Petra Hebo Toscana Rosso 2024
£16.75
The wine
Complex and characterful, with black cherry, ripe red fruits and blueberry, and nuances of violet, mineral tones and maquis scrub adding depth. The typical balsamic note is intense and well defined, with balanced acidity, well-tailored tannins and delicate savoury notes leading to a long finish.
Hebo is Petra's entry red, blending Sangiovese with the three Bordeaux varieties. The Val di Cornia on the Tuscan coast is warmer and more maritime than the inland hills, so Cabernet and Merlot ripen fully rather than turning green. Organically farmed, and made for immediate drinking.
The producer
Petra
View all Petra winesPetra was founded in 1997 at Suvereto in the Val di Cornia, on the Tuscan coast south of Bolgheri, by Vittorio Moretti of Bellavista and his daughter Francesca.
The winery itself is the most striking thing about it: a vast circular building designed by the Swiss architect Mario Botta, cut into the hillside with a long stone staircase running up its face towards the vines. It has become one of the most photographed wineries in Italy.
The Maremma coast is warmer, flatter and more maritime than inland Tuscany, and Bordeaux varieties ripen fully here where they struggle in the hills. Petra works Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc alongside Sangiovese, on iron-rich soils in a zone that was mined for metals from Etruscan times. Farming is organic.
