Italy · Tuscany

Petrolo

Petrolo is a 250-hectare Valdarno di Sopra estate in eastern Tuscany, purchased by the Bazzocchi family in 1947 and revitalized in the 1990s under Luca Sanjust. The estate's top wine, Galatrona, is a 100% Merlot from a 4.5-hectare plot on clay-rich soils, first produced in 1993 and quickly recognized as one of Italy's finest Merlot-based wines. With 152 auction lots at $93 average and a best vintage in 2015, Galatrona dominates secondary-market activity for the estate. Torrione, a pure Sangiovese aged in large Slovenian oak, represents the estate's traditional flank at $42 average (41 lots, best in 2009). Campo Lusso, a newer Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend, adds a third tier at $59 average (10 lots). Petrolo's relative geographic isolation in Valdarno—away from the Chianti Classico and Bolgheri prestige corridors—keeps prices below comparably rated Tuscan peers, making it a value-oriented collectible. The 2015 vintage is the reference year for Galatrona in recent memory, with production of approximately 10,000 bottles from a single parcel.