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2021 Petrolo Galatrona (750ml)

Merlot from Val d’Arno di Sopra, Tuscany, Italy

B-21 Top Recommendation
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Described as “a gorgeous and sumptuous wine” by Antonio Galloni of Vinous and among the “upper echelons of Tuscan wine” according to Gambero Rosso, Petrolo’s Galatrona is a standout even among its famed Super Tuscan peers, earning its well-deserved reputation vintage over vintage as “Tuscany’s answer to Petrus” according to the Wine Spectator, this offer for three stunning vintages among the best values in the region and simply not to be missed by lovers and collectors of Italy’s best red wines.

Located on a winding hillside road in northwest of Arezzo just outside the Chianti Classico zone, the strikingly beautiful Petrolo estate spans 672 acres of woodlands, olive groves and pristine hillside vineyards, the highest point dominated by the rustic centuries’ old sandstone watchtower for which Galatrona is named. Leaving his career as a successful painter to run his family’s estate 30 years ago, vintner Luca Sanjust had a passion for the great Merlots of Pomerol, fueling the idea of producing a pure Merlot in Tuscany from the low yielding Bordeaux vines that his mother Lucia had first planted on the estate in the late 1980’s and releasing the first Galatrona in 1994 to unanimous critical acclaim. Fermented in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, the Petrolo Galatrona is aged for 18 to 20 months in a mix of large French oak barrels and barriques about a third new, expertly balancing elegance and immense power in an opulent style reminiscent of Le Pin according to James Suckling who calls it “the Merlot bombshell from Tuscany.” Crafted under legendary consulting enologist Carlo Ferrini, the Wine Advocate’s Monica Larner describes the 99 pt. 2019 Petrolo Galatrona as “soft and luscious, spreading evenly over the palate with elegance and sweeping intensity,” while the 98 pt. 2020 Petrolo Galatrona is “stunning” with all the elements “so impeccably woven together,” according to Antonio Galloni of Vinous, summing it up as “magnificent.” Declared “a tremendous wine by any measure” by critic Galloni, the 98 pt. 2021 Petrolo Galatrona is “totally unputdownable” according to Decanter’s Georgina Hindle “with lots of potential for improvement over ageing” and a lifespan of several decades.

Describing Petrolo as “a jewel of an estate” crafting “some of the most beautiful wines in Tuscany,” Antonio Galloni of Vinous calls the Petrolo Galatrona a “stunning value for the money” priced at a fraction of other highly rated Super Tuscan blends, these recent exceptional vintages already drinking beautifully and promising collectors who stash some away the opportunity to enjoy Petrolo’s elegantly complex and truly gorgeous expression of Tuscan Merlot for years to come.

98V

98JS #90 Top 100

97D

96WS

The 2021 Galatrona is a fine follow-up to the 2020. In most vintages, Galatrona is very showy right out of the gate. That is not at all the case with the 2021, a wine that is going to need a number of years to be at its finest. Black cherry, plum, mocha, leather, licorice and incense infuse the 2021 with tremendous complexity. More than anything else, I admire a feeling of vertical, explosive energy that catapults the 2021 into the stratosphere. This is a tremendous wine by any measure.

98 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Aug 2023)

The aromas here are very distinct with dried flowers such as lavender and violets. Some sage as well. Black berries and black olive skin. Full-bodied yet linear and energetic with very fine tannins and fantastic length. Fresh and lively in the finish. Merlot. Best after 2026.

98 points, James Suckling (Aug 2023)

#90 - James Suckling Top 100 of 2023

Vivid purple in the glass, gorgeous black cherry and blackcurrant aromas with touches of florality - this 100% Merlot smells wonderfully scented and inviting. Smooth, ample, really quite seductive on the palate, sensual almost in the silky but gripping tannins, beautifully ripe blackcurrant and cherry fruit and crunchy, crisp acidity that is not too sharp or too obvious but lifts the palate and gives a thrill and wonderful freshness to the overall expression. Beautifully presented, harmonious, balanced and totally enjoyable from the first to last sip. A gorgeous wine, intense yet energetic, full of flavour and textural nuance. Totally unputdownable, although with lots of potential for improvement over ageing. The wine spent 18 months in French oak tonneaux and barriques, 30% new. 3.56pH.

97 points, Georgina Hindle, Decanter (Jul 2023)

Though seamless and lusciously saturated with black currant, blackberry, violet, iron, tobacco and spice aromas and flavors, this red is also solidly built, with polished tannins. Nevertheless, this is more about finesse and elegance than power, with a vibrant profile and superlong finish. Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2042. 2,917 cases made, 150 cases imported.

96 points, Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator (2023)

Alcohol By Volume: 14.00%

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