Petrolo

Classico Riserva 2020

Val d'Arno di Sopra DOC

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Classico Riserva is a Sangiovese cru and a testament to the winemaking foresight of Petrolo’s founder, Gastone Bazzocchi, who planted the vineyard in 1952 and saw the great quality potential of the vineyard early on. Over the years, the vineyard has been replanted little by little with a massale selection to preserve the diversity of the original clones. Riserva showcases the great expression of a 100% Sangiovese that Petrolo’s unique terroir and microclimate are capable of producing.

VINEYARD

Bòggina is the oldest vineyard on the Petrolo estate, and the source of Petrolo’s most prized Sangiovese vines. Planted in 1952 by the grandfather of proprietor Luca Sanjust, it spans 13 acres. It is planted to a density of 5,500 vinese per ha and is cordon spur trained. The yield per plant is notably restricted (max 2.5 lbs per vine plant), allowing a concentration of all the noble components of the grape, fundamental for the full-bodied character of this wine.

WINEMAKING

Fermented with indigenous yeasts in glass-lined cement vats. The maceration on the skins lasts for 18 days, with frequent manual pumping over. The wine is aged in a combination of one large 22 hectoliter French oak barrel and 7 hectoliter barrels, for a total of 16-18 months, the first 6 months of which are on lees. This process affords the wine greater complexity. After bottling, the wine is left to rest for 6 months before release.

VINTAGE

After a rather mild winter, the initially warm spring brought abundant rains in May and rather cold temperatures for the period. At the beginning of summer, with the heat wave of the first half of June, the development of the vines was realigned to its usual course. The few storms in July were not of real concern and temperatures below average allowed a balanced growth. The grapes in August where washed by some rains but the hot temperatures allowed a very good ripening. The Sangiovese was harvested from the third week of September, in the same period as the Trebbiano.

Color

Red

Grape Varieties

Sangiovese

Appellation

Val d'Arno di Sopra DOC

Farming

Organic

Alcohol

14%

Suggested Retail Price

$110.00

Reviews

"Wild Herbs"

Wine Spectator - June 12, 2023

"Rich, this red offers cherry, plum, rose and mineral flavors, with hints of Mediterranean scrub and wild herbs. Intense and long, with fine harmony and a silky texture, revealing an aftertaste of ripe fruit and earth tones."-B.S 7/23

"Positively acrobatic"

Wine Enthusiast - June 27, 2023

"A nose that dances gracefully in the space between earthy and spicy, from soil and underbrush to black pepper and cloves, turns over to a palate that’s juicy with cherries and rich with dark chocolate, supported by the embrace of sturdy tannins. This is a positively acrobatic Sangiovese."-D.C 6/23

Trade Materials

Other Wines by this Producer

Galatrona

Val d'Arno di Sopra

Galatrona is a cru made entirely from Merlot grapes coming exclusively from a single vineyard planted in the early ‘90s. Year after year, it is recognized critically (the “Le Pin of Tuscany” by Wine Spectator, for example) but, more importantly, understood as being a reflection of its site far more than its grape varietal.

Bòggina B

Toscana IGT

Bòggina B is a little bit of Burgundy with a Tuscan twist. The wine is made with 100% Trebbiano Toscano. The clone of the Valdarno has been known for its quality since the 1300s, when it was regularly sent to the popes in Rome and the courts of Florence. Petrolo has been using Trebbiano grapes for its sweet vinsanto for decades, but owner Luca Sanjust decided that the time had come for a tribute to the great whites of Valdarno’s past. The wine is made under the guidance of one of Burgundy’s greats, Mounir Souma of Lucien Le Moine.

Bòggina A

Val d'Arno di Sopra

Every year, Petrolo selects a small lot of Bòggina, a wine made purely from their best Sangiovese grapes, to ferment in amphorae. The choice of amphorae has a historical dimension to get closer to Tuscany's cultural roots, as Terracotta in Tuscany has a history back to the early Etruscan times. The remains of amphorae and other Etruscan relics can be found throughout the Petrolo property, an area that has been settled for thousands of years.

Torrione

Val d'Arno di Sopra

Torrione is made primarily from Sangiovese grapes, both those that come from historic vines of the 1970s and ones more recently planted with high density. The yield per plant is notably restricted, allowing a concentration of all the noble components of the grape, fundamental for the full-bodied character of this wine. The fruit intensity and its black character make it a comparison to Brunello at several times the price.