Franciacorta. SUPERIORE.DE

"Since the oenologist Pascal Châtonnet from Bordeaux took over the responsibility for the cellar, Petra's wines have taken a significant leap forward in quality."Falstaff