Critics reviews
Antonio Galloni - Wine Advocate - Issue#196 Aug 2011
About this WINE
Valgiano, Tuscany
Since the 1990s, the team of Laura di Collobiano, Moreno Petrini & winemaker/viticulturalist Saverio Petrilli have breathed new life into this stunning 16th century Tuscan estate, Valgiano.
As part of the Colline Lucchesi DOC overlooking Lucca, Valgiano is blessed with a mix of both limestone & sandstone soils, near perfect aspect, & a constant stream of bristlingly-pure water which spills off Monte Barbona rising nearly a 1000 metres above them.
This near perfect terroir encouraged Valgiano to convert to organic viticulture in 1997 & to biodynamics in 2002. Traditional methods are used in the cellar, employing a mix of stainless-steel & french oak, while technological interference is kept to a minimum.
The objective is to produce, in the simplest possible way, wines that are an expression of the place in which they are cultivated.
Sangiovese
A black grape widely grown in Central Italy and the main component of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as well as being the sole permitted grape for the famed Brunello di Montalcino.
It is a high yielding, late ripening grape that performs best on well-drained calcareous soils on south-facing hillsides. For years it was blighted by poor clonal selection and massive overcropping - however since the 1980s the quality of Sangiovese-based wines has rocketed upwards and they are now some of the most sought after in the world.
It produces wines with pronounced tannins and acidity, though not always with great depth of colour, and its character can vary from farmyard/leather nuances through to essence of red cherries and plums. In the 1960s the advent of Super Tuscans saw bottlings of 100% Sangiovese wines, as well as the introduction of Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blends, the most famous being Tignanello.
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Description
The 2009 Palistorti red is a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot, 10% Syrah is full-bodied and saturated in colour, decadent almost with a minty, liquorice lift, while violet creams dominate the palate, such is the dense black chocolate texture and character of the palate; a wine that was vinified in 60% oak and 40% cement. Best tucked away for several years before serving with a shoulder of lamb.
David Berry Green, Fine Wine Buyer
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