PETROLO Torrione 2007 This property has become one of the most talked about Tuscan estates in recent years. Petrolo is situated in the area known as the Colli Aretini, bordering on the Chianti Hills, a historical area delimited in 1716 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de. Medici as one of Tuscany.s top four wine producing zones. The Petrolo estate was part of the old medieval fiefdom of .Galatrona., the old tower (.Torrione.) of which still remains on top of Roman foundations. Today the property covers 272 hectares of which 31 are vineyards, situated between 250-450 metres above sea level. There are 19 Ha of olive groves and the rest of the estate is arable land and woods. Luca Sanjust runs the estate, having taken over from his mother, Lucia Bazzocchi. The vibrancy and intensity of the fruit that Luca is now getting in his wines has brought them some well-deserved attention. The grapes are grown in the low-yielding Torrione vineyard on the Petrolo estate. Fruit for this wine came from vineyards planted in the 1970s and some more recently planted vineyards. The soil consists of rocky stratifications of galestro, clay-like earth with schist typical of the Apennine areas in Tuscany. 2007 was a good vintage with normal weather conditions and good rainfall in the first few months which helped the vines during the hot, dry summer. Maceration and fermentation took place in concrete vats and lasted approximately 14 days. Regular and frequent pumping over at the beginning of fermentation allowed maximum extraction of colour and tannins. Malolactic fermentation followed immediately. In December the wine was racked into French oak barriques, to mature for 15 months. Good depth of ruby red colour, with an intensely perfumed nose of wild red and black fruit, cherries and raspberries and spicy vanilla from the oak ageing. Lovely weight on the palate with the oak adding polish and and roundness to the structure of the Sangiovese. Decanter World Wine Awards 2010 International Wine Challenge 2010 Sommelier Wine Awards 2010 Vintage 2007 Grape varieties 100% Sangiovese Region Mercatale Valdarno Winemaker Stefano Guidi/Carlo Ferrini Closure Cork Alcohol (ABV) 13.9% Acidity 5.37g/l Wine pH 3.59 Find this wine at www.winestore.co.uk Price: £36.16 (Including VAT at 20%)