2012 Petrolo Inarno Rosso Toscana

Petrolo is a leading wine estate in Tuscany, Italy. It is located a mile or so to the east of Chianti Classico, within the Chianti Colli Aretini zone. It is widely regarded as rivaling many Chianti Classico properties in terms of quality and is best known for its high-quality Sangiovese-based wines.

The wine portfolio is headed by the Bggina line which is composed of three varietal wines. Produced only in exceptional vintages, it is a trio of Trebbiano and two Sangiovese wines.

The estate has 31 hectares (76 acres) of vineyards with rocky soils that are typical of the Chianti region. The favorable terroir is aided by the site’s altitude of up to 450 meters (1500 feet) above sea level. The sunny exposure allows grapes to develop concentrated flavor compounds with good acidity.

In the winery, fermentations occur in glazed cement vats using native yeasts. Most of the wines are aged in French barriques with some larger 4000-litre wooden casks also used.

Petrolo was acquired by the Bazzocchi family in the 1940s who successfully created and developed the esteemed reputation of the estate that it has today.