Description

The picturesque Fattoria di Petrolo estate is located just outside the Chianti Classico zone near Montevarchi. They grow grapes and organic olives. The wine production is based off 26ha of vines over numerous sites. Petrolo is most famous for its 100% Merlot wine called Galatrona. Owner Luca Sanjust always surrounded himself with the brightest wine minds. Which is how he came to find that the clay rich soils in the lower parts of the estate were better suited to other varieties such as Merlot.

Galatrona is the name of the Roman tower that sits on the estate. The wine is sourced from the single vineyard site planted in 1990. Yields are kept low for concentration and the wine is given a very Bordeaux like treatment. Maceration on skins to extract colour and tannin. Long aging in new French Barriques.  The wine itself is amazing. I decanted it as it was looking so tight. And at the end of the night, just with the last sip, it started to show some extra depth of flavour. It needs 7-15 years for the best to come out.

Valdarno di Sopra DOC

The appellation Valdarno di Sopra DOC sits to the east of Chianti proper in the hills. It shares similar soils to Chianti. It is pretty well unknown  but since at least the 1800s it was known to grow great Sangiovese and French grapes.

Merlot

It gets a tough time most of the places it is grown. But in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion Merlot not only dominates but makes some of the best wines in the world. Perfume, silky and plush. Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon season the wines with structure and acid but in some places, like Petrus they are almost not needed.