I-italy-tv aired on NYC Live channel 25 in New York for several years. For part of that time, Michele and I were assigned the task of visiting Italian restaurants and interviewing the chefs. One of the restaurants where we taped the show was Felice on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Today there are several Felice locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island and Florida but at that time that was the only one. The Felice Restaurants are a part of the SA Hospitality Group and an extension of Fattoria Sardi Winery from Lucca in Tuscany.
Recently we were invited by Christian Tripodi, the Sommelier at Saint Ambroeus, to attend a dinner at Felice 83 featuring the wines of Petrolo. We were greeted by the wine director, Christian Ferrulli, who I have known for a number of years.
The speaker was Luca Sanjust from the winery. He runs the Petrolo Estate of the historic Bazzocchi-Sanjust family.
The Petrolo Estate is located in Tuscany at the site of what was originally a small medieval town called Galatrona. A stone tower from this period (itself built on foundations dating back to the Roman era) still exists on the property.
Petrolo Winery is owned by 4 generations by the Bazzocchi-Sanjust Family. The estate extends over 109 acres, 825 to 1,500 feet above sea level, in an area known for prestigious wines since the Renaissance.
The vineyards are set in Val d’Arno Superiore, among the hills of the “Chianti Colli Aretini,” bordering southeastern Chianti Classico. The somewhat loosely packed soil in the area features layers of clay stone, shale and limestone.
Since 2004 they have been abandoning traditional farming methods and practicing natural and sustainable solutions: dry farming and no fertilization, no tillage, total grassing with mulch management, and no use of synthetic pesticides. In 2016 the winery obtained official Organic Certification.
The dinner started with Taglieri di Formaggio: herbed goat cheese, pecorino, and manchego with fruit along with a crostone topped with burrata and zucchini.
Petrolo Bòggina B 2021 IGT Toscana Trebbiano produced from plants of Tuscan Trebbiano selected in Valdarno and planted in the ‘70s at Petrolo in the “Poggio” vineyard. They have been recently replanted below the Bòggina vineyard using the same original clones. Manual harvest in crates. Grape selection with sorting table. Natural vinification with native yeasts in tonneaux. The wine ages on the sur lies for over 15 months in special selected French oak tonneaux. The constant batonnage the wine receives during the first months is then gradually decreased. The wine is never racked until bottling.The wine has hints of citrus fruit, lemon, orange blossom with a touch of honey, a note of spicy herbs and a steel quality.
Melanzane alla Parmigiana: Eggplant Parmigiano
Petrolo Bòggina A ( Anfora) 2021 Val d’Arno di Sopra DOC – Vigna Bòggina, Sangiovese. Estate produced and bottled. Made from 100% Sangiovese, certified organic. Vinification is made in terracotta amphorae of 300 and 500 liters from a meticulous selection of the best grapes of the Bòggina vineyard harvested by hand and further selected with a sorting table. Almost no sulfites are added. Natural fermentation is carried out with native yeast and manual “cap” plungings. As fermentation ends, the amphorae are sealed with the skins for about an 8-month long maceration. After the skins’ removal, the wine will continue its aging in amphorae for another 6 months. Amphorae allow a similar microxygenation as barriques, avoiding reduction excesses but preventing barrique flavoring. The wine is naturally protected thanks to the extended contact with the skins without the use of sulphites. The wine has hints of dried cherries, red plum, strawberry, blood orange and a hint of pepper.
Lasagnette al Ragu di Vitello: Lasagna with a rich veal ragù, bechamel sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano followed.
Bòggina C Val d’Arno di Sopra DOC-Vigna Bòggina, Sangiovese Estates produced and bottled,100% Sangiovese organic. Manual harvest in crates. Grape selection with sorting table. Natural vinification with native yeasts in glazed concrete vats. Soft and frequent manual pumping overs. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in wood. For about 16/18 months in rigorously selected French oak 22 Hl barrels and 7 Hl tonneaux. The wine has ripe fruit aromas and flavors with hints of black cherry, plum, lavender, and spice with a touch of tobacco and a hint of espresso.
Torrione Val d’Arno di Spora DOC Pierraviva. Estate produced and bottled made from 80% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sangiovese. Hand harvest and grape selection with sorting table. Torrione is made from the Sangiovese grapes coming from the winery’s historical vineyards of the 70’s and from more recent ones. Vineyards were planted following meticulous zoning that enabled the owners to identify the most suitable rootstocks and the optimal plant density. The yield per plant is very limited (max 1Kg per plant) allowing the concentration of all the noble components of the grape fundamental to the great structure, elegance and balance wanted for this wine. Vinification is with all native yeasts in glazed concrete vats. Soft and frequent manual pumping overs. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in wood. Maturation in concrete tanks, French oak 40Hl barrels, tonneaux and barriques for 15/18 months. This is a complex and structured wine with hints of blueberries, blackberries, dark cherry with a hint of tobacco and a touch of spice.
Luca said Petrolo is the beginning of the winery’s new approach to winemaking aiming to produce wines of the highest quality. Torrione is the “chateau” of Petrolo, a blend of the grapes of all the vineyards of Petrolo: not only Sangiovese from Bòggina but also from other historical vineyards of Petrolo, including Merlot from Galatrona and Cabernet Sauvignon from Campo Lusso. A perfect example of a balanced, clear and deep red. A wine that tells, better than any other, the true identity of our territory.
Peposo con Polenta Cremosa: Beef stew cooked in red wine with black peppercorns served with creamy polenta
Petrolo Galatrona 2021 Val d.Arno di Sour DOC ORGANIC made from 100% Merlot. Luca said this “Grand Cru” of Merlot is only made with the grapes from the vineyard of the same name planted between the end of the 80’s and half of the 90’s with low vigor bordeaux clones. The soil is rich in clay, with schist, marl and sandstone. There are 5,500 plants per hectare. Manual harvest in crates and further grape selection with sorting table. Natural vinification with native yeasts in cement vats. Manual soft and frequent pumping overs. There is spontaneous malolactic fermentation in wood. Maturation in French oak barriques, a third new, for about 18 – 20 months. Constant batonnage of the fine lees for the first 6 months. This is a full bodied aromatic wine with hints of blackberries, black cherry, violets, licorice and a touch of chocolate and a hint of smokey oak. $98
Petrolo Galatrona 2011 This wine was much more developed than the 2021. howing no signs of age and it was the wine of the evening for me. $ 100
Dinner ended on a sweet and satisfying note with an individual Tortino al Cioccolato con Sorbetto al Lampone: a warm chocolate cake served with raspberry sorbet.
Felice 83 (212) 249 4080 – felice83@felicerestaurants.com 1593 1st Avv at 83 St.
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Charles Scicolone on Wine 