Boggina Anfora, Petrolo 2021 75cl

Boggina Anfora takes the same prized Sangiovese vineyard as Petrolo's Riserva and vinifies it in terracotta amphorae instead of oak. The result is one of the most compelling expressions of amphora-aged Tuscan red being made today: pure, textural and unmistakably alive.

Petrolo farm in the Valdarno di Sopra, in the hills between Florence and Arezzo, and the Boggina vineyard is their Sangiovese heart. Here the fruit is fermented and aged in buried terracotta jars, a method that lets the wine breathe gently without any imprint of new wood. What you get is Sangiovese with nothing between you and the grape, plus the fine, chewy texture that skin contact in clay brings.

The nose is savoury and lifted: sour cherry, cranberry, blood orange, dried herbs, wild fennel and a stony, almost ferrous note. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and mineral, with vivid acidity and finely grained, slightly grippy tannins that give it a satisfying, textural pull. There is a wild, untamed edge here that oak would have smoothed away, and the finish is long, dry and savoury.

At around £70 this is a wine for the curious and the committed, someone who wants to taste place rather than technique. Drink it now with food and a good decant, or hold it several years. It only gets more interesting.

How to Serve

Serve at 15–17°C in a large glass. Decant an hour ahead, or even more, to let the wild aromatics settle and unfurl.

Where to Drink It

Brawn in Columbia Road champions low-intervention reds like this. Noble Rot Soho would pour it gladly. Sager + Wilde suits it perfectly.

Food Pairings

Try it with grilled lamb and salsa verde. Also brilliant with a plate of charcuterie and lentils.