2018 Galatrona
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Tasting notes
Really gorgeous blue fruit with blackberries and blueberries, sandalwood and fresh flowers. Such a cool and bright nose. Lavender, too. Medium-to full-bodied, firm and tight with really fine and curated tannins that last for minutes. Very attractive now, but one that will age and satisfy for decades. Best in 2027 and onwards.
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James Suckling
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Petrolo is a certified organic grower, and this iconic expression of Merlot from Tuscany has now moved on from IGT status to the Val d'Arno di Sopra appellation. This is big news for an appellation trying to carve out its own identity in the competitive environment of Tuscan wine appellations. There is arguably no wine in this area near Arezzo more celebrated than Galatrona. The Petrolo 2018 Val d'Arno di Sopra Galatrona is a beautifully soft and supple expression with dark fruit, cherry, blackberry, tobacco, spice and smoked cedarwood. The results are balanced and elegant, and this vintage has a beautiful manner in which it presents the intensity and depth of Tuscan Merlot without any of the heaviness or darkness you might anticipate. Everything comes together here with careful precision and wholeness.
The flagship 2018 Galatrona, 100% Merlot, is very beautiful. Silky tannins wrap around a core of Merlot fruit. I am struck by how elegant the 2018 is, as Galatrona is so often a wine of impact. Black cherry, chocolate, game, leather, licorice and spice give the 2018 a good bit of nuance. This is an especially understated, refined edition of Galatrona.
Lovely polish and finesse to this red with blackberries, blueberries and hints of chocolate and hazelnuts. Medium to full body. Fine tannins. Length is all there.
About the producer
Petrolo is one of Tuscany’s cult names. It is best known for Galatrona – a Merlot cuvée that is, along with Masseto, often described as the Pétrus of Tuscany.