Petrolo
About Petrolo
One of Tuscany’s leading estates, Petrolo will be a familiar name to oenophiles across the globe. Located just one mile east of the Chianti Classico region, it shares much of the same terroir in its soil typography with a touch more elevation at 450 metres above sea level. Rocky, cool and bathed in Tuscan sunshine, this property is perhaps most famous for its Galatrona cuvée, one of Italy’s finest Merlots.
Petrolo was founded by the grandfather of current winemaker Luca Sanjust in 1947. At Petrolo, they are down-to-earth and obsessed with quality, caring much more for the wine in the bottle than for building flash wineries or participating in gimmicky marketing exercises. The wine is dense and opulent as would be expected from a top-quality Merlot, but with beautiful freshness and finesse – this is a wine that has been made with love.
Viniculture
Galatrona is the estate’s flagship cuvée, the undisputed king of these hills, sourced from a small vineyard of the same name. Planted in the 1980s with low-yielding Bordeaux clone Merlot vines, the vineyard’s soil is an archetypal composition of deeply rich clay with veins of schist, marl and sandstone imbuing stunning minerality to the effortlessly generous and elegant fruit. Inspired by the great producers of Pomerol, Galatrona is crowned as a worthy rival to the likes of Pétrus, Le Pin and Masseto.
There are numerous strings to the mighty bow that is Petrolo, not least of which is their single-vineyard range of Bòggina A, Bòggina B and Bòggina C.
Bòggina A and Bòggina C are both pure Sangiovese expressions hailed from different plots and terroirs. Bòggina B is a pure expression of the ancient Italian Trebbiano varietal, a grape with which collectors should become increasingly familiar due to its sensational complexity at the hands of producers such as Petrolo.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Tuscany | 1 | 94+ (VN) |
Inc. TAX
€354.25 |
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Vinous (94+)Very complex and perfumed aromas of black cherry, violet, black tea and minerals. Also complex and perfumed on the palate, with savory blackberry, black pepper and spice flavors showing multilayered depth and a bright mineral overlay. Finishes bright and long, with a fine dusting of noble tannins and a lovely light touch. A lighter styled Galatrona, but a knockout wine. |
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Tuscany | 10 | 95 (VN) |
Inc. TAX
€435.85 |
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Vinous (95)Petrolo's 2011 Galatrona is just as impressive this year as it was last year. A vivid, voluptuous wine, the 2011 literally jumps from the glass, showing superb intensity, power and depth. Mocha, black cherries, smoke, tobacco and leather are some of the many notes that inform this drop-dead gorgeous, extroverted Galatrona. The style is overt and unabashedly ripe, but all the elements are in the right place. Galatrona fans will adore the 2011. What a gorgeous wine this is. |
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|
Tuscany | 1 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€162.25 |
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James Suckling (99)Terrific aromas of violets, roses and raspberries with hints of strawberries and brown sugar. Full body. Phenomenal layers of focused fruit and polished velvety tannins. This is the Galatrona that everyone has been waiting for. It's the vintage that shows depth and power yet wonderful finesse and focus. Best ever. Drink from 2023 but already electrifying. |
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|
Tuscany | 7 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€322.99 |
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James Suckling (99)Blackberries and black cherries with lavender and violets on the nose. Full-bodied with velvety, chewy tannins, yet the fruit is very intense with vibrancy and energy. Muscular, yet agile. Pure and poised. A unique definition of merlot in Tuscany. Drink after 2025. |
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|
Tuscany | 4 | 90 (VN) |
Inc. TAX
€123.85 |
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Vinous (90)The 2015 Torrione is gorgeous. Bright fruit and expressive floral notes give the Torrione striking energy. Hints of smoke, tobacco and game add further shades of complexity as the wine gains volume and nuance with air. Above all else, though, what stands out is an emphasis on energy that is quite a departure from the Petrolo style of years past. The 2015 is a winner. Don’t miss it. |
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|
Tuscany | 1 | 95 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€123.85 |
|||||
James Suckling (95)Aromas of dried flowers, dried berries, cherries and hints of stones. Full-bodied, very firm and silky. An intense underlying energy of acidity and a lovely finish. 75% sangiovese, 20% merlot and 5% cabernet sauvignon. One of the best ever? Drink in 2020. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tuscany | 1 | 94+ (VN) |
In Bond
€289.00 |
|||||
Vinous (94+)Very complex and perfumed aromas of black cherry, violet, black tea and minerals. Also complex and perfumed on the palate, with savory blackberry, black pepper and spice flavors showing multilayered depth and a bright mineral overlay. Finishes bright and long, with a fine dusting of noble tannins and a lovely light touch. A lighter styled Galatrona, but a knockout wine. |
|||||||||
|
Tuscany | 10 | 95 (VN) |
In Bond
€357.00 |
|||||
Vinous (95)Petrolo's 2011 Galatrona is just as impressive this year as it was last year. A vivid, voluptuous wine, the 2011 literally jumps from the glass, showing superb intensity, power and depth. Mocha, black cherries, smoke, tobacco and leather are some of the many notes that inform this drop-dead gorgeous, extroverted Galatrona. The style is overt and unabashedly ripe, but all the elements are in the right place. Galatrona fans will adore the 2011. What a gorgeous wine this is. |
|||||||||
|
Tuscany | 1 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
€129.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)Terrific aromas of violets, roses and raspberries with hints of strawberries and brown sugar. Full body. Phenomenal layers of focused fruit and polished velvety tannins. This is the Galatrona that everyone has been waiting for. It's the vintage that shows depth and power yet wonderful finesse and focus. Best ever. Drink from 2023 but already electrifying. |
|||||||||
|
Tuscany | 7 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
€263.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)Blackberries and black cherries with lavender and violets on the nose. Full-bodied with velvety, chewy tannins, yet the fruit is very intense with vibrancy and energy. Muscular, yet agile. Pure and poised. A unique definition of merlot in Tuscany. Drink after 2025. |
|||||||||
|
Tuscany | 4 | 90 (VN) |
In Bond
€97.00 |
|||||
Vinous (90)The 2015 Torrione is gorgeous. Bright fruit and expressive floral notes give the Torrione striking energy. Hints of smoke, tobacco and game add further shades of complexity as the wine gains volume and nuance with air. Above all else, though, what stands out is an emphasis on energy that is quite a departure from the Petrolo style of years past. The 2015 is a winner. Don’t miss it. |
|||||||||
|
Tuscany | 1 | 95 (JS) |
In Bond
€97.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (95)Aromas of dried flowers, dried berries, cherries and hints of stones. Full-bodied, very firm and silky. An intense underlying energy of acidity and a lovely finish. 75% sangiovese, 20% merlot and 5% cabernet sauvignon. One of the best ever? Drink in 2020. |