I had lunch today at Tavern in Los Angeles with Luca Sanjust, owner of Petrolo winery in Tuscany. He was showcasing the pre-releases of his 2008 Torrione and Galatrona, in addition to some current and library wines. Having only tasted one or two of his wines in the past, I jumped at the opportunity.
The lunch began with some Ostertag Sylvaner (I didn't catch the vintage...) just to wet the whistle and prime the palate. We quickly moved into the 2007 and 2008 Torrione, which is predominantly Sangiovese. Luca's father was originally a Chianti producer, but they decided to ride the Super-Tuscan wave at Petrolo. The Torrione, while pricey for a Sangiovese, is actually still quite a good value for itself. Especially when considered against wines like Tignanello. The 2007 was firmly structured and seems to be built for the long haul. The 2008 is drinking better today and likely will over the coming years while the '07 comes into its own.
We moved on to the 2008 Galatrona which is 100% Merlot. They planted this Merlot back when it was trendy. I wonder if they regret the decision now... Regardless, the wine is nothing short of wonderful. We followed that with the 2005 and 2006 vintages. I must say that, despite critical reviews, I preferred the 2005. It's showing more complexity and aroma, more generous fruit and, all-in-all, seems the better wine of the three for drinking tonight. The 2006 is in need of some serious time and the 2008 is, obviously, still very primary, but looks to be one that will be drinkable fairly early as well.
These wines are fairly pricey for what they are, if you consider that they are just IGT wines. However, they exemplify all the character of Tuscan wines (which I believe is most important to Luca) and compete in a world format as well. If you happen to find an extra hund-y laying around, spring for a 2005 Galatrona. I don't think it would be a disappointment.
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