2014 Petrolo Torrione Val D’ Arno Di Sopra DOC Toscana

Revelations: High Above the Tuscan Fog Line

Lucia Sanjust’s Petrolo sits, far from any other prestigious estates, in the center of a triangle formed by Florence, Siena, and Arezzo. When we first visited in 2013, we immediately got a sense of the passion and resolve that go into the upkeep of this world-class vineyard. But Petrolo’s greatest gift didn’t dawn on us during our afternoon walk through the vines, nor during our dinner under the Tuscan night sky. That revelation arrived in the morning, when we pulled back the bedroom curtains, stepped out on the patio, and looked down below.

While the valley floor was shrouded in thick fog, the sun shined bright on the vines of Petrolo, which occupy only a fraction of this 672-acre mix of forest and hills. The estate’s perch high above the fogline has been a key factor in Petrolo rising to become one of Tuscany’s most decorated wineries. Sanjust’s top cuvée, “Galatrona,” has been called the “Le Pin of Tuscany” by Wine Spectator. James Suckling, Spectator’s longtime European bureau chief, has praised Petrolo’s top wines effusively: His #1 and #4 Italian wines of 2013, 2011’s 99-point “Galatrona” and the 96-point “Bògginanfora,” were both Petrolo wines.

“Torrione,” Petrolo’s “bargain” blend, is no stranger to critical praise, either. In 2014, it was James Suckling who found the “Torrione” to be “refined and silky,” packed with “red cherry, pressed violets, milk chocolate, and dark earth,” for which he awarded it 92 points. A small point of comparison: Suckling gave a comparable 92-93 points to the 2014 Sassicaia, whose price hovers around $200.

We’re thrilled to be first to market with Petrolo’s 2014 “Torrione.” We think you’ll be just as excited.

• ABV 14.00%
• Enjoy right away
• Drink Up
• % Sangiovese
• Serving temperature – 65°