Winemaker Notes
2016 was very similar to 2015, another extremely favorable year for winegrowing. In line with typical Tuscan weather, winter was cold enough with abundant rain showers, followed by a regular spring, while summer on average was warmer than usual but not extreme, allowing the soil to keep its moisture. These conditions sustained healthy and balanced growth and extremely good grape ripening. Harvest started with Merlot during the first week of September, followed by Sangiovese during the second week of September over a period of approximately 14 days. Harvest ended in early October with Cabernet Sauvignon from Petrolo’s highest altitude vinyeard, Campo Lusso.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is so focused and precise with fantastic depth and beauty. A pure definition of sangiovese. Full-bodied, tight and refined. Yet, full of strength and length. Succulent, too. A single-vineyard wine with soul.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Val d'Arno di Sopra Bòggina C is a pure expression of Sangiovese from vines planted in 1952. Give the wine a little time to open in the glass; once it does, it offers a beautiful display of forest fruit, spice, leather and earthy tones. Unlike the Bòggina A that is aged in amphorae, the Bòggina C is fermented in concrete vats using ambient yeasts. It sees extended maceration times and is aged in French 40-hectoliter casks and tonneaux. Some 11,000 bottles were made. This single-vineyard expression of Sangiovese reveals impeccable balance and elegance. Rating: 94+
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Wine Spectator
This vibrant, balanced red is rich, with plum, cherry, iron and tobacco notes. Firms up nicely, suggesting a decade or more of development ahead, ending with a tangy aftertaste of fruit and mineral. Sangiovese. Best from 2021 through 2033.
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Wine & Spirits
Sangiovese for the “classic” Bòggina C ages for 18 months in French oak barrels, and comes across as more shy and muted than the highly expressive, amphora-aged Bòggina A (recommended above). The fruit flavors lean toward black cherry and plum, with accents of baking spice and forest floor that give the wine a dark and musky tone. It feels a bit like the stern older sister of the more playful Bòggina A, though a few more years of bottle age will reveal which one has more staying power.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.